E-commerce businesses today must secure their platforms and protect customers from e-commerce fraud. The rise of sophisticated cybercriminals who relentlessly exploit vulnerabilities in online transactions poses a constant threat to businesses and customers alike.

Below is a guide to what e-commerce businesses need to know about the types of e-commerce fraud they might encounter and a wide array of tactics and tools they can use to detect and prevent fraud.

What's in this article?

• What is e-commerce fraud?
  
• Types of e-commerce fraud
  
• E-commerce fraud prevention and detection
  

What is e-commerce fraud?

E-commerce fraud is any kind of fraudulent activity or deception that occurs during online transactions, typically involving the theft of financial or personal information, unauthorised purchases, or false claims related to products and services. It usually targets online retailers, payment systems, and customers, resulting in financial losses, reputation damage, and erosion of customer trust.

Types of e-commerce fraud

E-commerce fraud can occur in a variety of ways, depending on how fraudulent actors choose to target businesses and customers. Here’s a brief overview of the most common types:

• Identity theft: Criminals use stolen personal information to make unauthorised online purchases, often causing financial harm to the unsuspecting victims.

• Credit card fraud: Fraudulent actors obtain credit card information through various means and use it to make unauthorised transactions, leading to financial losses for cardholders and businesses.

• Chargeback fraud: Customers dispute legitimate transactions, claiming that they never made the purchase or received the goods, ultimately causing financial loss for businesses.

• Phishing and social engineering: Cybercriminals use deceptive techniques to manipulate customers into revealing sensitive personal or financial information or performing actions that lead to fraud or security breaches.

• Account takeover fraud: Unauthorised users gain access to a victim’s account, often by stealing login credentials, and use it to make fraudulent transactions or steal personal information.

• Refund fraud: Perpetrators exploit return policies and procedures by falsely claiming non-receipt or damage of goods to receive undeserved refunds or replacement items.

• Affiliate fraud: Unscrupulous affiliates manipulate the commission structure of an affiliate marketing programme by generating fake leads, sales, or clicks to receive illegitimate payouts.

• Counterfeit or fake products: Sellers offer low-quality or counterfeit items disguised as genuine products, deceiving customers and damaging brand reputation.

• Dropshipping fraud: Fraudulent dropshippers deceive customers by taking payments for items that they never send, or they use stolen credit card information to purchase items from other retailers and have them shipped directly to the victim.

E-commerce fraud is an increasing concern due to the rapid growth of online shopping and digital transactions. To combat these threats, businesses need to invest in robust security measures, fraud detection systems, and employee training to minimise the risk of fraudulent activities and protect both their customers and themselves. The tactics that businesses use are as varied and dynamic as the types of e-commerce fraud.

E-commerce fraud prevention and detection

Businesses use a combination of methods for e-commerce fraud prevention, detection, and response to protect themselves and their customers from various threats. Some of these methods include:

1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication, also known as two-factor authentication (2FA) or two-step verification, is a security process that requires users to provide at least two separate forms of identification to verify their identity when logging in or completing a sensitive transaction. MFA provides additional security by making it more difficult for unauthorised users to gain access to accounts or systems, even if they have compromised one form of identification.

There are three main categories that authentication factors can fall into:

• Something you know: This includes passwords, PINs, or security questions that the user must provide to prove their identity.
  
• Something you have: This refers to physical objects or devices that the user possesses, such as a hardware token, a smartphone with an authentication app, or a smart card.
  
• Something you are: This involves biometric identifiers unique to the user, such as fingerprint scans, facial recognition, or voice patterns.
  

MFA typically requires the user to combine at least two of these factors to gain access. For example, a user might need to enter a password (something they know) and then provide a one-off code generated by an authenticator app on their smartphone (something they have). This makes it much more challenging for attackers to gain unauthorised access, as they would need to compromise multiple authentication factors.

2. Machine learning and artificial intelligence

Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly being used to prevent and detect e-commerce fraud, due to their ability to analyse large volumes of data, identify patterns, and adapt to evolving trends. These technologies enhance the accuracy and efficiency of detecting potential fraudulent activities, reducing the reliance on manual review and rule-based systems.

Here are some ways that ML and AI can be applied to e-commerce fraud prevention and detection:

• Anomaly detection: ML algorithms can analyse vast amounts of transactional data to identify unusual or suspicious activities that deviate from established patterns. These anomalies can then be flagged for further investigation.

• Risk scoring: AI systems can assign risk scores to transactions based on various factors, such as transaction history, user behaviour, geolocation, and device information. High-risk transactions can be flagged for manual review or additional authentication measures.

