Fraud & Identity Management

Experian’s Sure Profile was selected as a Platinum winner in the “Fraud and Security Innovation” category in the sixth annual Fintech & Payments awards from Juniper Research, a firm dedicated to delivering thought leadership and analysis in the Fintech and Payment industries.   An innovative service in the fight against synthetic identity fraud, Sure Profile is a comprehensive credit profile that provides a composite history of a consumer’s identification, public record, and credit information in order to detect synthetic identities. It utilizes premium data to help businesses identify potential synthetic fraud threats across credit inquiries, thus allowing lenders to transact more confidently with the vast majority of legitimate consumers.   “Experian has always been a leader in delivering innovative services that both combat fraud and provide identity verification and trust to lending environments. Sure Profile delivers an industry-first fraud offering—integrated directly into the credit profile—that mitigates lender losses while protecting millions of legitimate consumers’ identities,” said Keir Breitenfeld, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Marketing, Experian Decision Analytics. “In times of rapid changes to customer interactions, growth strategies, and risk management practices, it’s particularly important to focus on building tools that can help businesses make better decisions and I’m proud that Experian has again provided an instrument to enable those decisions.”   To learn more about Sure Profile and how Experian is working to solve this multibillion-dollar problem, visit us or request a call. Learn more

It’s time for organizations to harness the power artificial intelligence (AI) can bring to digital identity management – quickly and accurately identifying consumers throughout the lifecycle. The rise in crime   The acceleration to digital platforms created a perfect storm of new opportunities for fraudsters. Synthetic identity fraud, stimulus-related fraud, and other types of cybercrime have seen huge upticks within the past year and a half. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission revealed that consumers reported over 360,000 complaints, resulting in more than $580 million in COVID-19-related fraud losses as of October 2021. To protect both themselves and consumers, businesses — especially lenders — will have to find and incorporate new strategies to identify customers, deter fraudsters and mitigate cybercrime. The benefits of AI for digital identity In our latest e-book, we explore the impacts of AI on organizations’ digital identity strategies, including: How changing consumer expectations increased the need for speed The challenges associated with both AI and digital identities The path forward for digital identity and AI How to develop the right strategy Building a solution It’s clear that current digital identity and fraud prevention tools are not enough to stop cybercriminals. To stay ahead of fraudsters and keep consumers happy, businesses need to look to new technologies — ones that can intake and compute large data sets in near-real time for better and faster decisions throughout the customer lifecycle. By using AI, businesses will enjoy a fast and consistent decisioning system that automatically routes questionable identities to additional authentication steps, allowing employees to focus on the riskiest cases and maximizing efficiency. Read our latest e-book to dive into the ways artificial intelligence and digital identity interact, and the benefits a clear identity strategy can have for the entire user journey. Download the e-book

Over the last year and a half, strong trends emerged in how businesses and consumers interact online - specifically when validating identities and preventing fraud. We initially explored these trends at a global level, and now we've explored U.S.-specific insights into online security, the customer experience, and digital activities and operations. Download the North America findings report to learn more about business and consumer fraud and identity trends impacting the way we live, work, and interact. Review your fraud strategy

