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Fraud Fundamentals

Core concepts and frameworks for effective fraud management.

Essential Reading

Economics of Fraud

Understanding the true cost of fraud:

  • Direct loss from fraud
  • False positive cost (lost revenue)
  • Operational cost (review, investigation)
  • Customer experience impact

Risk Appetite

Balancing competing objectives:

  • Fraud loss tolerance
  • Customer friction tolerance
  • Conversion rate targets
  • Regulatory requirements

Key Principles

  1. Not all fraud is created equalFirst-party (customer abuse) and third-party fraud (stolen cards) require different responses
  2. Prevention has costs too – False positives hurt revenue and customer relationships (see Economics)
  3. Speed matters – Early detection limits losses; see Detection Framework
  4. Data is your weapon – Invest in device fingerprinting, velocity rules, and evidence collection
  5. 3DS is your friend3D Secure shifts liability for stolen card fraud to issuers