• Predictive analytics: By using historical data and identifying patterns, ML models can predict potential fraudulent activities, allowing businesses to take proactive steps to mitigate risks.

• Behaviour analysis: AI-powered systems can analyse user behaviour, such as typing speed, mouse movements, and browsing patterns, to identify inconsistencies that may indicate fraud or account takeover attempts.

• Real-time monitoring: ML and AI can process large amounts of data in real time, allowing for immediate detection and response to potential threats.

• Adaptive learning: One of the key advantages of ML and AI is their ability to learn and adapt to new trends and evolving tactics used by fraudulent actors. This continuous learning process helps maintain the effectiveness of fraud detection systems over time.

• Reducing false positives: Traditional rule-based fraud detection systems can generate a high number of false positives, leading to customer dissatisfaction and lost sales. ML and AI can improve the accuracy of fraud detection by considering a wider range of factors and dynamically adjusting to new information.

3. Secure payment gateways

Secure payment gateways facilitate the secure processing of online payments among customers, businesses, and financial institutions. These gateways ensure that sensitive financial information, such as credit card numbers and bank account details, is encrypted and then securely transmitted to prevent unauthorised access, data breaches, and fraud.

4. SSL certificates and encryption

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates and encryption protect sensitive data transmitted between a user’s browser and a website’s server, ensuring that information remains confidential and secure from unauthorised access, tampering, or interception.

SSL certificates are digital certificates that authenticate a website’s identity and establish an encrypted connection between the user’s browser and the website’s server. Here’s how SSL certificates and encryption contribute to secure online communication:

• Authentication: SSL certificates validate a website’s identity by confirming that the domain name is registered to the correct organisation. This helps users trust that they are communicating with the intended website and not a malicious imposter.

• Encryption: SSL certificates facilitate the use of encryption algorithms that securely encrypt data transmitted between the user’s browser and the website’s server. This ensures that sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal data, remains confidential and cannot be intercepted or read by unauthorised parties.

• Secure browsing experience: Websites with SSL certificates display a padlock icon or a green address bar in the user’s browser, indicating that the connection is secure. This visual cue reassures users that their information is being protected.

• Improved trust and credibility: Having an SSL certificate and using encryption builds trust with users by demonstrating that the website is committed to protecting their data and privacy. This can increase user confidence, conversion rates, and customer loyalty.

• Search engine optimisation (SEO) benefits: Search engines such as Google consider SSL certificates and secure connections as ranking factors in their algorithms. Websites with SSL certificates may experience improved search engine rankings, resulting in amplified visibility and greater traffic.

• Compliance: Many industries and regulations, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), when handling credit card information, require the use of SSL certificates and encryption to protect sensitive data.

To implement SSL encryption, website owners must obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) and install it on their web server. Once installed, the server will use the SSL certificate to establish encrypted connections with users’ browsers, ensuring that all data transmitted is secure and protected from unauthorised access.

5. IP tracking and geolocation

IP tracking and geolocation are techniques for determining the geographic location of a device connected to the Internet, using its IP (Internet protocol) address. These methods are widely employed in e-commerce fraud prevention and detection, since they help businesses identify unusual or suspicious activities that may indicate fraudulent transactions or unauthorised access.

Here are some ways that IP tracking and geolocation contribute to e-commerce security:

• Detecting unusual patterns: Monitoring IP addresses and geolocation data can reveal suspicious activities, such as multiple transactions from different locations in a short period or login attempts from unfamiliar locations, which may indicate fraud or account takeover attempts.

• Geolocation-based restrictions: Businesses can set up geolocation filters to block transactions or access attempts from specific countries or regions with high fraud rates, reducing the risk of fraudulent activities.

• Address verification service: Comparing the geolocation data from an IP address with the billing address provided by the customer during a transaction can help detect discrepancies and prevent unauthorised transactions.

• Digital identity analysis: IP tracking and geolocation can be combined with other data points, such as device fingerprinting, to create a more comprehensive digital identity for users. This helps businesses assess the risk associated with a transaction more accurately and identify potential fraud.

• Geo-velocity checks: Monitoring the time and distance between consecutive transactions or login attempts can help detect suspicious activities. For example, if a user makes a purchase from one country and another purchase from a different country within an unrealistic time frame, it could indicate a compromised account or stolen credit card information.

• Customised user experience: Geolocation data can be used to personalise content, language, and currency options based on the user’s location, improving the overall customer experience.