Lately, I’ve been surprised by the emphasis that some fraud prevention practitioners still place on manual fraud reviews and treatment. With the market’s intense focus on real-time decisions and customer experience, it seems that fraud processing isn’t always keeping up with the trends. I’ve been involved in several lively discussions on this topic. On one side of the argument sit the analytical experts who are incredibly good at distilling mountains of detailed information into the most accurate fraud risk prediction possible. Their work is intended to relieve users from the burden of scrutinizing all of that data. On the other side of the argument sits the human side of the debate. Their position is that only a human being is able to balance the complexity of judging risk with the sensitivity of handling a potential customer. All of this has led me to consider the pros and cons of manual fraud reviews. The Pros of Manual Review When we consider the requirements for review, it certainly seems that there could be a strong case for using a manual process rather than artificial intelligence. Human beings can bring knowledge and experience that is outside of the data that an analytical decision can see. Knowing what type of product or service the customer is asking for and whether or not it’s attractive to criminals leaps to mind. Or perhaps the customer is part of a small community where they’re known to the institution through other types of relationships—like a credit union with a community- or employer-based field of membership. In cases like these, there are valuable insights that come from the reviewer’s knowledge of the world outside of the data that’s available for analytics. The Cons of Manual Review When we look at the cons of manual fraud review, there’s a lot to consider. First, the costs can be high. This goes beyond the dollars paid to people who handle the review to the good customers that are lost because of delays and friction that occurs as part of the review process. In a past webinar, we asked approximately 150 practitioners how often an application flagged for identity discrepancies resulted in that application being abandoned. Half of the audience indicated that more than 50% of those customers were lost. Another 30% didn’t know what the impact was. Those potentially good customers were lost because the manual review process took too long. Additionally, the results are subjective. Two reviewers with different levels of skill and expertise could look at the same information and choose a different course of action or make a different decision. A single reviewer can be inconsistent, too—especially if they’re expected to meet productivity measures. Finally, manual fraud review doesn’t support policy development. In another webinar earlier this year, a fraud prevention practitioner mentioned that her organization’s past reliance on manual review left them unable to review fraud cases and figure out how the criminals were able to succeed. Her organization simply couldn’t recreate the reviewer’s thought process and find the mistake that lead to a fraud loss. To Review or Not to Review? With compelling arguments on both sides, what is the best practice for manually reviewing cases of fraud risk? Hopefully, the following list will help: DO: Get comfortable with what analytics tell you. Analytics divide events into groups that share a measurable level of fraud risk. Use the analytics to define different tiers of risk and assign each tier to a set of next steps. Start simple, breaking the accounts that need scrutiny into high, medium and low risk groups. Perhaps the high risk group includes one instance of fraud out of every five cases. Have a plan for how these will be handled. You might require additional identity documentation that would be hard for a criminal to falsify or some other action. Another group might include one instance in every 20 cases. A less burdensome treatment can be used here – like a one-time-passcode (OTP) sent to a confirmed mobile number. Any cases that remain unverified might then be asked for the same verification you used on the high-risk group. DON’T: Rely on a single analytical score threshold or risk indicator to create one giant pile of work that has to be sorted out manually. This approach usually results in a poor experience for a large number of customers, and a strong possibility that the next steps are not aligned to the level of risk. DO: Reserve manual review for situations where the reviewer can bring some new information or knowledge to the cases they review. DON’T: Use the same underlying data that generated the analytics as the basis of a review. Consider two simplistic cases that use a new address with no past association to the individual. In one case, there are several other people with different surnames that have recently been using the same address. In the other, there are only two, and they share the same surname. In the best possible case, the reviewer recognizes how the other information affects the risk, and they duplicate what the analytics have already done – flagging the first application as suspicious. In other cases, connections will be missed, resulting in a costly mistake. In real situations, automated reviews are able to compare each piece of information to thousands of others, making it more likely that second-guessing the analytics using the same data will be problematic. DO: Focus your most experienced and talented reviewers on creating fraud strategies. The best way to use their time and skill is to create a cycle where risk groups are defined (using analytics), a verification treatment is prescribed and used consistently, and the results are measured. With this approach, the outcome of every case is the result of deliberate action. When fraud occurs, it’s either because the case was miscategorized and received treatment that was too easy to discourage the criminal—or it was categorized correctly and the treatment wasn’t challenging enough. Gaining Value While there is a middle ground where manual review and skill can be a force-multiplier for strong analytics, my sense is that many organizations aren’t getting the best value from their most talented fraud practitioners. To improve this, businesses can start by understanding how analytics can help group customers based on levels of risk—not just one group but a few—where the number of good vs. fraudulent cases are understood. Decide how you want to handle each of those groups and reserve challenging treatments for the riskiest groups while applying easier treatments when the number of good customers per fraud attempt is very high. Set up a consistent waterfall process where customers either successfully verify, cascade to a more challenging treatment, or abandon the process. Focus your manual efforts on monitoring the process you’ve put in place. Start collecting data that shows you how both good and bad cases flow through the process. Know what types of challenges the bad guys are outsmarting so you can route them to challenges that they won’t beat so easily. Most importantly, have a plan and be consistent. Be sure to keep an eye out for a new post where we’ll talk about how this analytical approach can also help you grow your business. Contact us

