Bank of America alerts customers against providing account credentials to automated AI software

Bank of America has sent an email alert titled "Protecting your finances in the Al World" warning customers never to give their banking usernames or passwords to an outside service or person, including any AI-enabled tool or autonomous agent acting on their behalf. A spokesperson for the financial institution confirmed the legitimacy of the message after copies surfaced on social media. [1][2]

The lender cautioned that users who voluntarily provide their credentials to AI assistants remain responsible for any resulting account activity, subject to applicable consumer protections. Beyond unintended financial transactions, the practice risks triggering automated fraud lockouts or exposing sensitive login information to cybercriminals if an external assistant suffers a security breach. [1][2]

The alert comes as financial institutions and payment processors grapple with autonomous tools like Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT managing personal errands. While Bank of America highlighted its own internal investments in AI services, traditional banks are still evaluating how to safely support emerging features such as agentic payments without exposing customer balances to unauthorized third-party access. [1][2]