Fraud mini guide helps merchants combat rising digital threats
Merchants are facing an increasingly sophisticated landscape of digital threats, with payment fraud losses in the UK reaching a staggering £1.17 billion in 2024 alone. To empower businesses against these risks, inclusive global payments platform, Ecommpay, has published a valuable new resource: “E-commerce fraud defence: A quick guide for merchants”.
The new guide outlines the nine most critical fraud threats facing businesses today – ranging from traditional identity theft to the growing trend in AI-powered deepfakes. Beyond lost revenue, fraudulent transactions significantly impact a merchant’s profitability, reputation and long-term processing capabilities.
The Ecommpay Fraud Mini Guide provides actionable strategies for merchants to identify and mitigate the most prevalent forms of fraud, including:
- Friendly Fraud: Accounting for 45% of all chargebacks, friendly fraud occurs when a customer disputes legitimate charges to gain a refund and keep items for free. Also refers to when customers genuinely forget a transaction and request a refund for an unfamiliar transaction.
- Refund Fraud: A global issue that cost an estimated £103 billion in 2024, involving the exploitation of return policies through “decoy” returns or empty boxes.
- Account Takeover (ATO): Attacks increased by 76% in 2024, with fraudsters gaining access to customer accounts to drain loyalty points or make unauthorised purchases.
- AI-Powered Threats: Over 50% of modern fraud now involves generative AI tools used to create convincing phishing emails and deepfake videos capable of bypassing verification checks.
Willem Wellinghoff, Chief Compliance Officer and UK Chair of Ecommpay commented: “The best way to tackle the ever-evolving fraud techniques used in e-commerce today is through a multi-layered security approach, combining advanced technology with proactive communication and expert human oversight. Based on out expertise and firsthand experience with our merchant partners, our new guide aims to help merchants identify where they can increase security to better protect customers and revenue.”
Ecommpay’s risk management platform currently delivers a 97%+ fraud prevention rate, helping merchants secure their revenue while maintaining a seamless customer experience.