Earlier this year, we shared our predictions for five fraud threats facing businesses in 2021. Now that we’ve reached the midpoint of the year and economic recovery is underway, we’re taking another look at how these threats can impact businesses and consumers.   Putting a Face to Frankenstein IDs: Synthetic identity fraudsters will attempt to bypass fraud detection methods by using AI to combine facial characteristics from different people to form a new identity. Overexposure: As many as 80% of SSNs may have been exposed on the dark web, creating opportunities for account application fraud. The Heist: Surges in data breaches, advances in automation, expanded online banking services and vulnerabilities exposed from social engineering mistakes have lead to rises in account takeover fraud. Overstimulated: Opportunistic fraudsters may take advantage of ongoing relief payments by using stolen data from consumers. Behind the Times: Businesses with lackluster fraud prevention tools and insufficient online security technology will likely experience more attacks and suffer larger losses.   To learn more about upcoming fraud threats and how to protect your business, download our new infographic and check out Experian’s fraud prevention solutions. Download infographic Request a call

As stimulus-generated fraud wanes, we anticipate a return of more traditional forms of fraud, including account opening fraud. As businesses embrace the digital evolution and look ahead to responsible growth, it’s important to balance the customer experience with the risks associated with account opening fraud. Preventing account opening fraud requires a layered fraud and identity management strategy that allows you to approve good customers while keeping criminals out. With the right tools in place, you can optimize the customer experience while still keeping risk low. Download infographic Review your fraud strategy

Over the past year and a half, the development of digital identity has shifted the ways businesses interact with consumers. Companies across every industry have incorporated digital services, biometrics, and other verification tools to enhance the consumer experience without increasing risk.   Changing consumer expectations   A digital identity strategy is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s table stakes. Consumers expect to be recognized across platforms and have a seamless experience every time.   89% of consumers use mobile banking 80% of companies now have a customer recognition strategy in place 55% of banking customers say they plan to visit the bank branch less often moving forward   Businesses are responding to these changing expectations while working to grow during the economic recovery – trying to balance consumer experience with risk appetite and bottom-line goals. The present state of digital identity   Digital identity strategies require both standardization and interoperability. The first provides the ability to consistently capture data and characteristics that can be used to recognize a specific individual. The second allows businesses to resolve an identity to a specific person – recognizing a phone number, user ID and password, or a device – and use that information to determine if the user of the identity is in fact the identity owner.   There are some roadblocks on the road to a seamless digital identity strategy. Issues include a lack of consumer trust and an ambiguous regulatory landscape – creating friction on both ends of the equation.   Recipe for success   To succeed, businesses need a framework that can reliably use different combinations of physical and digital identity data to determine that the person behind the identity is a known, verified, and unique individual. A one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t exist. However, a layered approach allows businesses to modernize identity, providing the services consumers want and expect while remaining agile in an ever-changing environment.   In our newest white paper, developed in partnership with One World Identity, we explore the obstacles hindering digital identity management, and the best way to build a layered solution that is flexible, trustworthy, and inclusive.   To learn more, download our “Capturing the Digital Evolution Through a Layered Approach” white paper. Download white paper