• Regulatory compliance: Some businesses are required to comply with local laws and regulations related to data privacy, taxation, or content restrictions. IP tracking and geolocation can help enforce these compliance requirements by identifying the user’s location and applying the appropriate rules.

Incorporating IP tracking and geolocation into fraud prevention and detection strategies enhances e-commerce businesses’ security measures, reduces the risk of fraudulent activities, and improves the overall customer experience. This also helps businesses comply with local regulations and provide a more personalised user experience based on the customer’s location.

6. Velocity checks

Velocity checks are a fraud prevention and detection technique for monitoring and analysing the speed and frequency of transactions, logins, or other online activities associated with a user or a device. These checks help identify unusual or suspicious patterns that may indicate fraudulent activities or account takeover attempts. Velocity checks can be implemented at various levels, such as user accounts, IP addresses, devices, or credit cards.

7. Fraud prevention teams

Fraud prevention teams develop and implement comprehensive security strategies that protect businesses and customers from various types of online threats. These teams consist of experts in fields such as cybersecurity, data analysis, and risk management who work together to monitor, detect, and respond to potential fraudulent activities. They are responsible for staying up to date with emerging fraud trends, technologies, and best practices to ensure that their organisation’s security measures remain effective and adaptive.

8. Regular security audits and updates

Regular security audits and updates help businesses identify potential vulnerabilities, assess the effectiveness of their security controls, and stay up to date with the latest security standards and best practices.

Here’s an overview of the important parts of regular security audits and updates, in the context of e-commerce:

• Vulnerability assessments: Regular security audits involve scanning and testing of the e-commerce platform, server infrastructure, and applications for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses that could be exploited by cybercriminals. This process helps businesses prioritise and address key security issues to minimise the risk of fraud or data breaches.

• Penetration testing: Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, involve cybersecurity experts simulating real-world attacks to evaluate the effectiveness of security measures and identify areas that need improvement.

• Compliance audits: Businesses need to ensure that their e-commerce platforms comply with relevant security standards, such as PCI DSS, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), or other industry-specific regulations. Regular compliance audits help businesses maintain their compliance status and avoid potential fines and penalties.

• Security policy review: Regularly reviewing and updating security policies and procedures helps businesses adapt to evolving threats and ensures that all employees are aware of their roles and responsibilities in maintaining a secure e-commerce environment.

• Patch management: Regularly updating software, plugins, and systems with the latest security patches is important to address any known vulnerabilities and lower the risk of cyberattacks. A robust patch management process ensures timely and efficient application of updates, minimising potential downtime and compatibility issues.

• Third-party vendor assessments: Businesses should also assess the security measures and compliance of third-party vendors, such as payment processors or cloud service providers, as these vendors can introduce potential vulnerabilities into the e-commerce environment.

9. Employee training and awareness

Employee training and awareness are key components of an organisation’s overall security strategy, particularly for e-commerce businesses. Employees play an important role in maintaining the security and integrity of both e-commerce platforms and businesses, as they often handle sensitive customer data, access critical systems, and interact with customers. By providing regular training and raising awareness about security best practices, organisations can create a culture of vigilance and reduce the likelihood of human error that could lead to security incidents or fraud.

Here are some important aspects of employee training and awareness in e-commerce:

• Onboarding training: New employees should receive security training as part of their onboarding process, ensuring that they are aware of the organisation’s security policies, procedures, and best practices from the beginning.

• Continuous learning: Regularly updating and reinforcing security training helps employees stay informed about emerging threats, new technologies, and evolving security best practices. This can include workshops or online training modules.

• Phishing awareness: Employees should be trained to recognise and report phishing emails, social engineering attacks, and other common tactics used by cybercriminals to gain unauthorised access to sensitive information or systems.

• Strong password practices: Training employees to create unique, strong passwords and use MFA can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to e-commerce systems and customer data.

• Data handling and privacy: Employees should be trained on proper data handling and privacy practices, including how to securely store, process, and transmit sensitive customer information and how to comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR.

• Incident response: Employees should be familiar with the organisation’s incident response plan and know what steps to take if they identify a security breach or suspect fraudulent activity.

• Security culture: Fostering a security-conscious culture within the organisation encourages employees to take responsibility for maintaining a secure e-commerce environment and to report any potential security issues or concerns.

• Regular assessments and updates: Assessing the effectiveness of employee training programmes and making improvements based on feedback or new developments can help ensure that the training remains relevant and effective.

