Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s Future in Doubt as Credit Card Fraud Spikes

According to FICO, in the first half of 2022, the U.S. saw a 700% increase in credit card fraud via “skimmers,” illegal devices installed on ATMs, point-of-sale terminals or gas pumps to steal credit card data and PINs. Skimming costs businesses and customers $1 billion per year and when a victim of fraud disputes a transaction with their financial provider, unsuspecting merchants can be hit with additional chargeback fees. 

To help merchants prevent fraud and avoid the chargeback process, Chargebacks911 Founder Monica Eaton is advising online businesses of all sizes to implement fraud prevention tactics to identify fraudulent activity, stop scammers from making illegal purchases and avoid unnecessary chargeback fees.

“Fraudulent purchases with stolen card information doesn’t just hurt the cardholder, it hurts everyone involved in the purchasing process,” said Eaton. “Every time a consumer files a chargeback claim for a fraudulent purchase, it costs the vendor $3.75 per disputed dollar. Merchants have to start thinking about risk management now before fraudulent activity ends up in lost revenue.”

Eaton advises eCommerce businesses to implement the following fraud-prevention measures:

• Compare shipping, billing, and IP addresses. Transactions are most secure when these addresses are close to one another. Orders with different addresses for billing and shipping are at much higher risk for fraud. 
• Investigate email addresses. Online criminals typically create an email that they only use once. Emails from a business domain are more secure than those from Gmail or Yahoo. 
• Utilize Address Verification Services (AVS). AVS systems compare billing addresses between the one given by the customer and the one on file with the issuing bank. Mismatched billing addresses calls for a closer look at the transaction.
• Watch for patterns. If you notice multiple failed transaction attempts in quick succession using various credit card numbers, this is a sign that an online criminal is trying to complete a fraudulent transaction.
• Create a ‘blacklist.’ Scammers who succeed once when making a fraudulent purchase on your website are likely to try again. Be sure to blacklist phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, and billing addresses used in fraudulent transactions to prevent them from making future purchases.

Monica Eaton, founder of Chargebacks911, can speak on the following:

• The cost burden on merchants when customers initiate chargebacks through their financial institution.
• How merchants can identify and prevent fraudulent transactions, thus avoiding chargebacks.
• How vendors can implement chargeback solutions to prevent unnecessary or fraudulent chargeback claims.

To speak with Monica Eaton, contact me via khelms@jotopr.com or call 727-777-4619

About Chargebacks911

Chargebacks911 is the global leader in chargeback prevention and remediation technology. As a provider or supplier to financial technology companies, Chargebacks911 helps safeguard more than 2.4 billion transactions per year on behalf of clients in 87 countries around the world. For details on Chargebacks911’s comprehensive dispute management solutions, visit https://chargebacks911.com

About Fi911

Fi911 was launched by Chargebacks911 to support financial institutions with innovative dispute life-cycle and merchant life-cycle management technologies. Its proprietary DisputeLab™ makes resolving chargeback disputes faster and more efficient by optimizing each step in the dispute cycle. Visit https://fi911.com