For credit unions of all sizes, choosing a strategic partner with the right tools, capabilities, and industry expertise to support growth while minimizing expenses is a decision critical to the bottom line. This is especially important, since the goal of achieving sustainable growth has continued to be a trending topic for credit unions since the start of the pandemic. According to this CU Times analysis of NCUA data, the fourth quarter of 2020 showed that high overhead per assets was the main factor holding down net income, and credit unions with less than $1 billion in assets fared the worst. These high overhead costs kept margins low and served to be a key contributing factor in gauging a credit union’s profitability. Overcoming this problem lies not only in improving operational efficiency, but in seeking out partners that can provide innovative insight and “right-sized,” scalable solutions to help credit unions effectively grow at a strategic pace. The less money a credit union spends earning each dollar, the more operationally efficient and resource-savvy it becomes—which in turn generates more value for both the credit union and its members. So how can a credit union successfully assess a potential partner’s ability to help them achieve goals for sustainable growth? Asking three key questions can reveal a potential partner’s operational prowess and their ability to understand and offer the right solutions tailored for an individual credit union’s need. Minimize Overhead with a Partner Who Can Help Accelerate and Support Sustainable Growth: Evaluation Questions to Ask 1. Does my potential partner offer solutions to ease the strain on staff, or help automate time-consuming, repetitive tasks and processes? Automation is not only for large credit unions. Employees at credit unions with $4 billion and less in assets often wear many hats and manage the full spectrum of credit activities, leaving leaders to ponder how much time staff is spending on rote, manual tasks throughout the end-to-end member lifecycle. As a result, credit unions are turning to automated decisioning to streamline repetitive tasks and meet increasing member expectations, while also reducing risk. To drive sustainable growth, credit unions will want to look at current processes as a means of measuring efficiency. Can existing programs handle growth to scale in all areas of the business? How can digital lending automation be increased and free up more time for staff to focus attention where it is needed most, such as high-value engagements with members and delivering a personalized member experience? Can self-service tools save your credit union valuable time and increase employee satisfaction? 2. Does my potential partner have access to the right data, advanced analytics and technology to help optimize credit decisioning? As credit unions consider different ways to minimize overhead and accelerate growth, the last few years have shown that automation, coupled with advanced analytics and technology, has taken on a second wave of focus and intense interest. A significant opportunity pertaining to automation is supporting decisioning throughout the member lifecycle, again, eliminating the need for manual processes that cannibalize time and resources. For example, access to advanced analytics and data at the onset of account acquisition can quickly inform a lender as to whether a new account should be approved or declined. Furthermore, it also presents an opportunity to lend deeper. Credit unions can leverage expanded datasets to perform an analysis on rejected applicants and make more predictive decisions – leading to incremental loans. Additionally, lenders have identified other areas where automated decisioning could speed up processes that once required manual evaluation – from account and portfolio management, to marketing and prescreening efforts, to managing early and late-stage delinquent accounts. By leveraging a partner who can support optimizing credit decisioning with the freshest data and analytics, credit unions can routinely and consistently be sure they’re making the right offers and decisions to the right customer at the right time. 3. Does my potential partner offer digital-first strategies and solutions that help reduce friction and improve the member experience? More and more members are interacting and engaging with their credit unions via digital channels. To meet their demands, credit unions – who have historically prioritized other initiatives over digital transformation– are quickly pivoting and rethinking their digital strategy to offer best-in-class digital banking and borrowing experiences, while also reducing friction. Part of this strategy includes smart, easy and well-designed applications that support sustainable growth simply by streamlining offers and reducing abandonment. When considering a potential partner, take into consideration their ability to assist with digital-first solutions, including: Real-time income and employment verification, and fraud tools to quickly and accurately confirm important factors, including the legitimacy of members, and streamline the borrowing process with minimal friction. Instant prescreen, self-service prequalification and instant credit to offer fast, easy, and convenient real-time credit decisions for members. Additionally, improving lending economics with a digital-first pre-qualification tool can not only better serve members, but also drive more apps and grow loans. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and other innovative technologies to enhance underwriting and decrease both hard inquiries on applications and the need for extensive underwriter review. Prequalification tools powered by innovative technology solutions can lead to efficient use of underwriter resources and act as a filter in front of the LOS to remove unqualified applications from hard inquiries. Technology that integrates with multiple lending and core systems and delivers solutions that integrate with multiple systems and channels. For example, to help improve conversion, the borrower experience can be offered a simple application that is designed to “get to offer” as fast as possible. This helps reduce abandonment. The process can be further streamlined by integrating data sources for ID verification, auto fill assistance and adding integrations with existing lending and core systems. To learn more about Experian and how our solutions can support and grow your credit union, contact us now. Contact Us