Employee training and awareness programmes empower employees to act as the first line of defence against security threats and fraud, resulting in a more secure and trustworthy online shopping environment for customers and more fraud-proof, efficient operations overall.

10. Customer education

Customer education promotes a secure online shopping experience and protects customers from e-commerce fraud. By providing customers with the necessary information and tools, businesses can empower them to make informed decisions, safeguard their personal information, and detect potential fraud or security threats.

Here are a few ways that customer education can reinforce anti-fraud measures in e-commerce:

• Safe online shopping practices: Educate customers about safe online shopping practices, such as shopping only on reputable websites, looking for security indicators like HTTPS and SSL certificates, and avoiding public Wi-Fi for making transactions.

• Strong password habits: Encourage customers to create strong, unique passwords for their accounts and use MFA whenever possible. This can help prevent unauthorised access and account takeovers.

• Recognising phishing and social engineering: Teach customers how to identify and report phishing emails or social engineering attacks that attempt to trick them into giving away sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. Make sure that your customers understand the ways that your company will – and won’t – communicate with them.

• Secure payment methods: Inform customers about the benefits of using secure payment methods, such as credit cards or digital wallets, which often provide additional fraud protection and dispute resolution options.

• Account monitoring: Encourage customers to regularly monitor their account activity, checking for unauthorised transactions or changes to their personal information.

• Privacy awareness: Educate customers on the importance of protecting their personal information and how the business handles their data in compliance with relevant privacy regulations.

• Reporting suspicious activity: Provide customers with clear instructions on how to report suspicious activity – such as unauthorised transactions, phishing attempts, or account takeover attempts – to the business or relevant authorities.

• Security updates and alerts: Keep customers informed about new security features, potential threats, or updates to the e-commerce platform’s privacy policy through newsletters, blog posts, or social media updates.

11. Chargeback management

Chargeback management helps businesses mitigate the financial impact of chargebacks, reduce the likelihood of future disputes, and maintain a healthy relationship with payment processors and card networks. Chargebacks occur when a customer disputes a transaction, and the funds are returned to the customer by the issuing bank. This can happen for various reasons, such as unauthorised transactions, product dissatisfaction, or delivery issues.

For more information about preventing chargebacks, here’s further reading on the topic:

• Chargebacks 101
  
• Eight ways to reduce chargebacks
  
• Chargeback fraud 101
  

12. Monitoring transactions and user behaviour

Monitoring transactions and user behaviour enables businesses to identify and respond to suspicious activities in real time. By tracking and analysing transaction patterns, login attempts, and other user actions, businesses can detect potential fraud, account takeover attempts, and other security threats.

Here are a few ways that businesses monitor transactions and watch user behaviour:

• Risk scoring: Assigning risk scores to transactions, based on factors such as transaction amount, location, device, and previous purchase history, can help businesses identify potentially fraudulent transactions and take appropriate action.

• Real-time monitoring: Continuously monitoring transactions and user behaviour in real time allows businesses to detect and respond to potential threats quickly, minimising financial losses and reputational damage.

• Behavioural analytics: Analysing user behaviour, such as browsing patterns, mouse movements, and keystroke dynamics, can help businesses identify potential fraudulent actors or bots, since their behaviour may significantly differ from that of genuine customers.

• Account monitoring: Regularly monitoring user accounts for unusual activities, such as multiple failed login attempts, changes to personal information, or unusual transaction patterns, can help detect potential account takeover or fraud attempts.

• Cross-channel monitoring: Monitoring user behaviour across multiple channels, such as web, mobile, and social media, can provide businesses with a more comprehensive view of customer interactions and potential fraud patterns.

13. Setting up fraud detection rules and filters

Setting up fraud detection rules and filters helps businesses identify and respond to potentially suspicious activities or transactions in a timely and efficient manner. By defining specific criteria and thresholds that may indicate fraud, businesses can flag or block transactions that match these patterns.

This is how fraud detection rules and filters work for e-commerce businesses:

• Customisable rules: Develop customised fraud detection rules based on your business’s unique risk factors, such as transaction size, customer demographics, product types, and historical fraud patterns. These rules should be adjustable, to adapt to changing fraud trends and business needs.

• Dynamic thresholds: Implement dynamic thresholds for various risk indicators, such as transaction amounts, frequency of transactions, or velocity checks. This can help prevent false positives and ensure that legitimate transactions are not mistakenly flagged as fraudulent.

• Real-time screening: Apply fraud detection rules and filters in real time to quickly identify and respond to potential threats, minimising the impact of fraud on your business and customers.

