Fraud & Identity

Thanks to a recent announcement from the Internal Revenue Service, identity theft protection will now be considered a non-taxable benefit.

What is the true fraud cost? We must be vigilant and keep our acceptable fraud rate at zero

Device payments and the Internet of things has been colliding for a while now and net result could prove to benefit authentication of user identities

To improve the customer experience during the busy holiday shopping season many businesses loosen their fraud criteria.

As the electronic signature industry matures and acceptance of e-signatures increases, so does the need for more robust, flexible options in authentication.

We all know that first party fraud is a problem, but learning how to manage through first party fraud is key to overcoming it

I recently read a study about the profile of an online Fraudster. One may jump to conclusions about what is a good indicator for catching cybercriminals.

I recently facilitated a Webinar looking at myths and truths in the market regarding the EMV shift and what it means for both merchants and issuers.

The themes of the game of Risk are relevant to the world of real-life fraud risk prevention. The difference is that the stakes are real and much higher.

What will the EMV shift really mean for consumers and businesses here in the U.S.? Businesses and consumers across the U.S. are still adjusting to their new EMV credit cards. The new credit cards are outfitted with computer chips in addition to the magnetic strips to help prevent point-of-sale (POS) fraud. The new system, called EMV (which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa), requires signatures for all transactions. EMV is a global standard for credit cards. In the wake of the rising flood of large-scale data breaches at major retailers – and higher rates of counterfeit credit card fraud – chip-and-signature, as it is also called, is designed to better authenticate credit card transactions. Chip-and-signature itself is not new. It has been protecting consumers and businesses in Europe for several years and now the U.S. is finally catching up. But what will the EMV system really mean for consumers and businesses here in the U.S.? There is the potential for businesses that sell both offline and online, to see an increase in fraud that takes place online called Card Not Present (CNP) fraud. Will credit card fraud ever really be wiped out? Can we all stop worrying that large-scale point-of-sale breaches will happen again? Will the EMV shift affect holiday shopping and should retailers be concerned? Join us as we explore these questions and more on an upcoming Webinar, Chipping Away at EMV Myths. Our panel of experts includes: David Britton, Vice President, Industry Solutions, Experian Julie Conroy, Research Director, Aite Group Mike Klumpp, Director of Fraud Prevention, Citibank Moderated by: Keir Breitenfeld, Vice President, Product Management, Experian

Small Business Fraud When you hear the word “fraud” it’s unlikely that small business fraud comes to mind. However, in terms of potential losses, business identity theft could be considered as big if not a larger threat than consumer identity theft. Just like consumers, businesses face a broad- range of first- and third-party fraud behaviors, varying significantly in frequency, severity and complexity. Small businesses are especially vulnerable, because they typically do not have the layers of security and oversight, an alert accounting or I.T. department, or the sophisticated security technology that larger businesses may have. Over $8 billion is lost or stolen from small businesses each year and 60% of businesses who suffer business identity fraud close their doors within one year. A first-party, or victim-less, fraud profile is characterized by having some form of material misrepresentation (for example, manipulation or falsification of business filings and records) by the business owner without that owner’s intent or immediate capacity to pay the loan item. Historically, during periods of economic downturn or misfortune, this type of fraud is more common. This intuitively makes sense — individuals under extreme financial pressure are more likely to resort to desperate measures, such as misstating financial information on an application to obtain credit. Third-party commercial fraud occurs when a third party steals the identification details of a known business or business owner in order to open credit in the business victim’s name. With creditors becoming more stringent with credit-granting policies on new accounts, we’re seeing seasoned fraudsters shift their focus on taking over existing business or business owner identities. The rising trend of commercial fraud is illustrated by several key reasons including: One of the most common reasons for this is that commercial fraud doesn’t receive the same amount of attention as consumer fraud. Thus, it’s become easier for fraudsters to slip under the radar by perpetrating their crimes through the commercial channel. Keep in mind that businesses are often not seen as victims in the same way that consumers are. For example, victimized businesses aren’t afforded the protections that consumers receive under identity theft laws, such as access to credit information. Another factor is that most businesses are eager to open a new account for a business, after all businesses spend more than consumers. In some cases, opening a new business account can be even easier than opening a new consumer account. Business also have higher credit limits and the invoicing and payment terms allows identity thieves the opportunity to receive products and services without early detection. Finally, it is much easier to get information on a business versus a consumer. Unlike the protections provided to consumers to protect their identity, their credit information much of a business’s information is public record. Armed with the just a business name, address and EIN (employer identification number) fraudulent accounts can be opened and the game of theft begins. These factors, coupled with the fact that business-to-business fraud is approximately three-to-ten times more “profitable” per occurrence than consumer fraud, play a role in leading fraudsters increasingly toward commercial fraud. To learn more about how to protect your business view our interactive Fraud e-book.

Fraud management is an ongoing issue for businesses, especially when it comes to identifying likely fraudulent customers and delivering excellent customer service

Increased volume of fraud attempts during back to school shopping season. Is your fraud strategy prepared to handle the increased volume?

Protect consumers on summer vacation fraud. Evidence shows fraudster activity increases during the summer and identity theft becomes easier. 

Surveillance and fraud staging are the seemingly benign and often-transparent account activities that fraudsters undertake after an account has been compromised but before that compromise has been detected or money is moved.