Tag: Future of Fraud Forecast

This article was updated on February 12, 2024. The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) space has grown massively over the last few years. But with rapid growth comes an increased risk of fraud, making "Buy Now, Pay Never" a crucial fraud threat to watch out for in 2024 and beyond. What is BNPL? BNPL, a type of short-term financing, has been around for decades in different forms. It's attractive to consumers because it offers the option to split up a specific purchase into installments rather than paying the full total upfront. The modern form of BNPL typically offers four installments, with the first payment at the time of purchase, as well as 0% APR and no hidden fees. According to an Experian survey, consumers cited managing spending (34%), convenience (31%), and avoiding interest payments (23%) as main reasons for choosing BNPL. Participating retailers generally offer BNPL at point-of-sale, making it easy for customers to opt-in and get instantly approved. The customer then makes a down payment and pays off the installments from their preferred account. BNPL is on the rise The fintech and online-payment-driven world is seeing a rise in the popularity of BNPL. According to Experian research, 3 in 4 consumers have used BNPL in 2023, with 11% using BNPL weekly to make purchases. The interest in BNPL also spans generations — 36% of Gen Z, 43% of Millennials, 32% of Gen X, and 12% of Baby Boomers have used this payment method. The risks of BNPL While BNPL is a convenient, easy way for consumers to plan for their purchases, experts warn that with lax checkout and identity verification processes it is a target for digital fraud. Experian predicts an uptick in three primary risks for BNPL providers and their customers: identity theft, first-party fraud, and synthetic identity fraud. WATCH: Fraud and Identity Challenges for Fintechs Victims of identity theft can be hit with charges from BNPL providers for products they have never purchased. First-party and synthetic identity risks will emerge as a shopper's buying power grows and the temptation to abandon repayment increases. Fraudsters may use their own or fabricated identities to make purchases with no intent to repay. This leaves the BNPL provider at the risk of unrecoverable monetary losses and can impact the business' risk tolerance, causing them to narrow their lending band and miss out on properly verified consumers. An additional risk lies with fraudsters who may leverage account takeover to gain access to a legitimate user's account and payment information to make unauthorized purchases. READ: Payment Fraud Detection and Prevention: What You Need to Know Mitigating BNPL risks Luckily, there are predictive credit, identity verification, and fraud prevention tools available to help businesses minimize the risks associated with BNPL. Paired with the right data, these tools can give businesses a comprehensive view of consumer payments, including the number of outstanding BNPL loans, total BNPL loan amounts, and BNPL payment status, as well as helping to detect and apply the relevant treatment to different types of fraud. By accurately identifying customers and assessing risk in real-time, businesses can make confident lending and fraud prevention decisions. To learn more about how Experian is enabling the protection of consumer credit scores, better risk assessments, and more inclusive lending, visit us or request a call. And keep an eye out for additional in-depth explorations of our Future of Fraud Forecast. Learn more Future of Fraud Forecast

With fraud expected to surge amid uncertain economic conditions, fraudsters are preparing new deception techniques to outsmart businesses and deceive consumers. To help businesses prepare for the coming fraud threats, we created the 2023 Future of Fraud Forecast. Here are the fraud trends we expect to see over the coming year: Fake texts from the boss: Given the prevalence of remote work, there’ll be a sharp rise in employer text fraud where the “boss” texts the employee to buy gift cards, then asks the employee to email the gift card numbers and codes. Beware of fake job postings and mule schemes: With changing economic conditions, fraudsters will create fake remote job postings, specifically designed to lure consumers into applying for the job and providing private details like a social security number or date of birth on a fake employment application. Frankenstein shoppers spell trouble for retailers: Fraudsters can create online shopper profiles using synthetic identities so that the fake shopper’s legitimacy is created to outsmart retailers’ fraud controls. Social media shopping fraud: Social commerce currently has very few identity verification and fraud detection controls in place, making the retailers that sell on these platforms easy targets for fraudulent purchases. Peer-to-peer payment problems: Fraudsters love peer-to-peer payment methods because they’re an instantaneous and irreversible way to move money, enabling fraudsters to get cash with less work and more profit “As fraudsters become more sophisticated and opportunistic, businesses need to proactively integrate the latest technology, data and advanced analytics to mitigate the growing fraud risk,” said Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian Decision Analytics in North America. “Experian is committed to continually innovating and bringing solutions to market that help protect consumers and enable businesses to detect and prevent current and future fraud.” To learn more about how to protect your business and customers from rising fraud trends, download the Future of Fraud Forecast and check out Experian’s fraud prevention solutions. Future of Fraud Forecast Press Release

