PETALING JAYA: Public Bank will launch a Caller Authentication feature on Dec 4 to prevent scammers from impersonating customers.

In an email to customers on Nov 20, the company said users calling the customer support and case management helpdesk will be required to confirm their identity through the PB engage My or MyPB app before receiving assistance.

The feature is only available to users who have activated PB SecureSign, which allows users to authenticate banking transactions using biometrics like fingerprint and facial recognition, or Pin.

When customers contact the company's customer support or case management helpdesk for assistance, they will be asked to provide their MyKad number.

Next, they will receive a notification on the PB engage My or MyPB apps.

The app will display a transaction authorisation page with "Call Authentication" shown as the transaction type along with details like the call date and time.

Users can then choose to approve or reject the request.

Once approved, the help desk operator will proceed to assist the caller.

The feature is not applicable for PB enterprise or PB QR-related calls.