When Vishvak Bhatt got scammed buying sneakers online, he didn’t just get mad—he got curious. Now a doctoral student in UWM’s Lubar College of Business, Bhatt turned his frustration into research, developing an AI agent that can detect fraud in online payment transactions. With mentorship from Dijo Alexander, Lubar Professor of Practice, Information Technology Management, this project is part of a growing push to combine technology and business for the greater good.
“At its core, the AI agent acts like a watchdog,” Vishvak said. “It constantly monitors financial transactions to flag suspicious activity. Humans can’t catch everything, but AI can process huge amounts of data and spot patterns in real time.”
The pair’s research, supported by a grant from the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI), focuses on defending against online scams that often target older adults or less tech-savvy users. “Scammers are getting smarter and faster,” says Dr. Alexander. “They use social engineering to trick people, and with instant payments, they can be gone in seconds. Our AI tool slows the process down, giving people time to think twice.”
Vishvak’s findings uncovered key scam patterns: messages often come during high-stress times, use urgent or emotional language, and rely on fake websites or payment platforms.
“We saw lots of messages saying things like ‘I accidentally sent you $1,000—can you send it back?’ That’s where the AI comes in. It flags phrases that are common in scams,” Vishvak says.
But the system isn’t designed to replace people. “We’re not stopping transactions automatically,” says Dr. Alexander. “We’re flagging them, maybe delaying them, and alerting humans to take a closer look. The goal is to reduce harm without taking away control.”
The research, part of the NMDSI’s Student Research Scholars Program, has given Vishvak valuable experience—and confidence. “This project taught me how to bridge what I learn in class with real-world problems,” he says. “I’d love to see this technology built into actual banking systems someday.”
Dr. Alexander adds, “What we’re doing here at Lubar is preparing students not just to manage people, but to manage AI systems alongside people. Research like this empowers students to make a real difference.”
Vishvak puts it simply: “Start small and be ready to pivot. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish.”