Reports of romance scams have spiked in the past two years, partly due to the rise in popularity of online dating and social apps while Americans were isolated at home. With more consumers looking for love online, fraudsters have jumped on the chance to build intimate, trusted relationships without the immediate pressure to meet in person. And these shams seemingly paid off: from January 1 to July 31, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 1,800 complaints related to an online romance scam, resulting in losses of approximately $133 million. These romance scams carry financial and security risks that impact both the targets of the fraud and the businesses with which they interact. Experian predicts that romance scams will continue to rise in 2022, leaving consumers and businesses vulnerable to attacks and theft. What is a romance scam? According to the FBI, a romance scam occurs when “a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim's affection and trust." Typically, fraudsters seek out their marks in dating or socializing settings, such as online apps, and strive to build intimacy and trust as quickly as possible. To avoid suspicion, they may claim that they travel frequently for work or give other excuses about why they can't meet in person. Their attentions are in the context of love and dating, so it's not uncommon for romance scammers to offer marriage proposals or other commitments to intensify the relationship, but the whole point of this fraud is to get their targets to send money. Sometimes fraudsters simply ask for a “loan" to cover medical expenses, an unforeseen shortfall or even travel costs to see the victim in person. Other times, they might ask for gifts or gift cards. Requests for money ­– whether through direct deposit, gift cards or credit card payments – are all red flags. Increasingly, romance scammers have tried to lure people into investment deals, including cryptocurrency. Romance scams predate the internet by centuries, but the emergence of digital technologies has made them easier to accomplish – and easier to get away with, too. Romance scams are increasing In 2020, there were around 44 million users of online dating services in the United States and this increased to 49 million users in 2021, according to Statista Research Department. By 2022, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, that number jumped to more than 50 million, and it's projected to rise to 53.3 million by 2025. More users mean more potential targets. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), romance scams hit a record high in 2021, with consumers reporting $547 million in losses that year ­– up 80 percent from 2020. The median individual loss reported to the FTC from romance scams was $2,400. With the help of modern technologies, romance scammers have added new tactics to their grift. For example, in addition to usual requests for money, a target might be asked to participate in bogus investment schemes involving cryptocurrency. In these cases, the median loss was $10,000. According to the FTC, romance scammers have conned Americans out of an estimated $1.3 billion over the past five years. Worryingly, romance scams also present a serious data risk. Damage could spread beyond financial losses into even more hazardous territory if the scammer can gain access to a target's personally identifiable information (PII) or financial data. In these cases, fraudsters might engage in identity theft to create new accounts or take over existing ones. Breaking up with romance scammers Businesses may not be susceptible to the lure of love, but they're still vulnerable when it comes to the fallout from romance scams. Companies must ensure they have a layered solution that seamlessly recognizes returning customers, while monitoring for indicators that the user presenting an identity is not actually the owner of that identity. Some warning signs include logins from a new IP address nowhere near the user's registered physical address; unusual types or frequencies of transactions; and the addition of a suspicious new authorized user to a credit card account. Businesses also have access to fraud prevention help. Using vast data resources, decades of identity and credit risk management, consumer-permissioned data and industry-leading analytics, Experian enables businesses to detect and prevent fraud by identifying credible customers. This empowers businesses to apply the appropriate amount of friction to each interaction to protect their customers, their data and themselves. To learn more about how Experian is assisting businesses with their fraud prevention efforts, visit us or request a call. And keep an eye out for additional in-depth explorations of our Future of Fraud Forecast. Future of Fraud Forecast Fraud Prevention

