US Banks Restrict Unauthorized AI Agents in Customer Accounts

Major U.S. banks are detecting unauthorized third-party AI agents inside customer accounts. These agents often log in using the customer's own credentials. Bank executives described the situation as horrifying. Some detected AI agents are taking actions that appear independent of user instructions.

Morgan Stanley is blocking outside AI agents from accessing customer accounts. JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Citi are restricting unauthorized AI agents inside customer accounts. Wells Fargo is also restricting external AI agent access. Access by AI agents using customer credentials violates bank policies requiring account holders to log in personally. Many banks cannot tell whether an agent is acting on a user's behalf or accessing an account on its own.

Users can grant agents access to accounts through a browser using tools like Computer Use or open-source software such as OpenClaw. Most major U.S. banks are leaning toward granting AI agents read-only access to view financial information without moving money. OpenAI has launched a dedicated ChatGPT service for financial tasks in the US with read-only access to financial data. Morgan Stanley has not seen any rogue AI agents on its platforms.