Forrester recently named Experian to their Programs of the Year awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in a particular area in sales, marketing and product functions. Forrester gives this award to companies who achieve the successful implementation of Forrester’s research, frameworks and best practices to improve functional performance. At Experian, innovation is at the heart of what we do. We strive for continuous improvement, and look for ways to progress our products and services to better serve businesses and consumers. Over the last year, Experian’s Decision Analytics Portfolio Marketing team engaged with Forrester’s SiriusDecisions group to refine the programs they employ to assess and respond to market needs while meeting their stated growth and performance goals. Experian’s Keir Breitenfeld, Vice President, Portfolio Marketing, Experian Decision Analytics, who presented the team’s results at the recent Forrester B2B summit said, “I’m proud of the Decision Analytics Portfolio Marketing team for what they accomplished while working alongside Forrester SiriusDecisions. We were able to reframe how we assess market opportunities for increased impact as we highlight Experian’s areas of expertise to better serve businesses and the consumers that rely on them.” To learn more about the Programs of the Year award and how Experian innovation helps businesses achieve their goals, visit us or request a call. Contact us

Recently, I wrote about how Experian is assisting NASWA (National Association of State Workforce Agencies) with identity verification to help mitigate the spike in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. Because of this I was not all that surprised when I found a letter in my mailbox from the Texas Workforce Commission with a fraudulent claim using my identity, inspiring me to follow up on this topic with a focus on fraud prevention best practices. Identity theft is on the rise According to Experian data analysis and a recent study on unemployment insurance fraud, at least 25% of new claims are a result of identity theft. This is 50 times higher than what we have traditionally seen in the highest ID theft fraud use case, new credit card applications, which generally amounts to less than 0.5% of new applications. Increasing digitization of the last few years—culminating in the huge leap forward in 2020—has resulted in a massive amount of information available online. Of that information, a reported 1.03 billion records were exposed between 2016 and 2020. There are currently approximately 330 million Americans, so on average more than three records per person have been exposed, creating an environment ripe for identity theft. In fact, a complete identity consisting of name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number (SSN) can be purchased for as little as $8. This stolen data is then often leveraged by both criminal rings who are able to perpetrate fraud on a large scale and smaller scale opportunists – like the ones in Riverside, CA leveraging access to identities of prison inmates. Fraud prevention through layered identity controls In the 20 years that I have been combatting ID theft both in the private and public sectors, I’ve learned that the most effective identity proofing goes beyond traditional identity resolution, validation, and verification. To be successful, you must take advantage of all available data and incorporate it into a layered and risk-based approach that utilizes device details, user behavior, biometrics, and more. Below, I outline three key layers to design an effective process for ID proofing new unemployment insurance claims. Layer 1: Resolve and Validate Identities Traditional identity data consists of the same basic information—name, address, date of birth, telephone number, and SSN—which is now readily available to fraudsters. These have been the foundation for ID proofing in the past and are still critical to resolving the identity in question. The key is to also include additional identity elements like email address and phone number to gain a more holistic view of the applicant. Layer 2: Assess Fraud Risk Determining an identity belongs to a real-life subject is not sufficient to mitigate the risk of ID theft associated with a new unemployment insurance claim. You must go beyond identity validation to assess the risk associated with their claim. Risk assessment risk falls into two categories – identity and digital risk. Identity Risk When assessing a claim, it’s important to check the identity for: Velocity: How often have you (or other states) seen the information being presented with this application? Has the information been associated with multiple identities? Recency of change: How long has the identity been associated with the contact information (phone, email, address, etc.)? Red flags: Has the subject been a recent victim of ID theft, or are they reported as deceased? Synthetic Identity: Are there signs that the identity itself is fictitious or manipulated and does not belong to a real-life person? Digital Risk Similar to the identity risk layer above, the device itself and how the subject interacts with the device are significantly important in identifying the likelihood a new claim is fraudulent. Device risk can be assessed by utilizing geolocation and checking for inconsistent settings or high-risk browsers, while behavioral risk might check for mouse movement, typing speed, or screen pressure. Layer 3: Verify Highest Risk Subjects The final stage in this process is to require additional verification for the highest risk claims, which helps to balance the experience of your valid subjects while minimizing the impact of fraud. Additional steps might include: Document verification: Scanning a government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, or similar), which includes assessing for document security features and biometric comparison to the applicant. One-time passcode (OTP): It is key to deploy this sparingly only to phone numbers that have been associated with the subject for a significant time frame and incorporate checks to determine if it is at high risk (e.g., recently ported or forwarded). Knowledge-based verification (KBV): Leveraging non-public information from a variety of sources. By adding additional, context-based identity elements, it becomes possible to improve the three main objectives of most agencies’ identity proofing process – get good constituents through the first time, protect the agency and citizens from fraud, and deliver a smooth and secure customer experience in online channels. While there’s no quick fix to prevent unemployment insurance fraud, a layered identity strategy can help prevent it. Finding a partner that has a single, holistic solution empowers agencies to defend against unemployment insurance fraud while minimizing friction for the end-user, and preparing for future fraud schemes. To learn more about how you can protect your constituents and your agency from unemployment insurance fraud request a call today. Contact us