In the first six months of 2021, there was $590 million in ransomware-related activity, which exceeds the value of $416 million reported for the entirety of 2020 according to the S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Constant economic pressure coupled with the ever-increasing volume of data online have created an environment that’s ripe for attacks, leaving businesses and consumers vulnerable to attacks and theft. What are ransomware attacks? Ransomware is a subset of malicious software, AKA malware, that either threatens to publish or block access to data or a computer system. It often takes the form of a cyberattack where criminals take over an organization’s computer network. Once they’ve assumed control, the hackers demand a ransom to restore access to the illicitly encrypted data. Additionally, ransomware attacks and data breaches are now becoming more closely linked, with sensitive data including employees’ personal information, HR records, and more being filtered out and distributed during or after the attack. In fact, Experian has found that 7 of 10 data breaches involve ransomware. The negative impact of ransomware attacks According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the average ransom demand in 2021 was $5.3 million, a 518% increase from the 2020 average. Experian’s latest Data Breach Response Guide found that businesses were hit with ransomware attacks every 11 seconds in 2021. These attacks also take up to 20% longer to begin breach notifications, leaving businesses even more vulnerable. In addition to the monetary loss and the time spent responding to and recovering from the attack, businesses also stand to suffer reputational damage, because consumer sentiment is that companies are responsible for protecting data. Having a plan in place makes a sizeable impact though, with 90% of consumers being more forgiving of companies that had a response plan in place prior to a breach. How to protect against ransomware attacks Experian’s 2022 Future of Fraud Forecast predicts that ransomware will be a significant fraud threat for companies as fraudsters will look for a sizeable ransom to cede control and potentially steal data from the hacked company. Preparing for the possibility of an attack includes training your staff to spot the signs of a phishing attempt, having a response plan in place, and leveraging partner solutions. To learn more about how Experian helps businesses protect against the fallout of a ransomware attack, visit us, and be sure to read about our other Future of Fraud predictions about cryptocurrency and Buy Now, Pay Later fraud. Request a call Future of Fraud Forecast

Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise as digital currencies gain popularity. The decentralized nature of these currencies makes them equally attractive to both legitimate consumers and fraudsters. Businesses may find themselves in a difficult position as they seek to prevent cryptocurrency-related fraud and help protect consumers. What are cryptocurrency scams? Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies often based on and secured by blockchain technology. However, this does not always translate into security for the individual consumer. Many individuals fall victim to either cryptocurrency investment scams or cryptocurrency theft. Cryptocurrencies are not yet well-regulated or backed by a sovereign entity, leaving consumers open to threats when purchasing funds. The deregulated nature of the currencies makes it easy for scammers to build what appear to be legitimate cryptocurrency projects before disappearing, similar to pump-and-dump stock schemes. Additionally, scammers will perpetrate romance or other relationship-based scams and convince the victim to send them funds in cryptocurrency form. Cryptocurrency theft follows a few traditional fraud patterns: The fraudster may use phishing or social engineering to steal credentials. A crime ring might leverage malware or keystroke loggers to do the same thing. A scammer might present a “reward” to an unsuspecting consumer and require access to their wallet in order to “gift” the reward. Scammers consistently find new ways to trick unsuspecting consumers, including a recent scam relying on QR codes to steal funds converted to cryptocurrency via an ATM. Other common scams utilize imposter websites, fake mobile apps, bad tweets, or scamming emails to steal information and funds. The impact of scams on consumers According to the FTC, investment cryptocurrency scam reports have skyrocketed, with nearly 7,000 people reporting losses totaling more than $80 million from October 2020 to March 2021, with a media loss of $1,900. In 2020 the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker Risk Report ranked cryptocurrency scams as the seventh riskiest. In 2021, they jumped to the second riskiest scam. In Michigan alone 31 cryptocurrency scams were reported from January 2020 to March 2022, with reported loses from $350 all the way to $41,000. The impact of scams on businesses While the true impact of cryptocurrency scams on businesses is hard to measure, it’s easy to identify several areas for concern. First is the opportunity for the theft of personally identifiable information (PII) during a fraudulent cryptocurrency transaction. Once fraudsters have stolen funds, they may also funnel them through a legitimate business and turn them into a regulated form of currency for easy of use. Businesses with legitimate cryptocurrency interactions may also suffer from spoofed apps or websites, causing reputational damage when consumers are taken in by a scam. Preventing the fallout from scams As companies debate accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment, it’s important to consider that funds may be stolen or accessed by a malicious party. One way to protect your organization is to have a strong device identification strategy that can help ensure the entity accessing an account and the funds within is the true owner. By layering in this protection with other fraud defenses, businesses can be better prepared as consumer payment preferences shift. Additionally, financial institutions and other organizations should keep consumers informed about how to protect their own data and signs of scams. To learn more about how Experian is helping businesses develop and maintain effective fraud and identity solutions, visit us or request a call. And keep an eye out for additional in-depth explorations of our Future of Fraud Forecast. Request a call Future of Fraud Forecast

