# Major U.S. banks detect unauthorized third-party AI agents in customer accounts

> Original title: The problem seems to be that the banks can't tell if the agents have been given permission by their users to access their accounts or not...

- Source: Andrew Curran
- Published: 2026-10-22T13:53:03.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/a5eh18c6yed79wbedubdq8h53
- Original: https://x.com/AndrewCurran_/status/2113267392621236569

## Summary

Andrew Curran says the core problem is that banks cannot tell whether AI agents have been authorized by users to access their accounts. He says every major AI company is launching proactive agents with broad access, which he expects to become a serious issue. He shares an Axios report that major U.S. banks are detecting unauthorized third-party agents, some taking actions that appear independent of user instructions.

## Post

The problem seems to be that the banks can't tell if the agents have been given permission by their users to access their accounts or not. Every big AI company is in the process of launching a proactive agent with access to everything. This is going to turn into a big issue.

![](https://badinfluence.news/api/img-proxy?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FHVPVfl4aMAA-pwa.jpg&mode=thumb&exp=1793404800&sig=38289323604d7450)

## Quoted post @MadisonMills22

> SCOOP: Major U.S. banks are detecting unauthorized third-party AI agents inside customer accounts, including some attempting to take actions that appear to be independent of user instructions, sources told Axios.
> 
> The findings have alarmed banking executives, who are racing to restrict access to their systems as AI moves at a velocity faster than financial institutions can respond, multiple industry and bank executives told Axios.
> 
> Several banks are now preparing for worst-case and even “day after” scenarios, including how to rapidly secure or restore customer accounts if things go wrong, the people said.
> 
> Several bank executives told Axios they're struggling to distinguish between human users and AI agents. One executive said banks also struggle to determine whether agents are authorized by customers or potentially operating without their permission, more akin to rogue agent behavior.
> 
> Read my latest for Axios here: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/22/ai-agents-banks-unauthorized-accounts-access

https://x.com/MadisonMills22/status/2113251043173683683