In today’s digital-first environment, fraud threats are growing in sophistication and scope. It’s critical for credit unions to not only understand the specific threats presented by life online, but to also be prepared with a solid fraud detection and prevention plan. Below, we’ve outlined a few fraud trends that credit unions should be aware of and prepared to address. 2021 Trends to Watch: Digitization and the Movement to Life Online Trend #1: Digital Acceleration As we look ahead to the rest of 2021 and beyond, we expect to see adoption of digital strategies nearing the top of credit unions’ list of priorities. Members’ expectations for their digital experience have permanently shifted, and many credit unions now have members using online channels who traditionally wouldn’t have. This has led to a change in the types of fraud we see as online activities increased in volume. Trend #2: First-Party Fraud is On the Rise First party fraud is on the rise – 43% of financial executives say that mule activity is up 10% or more compared to attack rates prior to the pandemic, according to Trace Fooshee, Senior Analyst for Aite Group, and we expect to see this number grow. The ability for credit unions to identify and segregate the “good guys” from “bad guys” is getting more difficult to discern and this detail is more important than ever as credit unions work to create frictionless digital experiences by using digital tools and strategies. Trend #3: Continual Uptick in Synthetic Identity Fraud We expect synthetic identity fraud (SID) to continue to rise in 2021 as cybercriminals become more sophisticated in the digital space and as members continue with their new digital habits. Additionally, fraudsters can use SIDs to bring significant damage and loss to credit unions through fraudulent checks, debit cards, person-to-person and automated clearing house (ACH) transactions. More and more, fraudsters are seen opening accounts and remaining very patient – using an account to build and nurture a trusted relationship with the credit union and then remain dormant for two years before ensuing in any sort of abuse. Once the fraudster feels confident that they can bypass authentication processes or avoid a new product vetting, oftentimes, they will take that opportunity to get easy access to all solutions credit unions have available and will abuse them all at once. There are no signs of fraud slowing, so credit unions will need to stay vigilant in their fraud protection and prevention plans. We’ve outlined a few tips for credit unions to help protect member data while reducing risk. The Fight Against Fraud: Four Key Tips Tip #1: Manage Each Fraud Type Appropriately Preventing and detecting fraud requires a multi-level solution. This can involve new methods for authenticating current and prospective members, as well as incorporating synthetic identity services and identity proofing throughout the member lifecycle. For example, credit unions should consider taking extra verification steps during the account opening process as a preventative measure to minimize SID infiltration and associated fraud losses. As credit unions continue down the path of digitization, it’s also important to add in digital signals and behavior-based verification, such as information about the device a consumer is logging in from to heighten defenses against bad actors. Tip #2: Be Resourceful In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have asked, “How should credit unions approach fraud prevention tactics when in-person contact is limited or unavailable?” In some cases, you might need to be willing to say no to requests or get creative and find other options. Sometimes, it takes leveraging current resources and using what’s readily available to allow for a binary decision tree. For example, if you’re suspicious of a dormant account that you think could be synthetic, call them, and ask yourself these questions: Did they answer? Was the phone still active? Send the account holder an email – did you get a reply? Is this a new member? Is this a new channel for the member? Could they have logged on to do this instead of calling the call center? Tip #3: Empower Members Through Education Members like to know that their credit unions are taking the necessary steps and applying the right measures to keep their data secure. While members might not want every detail, they do want to know that the security measures are there. Require the use of strong passwords, step-up authentication, and empower members with alerts, notifications, and card controls. Additionally, protect members by providing resources like trainings, webinars, and best practices articles, where they can learn about current cyber trends and how to protect their data. Tip #4: Trust Data Many credit unions rely on an employee’s decision to decide when to take action and what action to take. The challenge with this approach comes when the credit union needs to reduce friction for members or tighten controls to prevent fraud, because it’s extremely hard to know exactly what drove prior actions. A better alternative is to rely on scores and specific data. Tweaks to the scores or data points that drive actions allow credit unions to achieve the desired member experience and risk tolerance – just be sure to leverage internal experts help figure out those policies. By determining what conditions drive actions before the actions are taken (instead of doing it one case at a time) the decisions remain transparent and actionable. Looking for more insights around how to best position your credit union to mitigate and prevent fraud? Watch our webinar featuring experts from around the industry and key credit unions in this Fraud Insight Form hosted by CUES. Watch now Contact us