With consumers continuing to take a digital-first approach to everything from shopping to dating and investing, fraudsters are finding new and innovative ways to commit fraud. To help businesses anticipate and prepare for the road ahead, we created the 2022 Future of Fraud Forecast. Here are the fraud trends we expect to see over the coming year: Buy Now, Pay Never: Buy now, pay later lenders will see an uptick in identity theft and synthetic identity fraud. Beware of Cryptocurrency Scams: Fraudsters will set up cryptocurrency accounts to extract, store and funnel stolen funds, such as the billions of stimulus dollars swindled by criminals. Double the Trouble for Ransomware Attacks: Fraudsters will not only ask for a hefty ransom to cede control back to the companies they’ve hacked but also steal and leverage data from the hacked company. Love, Actually?: Romance scams will continue to see an uptick, with fraudsters asking victims for money or loans to cover fabricated travel costs, medical expenses and more. Digital Elder Abuse Will Rise: Older consumers and other vulnerable digital newbies will be hit with social engineering and account takeover fraud. “Businesses and consumers need to be aware of the creativity and agility that fraudsters are using today, especially in our digital-first world,” said Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian Decision Analytics in North America. “Experian continues to leverage data and advanced analytics to develop innovative solutions to help businesses prevent fraudulent behavior and protect consumers.” To learn more about how to protect your business and customers from rising fraud trends, download the Future of Fraud Forecast and check out Experian’s fraud prevention solutions. Future of Fraud Forecast Read Press Release

It’s obvious that 2020 was a year of unprecedented change and created brand new opportunities for fraud. In 2021, fraudsters will continue to iterate on new and old methods of attack, requiring businesses to remain flexible and proactive to prevent losses. We created the 2021 Future of Fraud Forecast to help businesses anticipate new types of fraud and prepare and protect consumers on the road ahead. Here are the trends we expect to see over the coming year: Putting a Face to Frankenstein IDs: Synthetic identity fraud will start to rely on “Frankenstein faces” for biometric verification. “Too Good to Be True” COVID Solutions: The promise of at-home test kits, vaccines and treatments will be used as means for sophisticated phishing and social engineering schemes. Stimulus Fraud Activity, Round Two: Fraudsters will take advantage of additional stimulus funding by using stolen data to intercept payments. Say ‘Hello’ to Constant Automated Attacks: Once the stimulus fraud attacks run their course, hackers will increasingly turn to automated methods. Survival of the Fittest for Small Businesses: In 2021, businesses with lackluster fraud prevention tools will suffer large financial losses. To learn more about how to protect your business and customers, download the Future of Fraud Forecast and check out Experian’s fraud prevention solutions. Future of Fraud Forecast Request a call