Savi Security, a Los Angeles‑based consumer technology company focused on AI‑powered scam protection, has launched Savi, an iOS and Android app designed to screen calls, messages and digital communications before users engage, and has raised 7 million dollars in seed funding to accelerate development of its behavioral AI platform. The seed round is led by Acrew Capital, with participation from Magnify Ventures, TTCER, and Resolute Ventures.
The company argues that while generative AI has delivered benefits in research and productivity, it has also “industrialized” digital fraud, handing scammers and cybercriminals tools to create highly convincing, personalized attacks at scale. Traditional cybersecurity investment has focused on governments and enterprises, leaving consumers comparatively exposed, even as digital fraud has become one of the fastest‑growing crimes in the United States. Government estimates cited by Savi indicate that American consumers lose nearly $200 billion annually to cybercriminals, with imposter scams accounting for roughly one‑third of reported fraud cases. Older adults and Gen Z are both heavily affected: Americans over 60 reportedly lost more than 81.6 billion dollars in 2025, with average losses exceeding 38,500 dollars per victim, while Gen Z adults are more than three times as likely to fall for online scams as Baby Boomers.
Savi’s app is designed as an “always‑on” protection layer that works on top of native phone features to detect scam patterns in real time. Key functions include text message protection that automatically routes spam and scam texts to junk, voicemail screening that takes messages from unknown numbers and flags suspected scams, and an “On Call” feature that allows users to add Savi to any live call so the app can listen silently, use behavioral AI to detect scam patterns and alert users as the conversation unfolds. A proactive call screening capability, scheduled for release in fall 2026, will screen unknown callers before the call reaches the user, blocking scam attempts at the point of contact. Users can also submit any suspicious message, email or image to a built‑in scam checker for a verdict and guidance on next steps.
The service is priced at 7.99 dollars per month or 62.99 dollars per year for a single plan that covers an entire family, with no cap on the number of members, including parents, partners, children and other dependents. Each subscription includes guided setup and options for human onboarding by Savi team members, reflecting the company’s focus on supporting “sandwich generation” caregivers who manage scam risk across multiple generations, often at a distance.
Earlier in 2026, Savi launched Scamwise, a free public utility tool that allows consumers to quickly check whether a suspicious message, call, email or link is likely a scam. Since launch, Scamwise’s threat‑detection models have reviewed nearly 100,000 submissions, with more than half identified as scams, including fake e‑commerce sites, government impersonations and banking and finance frauds. Scamwise is integrated into the Savi app and available as a standalone website, and Savi plans to keep it free, using its data to surface emerging scam patterns in real time.
Savi was founded in 2025 by brothers Patrick and Ryan Coughlin after their mother nearly fell victim to a voice‑clone scam, an experience that highlighted how AI‑driven fraud can exploit trust and family relationships. Patrick brings national security and enterprise cyber defense experience from roles at TruSTAR, Splunk, Cisco, and Booz Allen Hamilton and is the author of “Dark Side of the Boom: How Scammers Hijacked the AI Revolution.” Ryan is an AI and machine learning product leader who has worked on consumer and platform products at Apple, Spotify, JW Player, and Sounder.
The company and its backers frame Savi as part of a necessary shift in cybersecurity innovation toward consumer protection. Former prosecutor Erin West, who founded Operation Shamrock to combat fraud, notes that by the time many cases reach law enforcement, funds are already gone, and argues that families need proactive protections like Savi’s to intervene earlier.
KEY QUOTES:
“For decades, governments and enterprises have been the target of choice for hackers and cybercriminals. With AI, bad actors are targeting consumers with new levels of sophistication and scale. We’re building Savi because consumers and families deserve more innovation and digital protection that works proactively, before the damage is done.”
Patrick Coughlin, Co‑Founder and CEO, Savi Security
“AI has industrialized the scam economy. Families are being targeted with a level of sophistication that used to be reserved for nation-state attacks. By the time these cases reach my former colleagues, the money is all too often already gone. Savi is building the kind of protection every family needs.”
Erin West, Former Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney and Founder of Operation Shamrock
“Governments and enterprises are investing in cyber defense, but consumers have missed out on innovation. We all need a new generation of protections for today’s AI-powered threats. Savi has the mission, vision and technical depth the problem demands.”
Lauren Kolodny, Partner, Acrew Capital