The surge in digital demand over the past year reinforced the deep connection between recognition, fraud prevention and the online customer experience. As businesses transformed their operations to accommodate the rapidly growing volume of digital transactions, consumer expectations for easy, secure interactions increased at an even faster pace. That meant less tolerance for the interruptions caused by security and risk controls. We surveyed more than 9,000 consumers and 2,700 businesses worldwide about this connection for our 2021 Global Identity and Fraud Report. This year’s report dives into: Business priorities for the year ahead Why the digital customer experience remains siloed Consumer preferences that impact the digital customer journey Pandemic-era digital activities that have changed consumer expectations As we move forward into the rest of 2021 it’s crucial that businesses continue to focus on fraud prevention. In order to implement an effective fraud strategy that also makes it easier for customers to engage, businesses need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and focus on applying the right level of protection to each and every transaction. Download the report Review your fraud strategy

The sharp uptick in fraud that coincided with the digital evolution made it clear that banks, credit unions, and fintechs need to invest in a strategy that utilizes identity layers to keep their customers and their finances safe. The steady rise in fraud over the last several years spiked—payment fraud rose 70% last year and is expected to increase by 95% in 2021—making it more challenging than ever to address the fraud threat while meeting increasing customer expectations. The rising fraud threat 2020 saw a rapid influx of customers using digital channels and the amount of data flowing into financial systems. There’s been a seismic shift, and we’re not going back. According to a recent study, 80% of consumers now prefer to manage their finances digitally, leaving the door open for fraudsters to take advantage of digital newbies. The increase in online activity corresponded with criminal activity. The rates of synthetic identity, account opening, and account takeover fraud have risen as fraudsters’ tactics have evolved. 80% of fraud losses now come from synthetic identities In 2020 the rate of new account credit card fraud attempts rose 48% Account takeover accounted for 54% of all fraud attacks in 2020 Fraudsters will continue to take advantage of current conditions, moving from stimulus-related fraud back to more traditional forms of financial theft, and financial institutions must adapt in turn with robust identity layers. Resolving the identity threat In our recent white paper, developed in partnership with One World Identity, we explore how businesses can address the fraud threat. It requires a multilayered identity proofing strategy for both onboarding and ongoing authentication. By doing this, financial institutions can gain a holistic view of consumers and their associated risks, decreasing friction while enabling robust fraud protection. To learn more, download our “Improving Fraud by Increasing Identity Layers” white paper. Download white paper

