COMMENTARY: Payments Fraud Is Unrelenting. So Are the Hidden Battles Against It

The digital revolution in payments, characterized by a surge in online transactions and the emergence of novel payment technologies, has been a double-edged sword. While innovations have streamlined commerce, they have also spawned intricate fraud mechanisms, compelling businesses to recalibrate their strategies for safeguarding their operations, reputation, and financial survival.

It’s estimated that digital transactions such as paying by text, will surpass 3 trillion by 2026  according to McKinsey & Company, nearly triple 2020 levels. Defending against fraud and complying with changing regulatory requirements are imminent challenges, but adopting best practices positions payment service providers to adapt to any regulatory change.

The financial repercussions of fraud are staggering, with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) revealing that a typical organization loses 5% of its annual revenues to fraud. However, the aftershocks extend far beyond immediate monetary setbacks. Here are some of these aftershocks:

• Operational Disruptions: Fraudulent activities strain operational resources, as teams scramble to address breaches, often forcing a diversion of resources from strategic initiatives to damage control.
• Reputational Damage: In an era where reputation is paramount, the intangible impact of fraud can be devastating. A single incident can erode years of built trust, particularly in the payments sector, where reliability is a cornerstone.
• Regulatory Repercussions: Non-compliance with evolving regulations doesn’t just attract penalties. It can also result in lost business opportunities, especially with the increasing preference for partnerships with compliant entities.

In the payments arena, fraudsters have become craftier, exploiting new technologies to orchestrate large-scale attacks. For instance, synthetic-identity fraud is a growing concern. Perpetrators blend real and fictitious information to create new identities, which they use to apply for credit and conduct unauthorized transactions, leaving businesses grappling with “ghost’ perpetrators.

Another adversary is the rise of API (application programming interface) attacks. As businesses integrate payment gateways and third-party services for enhanced customer experiences, cybercriminals are exploiting these very APIs, leading to data breaches, service disruptions, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

When businesses adopt compliance strategies for risk avoidance and management, they can better protect cardholder data, prevent unauthorized access and fraud, and mitigate the risk of financial losses and reputational damage. Compliance with the Payment Card Industry data-security standard (PCI DSS), for example, is mandatory for any organization that accepts, processes, stores, or transmits payment card data.

Other considerations include conducting regular risk assessments, adopting know-your-customer (KYC) procedures to verify customer identity, monitoring transactions in real time, and training staff in compliance requirements and best practices.

The battle against fraud—and the journey toward ironclad compliance—demand innovative, multi-pronged strategies, such as:

1. Advanced Analytics and Predictive Modeling: Payment service providers are now utilizing sophisticated analytics to preemptively identify potentially fraudulent transactions. These systems analyze vast datasets, identifying anomalies that signify fraud, often in real time.
2. Enhanced Authentication Protocols: The industry is shifting toward more robust authentication methods. Technologies such as tokenization are gaining traction, where sensitive data are replaced with unique symbols, retaining all the essential information without compromising security.
3. Unified Compliance Frameworks: To navigate the regulatory labyrinth, businesses are adopting comprehensive compliance-management systems. These unified frameworks ensure adherence to multiple standards, simplifying compliance and ensuring businesses stay ahead of regulatory amendments.
4. Collaborative Security Models: The sector is witnessing a surge in collaborative security models where entities across the payment chain, from financial institutions to payment processors and merchants, share threat intelligence, enhancing the collective security posture.

The Road Ahead

The realm of payments, marred by the constant tug-of-war between innovation and security, presents an ongoing challenge for businesses worldwide. Staying ahead requires a blend of strategy, technological prowess, and a culture of compliance. The road is undeniably complex, but with a unified approach, the industry is poised not just to combat these challenges, but to thrive amidst them.

—Walt Granville is head of growth strategy at Everyware.