• Machine learning and AI: Incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms into your fraud detection system to continuously learn from historical data and adapt to new fraud patterns. This can improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your rules and filters over time.

• Multi-layered approach: Use a combination of rules, filters, and other fraud prevention techniques, such as IP tracking, geolocation, device fingerprinting, and multi-factor authentication, to create a comprehensive and robust fraud detection system.

• Regular review and optimisation: Regularly review and analyse the effectiveness of your fraud detection rules and filters, adjusting them as needed to address emerging fraud trends, reduce false positives, and minimise the impact on genuine customers.

• Integration with other tools: Integrate your fraud detection rules and filters with other fraud prevention and risk management tools, such as secure payment gateways, SSL encryption, and customer verification systems, to create a cohesive and comprehensive security strategy.

14. Employing address and card verification systems

Employing address and card verification systems helps businesses confirm the authenticity of customer billing information and reduce the likelihood of fraudulent transactions. These verification systems compare the information provided by the customer during the checkout process with the information on file with the issuing bank, ensuring that the card being used is legitimate and belongs to the person making the purchase.

Here are a few ways that e-commerce businesses can verify transactions:

• Address verification service (AVS): AVS is a tool used by payment processors to validate the billing address provided by the customer against the address on file with the card issuer. If the address does not match, the transaction may be flagged or declined, reducing the risk of fraud.

• Card verification value (CVV): CVV is a security feature found on credit and debit cards, consisting of a three- or four-digit code that is unique to each card. By requiring customers to enter the CVV during the checkout process, businesses can verify that the person making the purchase has physical possession of the card, reducing the likelihood of fraudulent transactions using stolen card information.

• 3D Secure (3DS): 3D Secure is an additional layer of security for online credit and debit card transactions. It involves an authentication process that requires customers to verify their identity through a one-time password or biometric authentication, ensuring that the cardholder is the one making the purchase. Examples of 3D Secure protocols include Visa’s Verified by Visa, Mastercard’s Mastercard SecureCode, and American Express’s SafeKey.

• Integration with payment gateways: Integrating address and card verification systems with your payment gateway helps create an easy, secure checkout process for customers, while reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions.

• Balancing security and user experience: While employing address and card verification systems can help prevent fraud, it is important to balance security measures with a smooth user experience. Overly strict verification processes may lead to false declines and frustrated customers. Regularly reviewing and optimising your verification processes can help achieve this balance.

15. Connecting with other businesses and industry organisations

Connecting with other businesses and industry organisations can be a valuable strategy for e-commerce businesses in combating fraud. By collaborating and sharing information, businesses can learn from each other’s experiences, gain insights into emerging fraud trends, and adopt best practices in fraud prevention and detection. This cooperative approach helps create a stronger, more secure e-commerce ecosystem.

Participating in industry forums, attending conferences, and joining professional networks or associations can facilitate communication and collaboration among businesses, payment processors, security experts, and law enforcement agencies. Sharing information on fraud patterns, tactics, and mitigation techniques can help businesses stay ahead of evolving threats and develop more effective fraud prevention strategies.

Additionally, businesses can benefit from collaborating with cybersecurity firms and security researchers, who can provide expert advice, threat intelligence, and cutting-edge solutions to enhance their fraud prevention and detection capabilities.

16. Utilising biometrics and behavioural analytics

Utilising biometrics and behavioural analytics in e-commerce fraud prevention offers a powerful and sophisticated way to verify customers’ identities and detect potential fraud. These technologies analyse unique physical characteristics and user behaviour patterns to authenticate users, providing an additional layer of security that is difficult for fraudulent actors to replicate or bypass.

Biometrics refers to the use of physical traits, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or voice patterns, to verify a user’s identity. Many modern smartphones and other devices come equipped with biometric sensors, making it convenient for customers to use these features during the authentication process. By incorporating biometrics into their security measures, e-commerce businesses can enhance the accuracy of customer verification and reduce the risk of unauthorised access or account takeover.

Behavioural analytics, on the other hand, involves the analysis of user behaviour patterns, such as mouse movements, keystroke dynamics, browsing habits, or time spent on a page. These patterns can help differentiate between genuine customers and fraudulent actors, since malicious actors often exhibit distinct behaviours that deviate from the norm. By monitoring and analysing these patterns, e-commerce businesses can detect and respond to potential fraud in real time, minimising financial losses and reputational damage.

By incorporating these additional strategies into their existing fraud prevention, detection, and response framework, businesses can further enhance their security measures and protect themselves and their customers from e-commerce fraud.