The system will create a digital profile of customers voices over the course of several phone calls. Once the bank has built up a sufficient profile, customers can choose to use voice recognition rather than a password. This profile will be securely stored on Barclays system, and deleted if customers opt out.
Barclays said the system can identify someone even if they have a cold as the markers it analyses, including accent, pronunciation and cadence, do not change even if you are blocked up.
The bank also said it would be impossible for fraudsters to mimic a customer and fool the computer as they would have to recreate all the physical and behavioural aspects of their speech.
In related news, HSBCs online bank First Direct plans to have most of its customers up and running with voice ID security by the end of august. And up to 15 million HSBC customers will be able to use voice recognition later this year, while Lloyds is also looking at the technology.
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