For the last several months, Experian has participated as the only credit bureau in the pilot of the electronic Consent Based Social Security Number (SSN) Verification (eCBSV) service. As we move forward to general rollout and expanded availability later this year, it’s time to review the benefits of eCBSV and how it helps businesses prevent synthetic identity fraud.   Service and program overview The eCBSV service combats synthetic identity fraud by comparing data provided electronically by approved financial institutions against the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) database in real time. This service helps financial institutions verify SSNs more efficiently and enables improved experiences for identifying legitimate or possibly synthetic identities applying for your products.   The verification process begins with consent from the SSN holder – and with eCBSV this consent is provided electronically rather than via a wet signature. Then, the SSN is checked against the SSA database to validate the SSN, name, and date of birth combination are or are not a match. The verification will also indicate if the SSN is listed as deceased with the SSA. Together, these factors can help flag whether or not an identity is synthetic.   By managing this process electronically, it is faster, more secure, and more efficient than before, offering an improved experience for consumers and the financial institutions that service them.   Layering solutions While eCBSV is an excellent step forward in the fight against the rising threat of synthetic identity fraud, a layered fraud mitigation strategy is still necessary. It’s only by layering solutions that financial institutions can accurately identify different types of fraud and provide them with the correct treatment, which is especially important when it comes to rooting out fraud when it’s already embedded in a portfolio.   To learn more about how Experian is helping to combat synthetic identity fraud and how eCBSV can benefit your financial institution, request a call. Request a call

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated an increase in information collection among consumers and organizations, creating a prosperous climate for cybercriminals. As businesses and customers adjust to the “new normal,” hackers are honing in on their targets and finding new, more sophisticated ways to access their sensitive data. As part of our recently launched Q&A perspective series, Michael Bruemmer, Experian’s Vice President of Data Breach Resolution and Consumer Protection, provided insight on emerging fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 vaccines and how increased use of digital home technologies could lead to an upsurge in identity theft and ransomware attacks. Check out what he had to say: Q: How did Experian determine the top data breach trends for 2021? MB: As part of our initiative to help organizations prevent data breaches and protect their information, we release an annual Data Breach Forecast. Prior to the launch of the report, we analyze market and consumer trends. We then come up with a list of potential predictions based off the current climate and opportunities for data breaches that may arise in the coming year. Closer to publication, we pick the top five ‘trends’ and craft our supporting rationale. Q: When it comes to data, what is the most immediate threat to organizations today? MB: Most data breaches that we service have a root cause in employee errors – and working remotely intensifies this issue. Often, it’s through negligence; clicking on a phishing link, reusing a common password for multiple accounts, not using two-factor authentication, etc. Organizations must continue to educate their employees to be more aware of the dangers of an internal breach and the steps they can take to prevent it. Q: How should an organization begin to put together a comprehensive threat and response review? MB: Organizations that excel in cybersecurity often are backed by executives that make comprehensive threats and response reviews a top corporate priority. When the rest of the organization sees higher-ups emphasizing the importance of fraud prevention, it’s easier to invest time and money in threat assessments and data breach preparedness. Q: What fraud schemes should consumers be looking out for? MB: The two top fraud schemes that consumers should be wary of are scams related to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and home devices being held for ransom. Fraudsters have been leveraging social media to spread harmful false rumors and misinformation about the vaccines, their effectiveness and the distribution process. These mistruths can bring harm to supply chains and delay government response efforts. And while ransomware attacks aren’t new, they are getting smarter and easier with people working, going to school and hosting gatherings entirely on their connected devices. With control over home devices, doors, windows, and security systems, cybercriminals have the potential to hold an entire house hostage in exchange for money or information. For more insight on how to safeguard your organization and consumers from emerging fraud threats, watch our Experian Symposium Series event on-demand and download our 2021 Data Breach Industry Forecast. Watch now Access forecast About Our Expert: Michael Bruemmer, Experian VP of Data Breach Resolution and Consumer Protection, North America Michael manages Experian’s dedicated Data Breach Resolution and Consumer Protection group, which aims to help businesses better prepare for a data breach and mitigate associated consumer risks following breach incidents. With over 25 years in the industry, he has guided organizations of all sizes and sectors through pre-breach response planning and delivery.