The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub have announced the winners of the G20 TechSprint 2025 competition. Among the three global winners, Proto and FNA received the award for their joint Anti-Scam Centre solution, developed under the submission Trust at Speed: A National Utility for Scam Reporting and Fund Tracing.
The G20 TechSprint identifies best-in-class technological innovations addressing shared challenges in the global regulatory and central banking community. The 2025 edition focused on trust and integrity in scalable and open finance, with the winning teams in three categories selected from a shortlist of fifteen finalists and 165 companies worldwide.
Proto and FNA were awarded in the fraud and cyber risks category, which seeks to drive wider adoption of fast payment systems globally while reducing fraud and cyber threats. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimates that $1 trillion is stolen each year from the global economy by industrial-scale scams — with fund recovery in low-and-middle income countries languishing at less than 1%.
Dr Kimmo Soramäki, CEO of FNA, said: “This award from the G20 TechSprint reflects the growing global recognition that financial scams are both a systemic and human challenge. The joint solution from FNA and Proto helps regulators and banks act at speed, protecting consumers and strengthening trust across the financial system.”
A national utility for scam response
The global financial inclusion initiative created a multitude of instant payment systems designed to serve historically-marginalized populations. However, faster payments have also created easier fraud against these newly included users — risking trust in the financial system itself.
After incidents, transnational criminals are benefiting from delays in reporting, often due to victim embarrassment and unclear regulatory capabilities. Within 24 hours of a scam, the funds are typically routed cross-border, withdrawn to cash, converted to crypto, or funnelled through online casinos.
The Anti-Scam Centre solution combines FNA’s Money Trails, a real-time fund tracing and freezing system with Proto’s multilingual AI-driven citizen communication infrastructure. The platform enables citizens to discreetly report scams in local languages, while financial institutions and regulators can trace, freeze, and recover stolen funds within seconds.
Curtis Matlock, CEO of Proto, said: “The global scam problem is becoming even more complicated with criminal use of AI. It is contingent on regulators and innovators to swiftly collaborate and deploy integrated consumer protection systems that reach and serve the most vulnerable citizens. The Proto and FNA collaboration is an example of how the positive use of AI can provide a critical line of defence for regulators.”
Key capabilities for Anti-Scam Centres — often setup by central banks, law enforcement, and financial intelligence units – include:
- Inclusive reporting – victims can discreetly report scams via familiar messaging apps in local languages, such as Cebuano and Kinyarwanda.
- Real-time tracing – FNA’s Money Trails platform follows stolen funds across multiple institutions within seconds.
- Cross-agency collaboration – regulators, banks, and law enforcement gain a shared operational view for coordinated and transparent investigations.
Proven deployments and inclusion impact
The solution builds on successful deployments already in place. In Malaysia, FNA’s Money Trails powers the National Fraud Portal, increasing recovery rates sixty-fold compared with legacy methods. In the Philippines, Proto’s AI consumer protection platform has processed over 14 million citizen interactions, expanding access to fraud reporting in multiple local languages.
Both firms received pilot funding from the Gates Foundation to implement their systems in countries including Indonesia, Rwanda, Namibia, and the Philippines. By closing the gap between victimised citizens and institutional response, the Anti-Scam Centre solution strengthens resilience and protects the advances of financial inclusion.
Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, said: “As policymakers, our unwavering commitment to fostering innovation is crucial. The G20 TechSprint has once again shown that some of the most scalable and forward-thinking solutions can emerge from fintech start-ups in small towns to seasoned developers in global hubs. Hosting the TechSprint on African soil for the first time revealed the depth of talent and ingenuity across our continent and beyond.”
About FNA
FNA is a leading analytics and simulation firm specialising in financial network mapping, stress testing, and fraud detection. Trusted by central banks, regulators, and financial market infrastructures worldwide, FNA’s platform helps institutions visualise and analyse complex transaction networks in real time. Its flagship solutions – such as the National Fraud Portal and Money Trails – enable authorities to trace illicit fund flows, detect high-risk accounts, and respond to scams with unprecedented speed and precision.
About the G20 TechSprint
The G20 TechSprint is a global innovation competition organised by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub in collaboration with central banks and financial regulators. It challenges fintech firms, technology companies, and innovators worldwide to develop cutting-edge solutions addressing critical challenges in the financial sector. The 2025 edition, hosted by the South African Reserve Bank, focused on trust and integrity in scalable and open finance, attracting 165 participants from around the world. Winners are selected based on their ability to deliver practical, scalable solutions that can strengthen financial systems and protect consumers globally.
