Retailers are increasingly facing organised, coordinated fraud attacks that operate at scale across multiple channels, geographies and touchpoints. From account takeovers and payment fraud to returns abuse and promotion exploitation, fraud has become more sophisticated and more industrialised. For retail leaders at the eCommerce Summit, this shift requires a fundamental rethink of how fraud is detected, managed and prevented…
From opportunistic to organised
Historically, many fraud cases were opportunistic: a stolen card used for a single transaction or a one-off false return. Today, fraud is often carried out by coordinated groups using automation, shared data and repeatable tactics.
These groups exploit weaknesses across the entire customer journey, from account creation and login to checkout and post-purchase processes. Attacks are often tested at small scale before being rapidly expanded, making them harder to detect using traditional rule-based systems.
The omnichannel challenge
The growth of omnichannel retail has created new vulnerabilities. Fraudsters can move seamlessly between online platforms, mobile apps and physical stores, exploiting gaps in visibility between systems.
For example, a compromised account may be used to place an online order for in-store collection, or fraudulent returns may be processed in-store against online purchases. Without a unified view of customer activity, these patterns can go unnoticed.
As a result, retailers are prioritising cross-channel visibility, ensuring that data from all touchpoints is connected and analysed together.
Leveraging data and advanced detection
To combat organised fraud, many retailers are investing in advanced analytics and machine learning. These tools can identify patterns and anomalies across large datasets, detecting coordinated activity that would be difficult to spot manually.
Signals such as device fingerprinting, behavioural biometrics and transaction history are being combined to build a more comprehensive picture of risk. Real-time decisioning is also becoming critical, enabling retailers to stop fraudulent activity before it escalates.
However, technology must be complemented by human expertise. Fraud teams play a key role in interpreting insights, investigating complex cases and adapting strategies as tactics evolve.
Collaboration and intelligence sharing
Another emerging trend is greater collaboration across the industry. Retailers, payment providers and fraud platforms are increasingly sharing intelligence on emerging threats, helping organisations respond more quickly to new attack methods.
For large retailers, internal collaboration is equally important. Fraud prevention requires alignment between e-commerce, payments, customer service and store operations to ensure consistent processes and responses.
Building resilience at scale
As fraud becomes more organised, the response must also scale. This means moving beyond reactive controls to proactive, intelligence-led strategies that can adapt to evolving threats.
For omnichannel retailers, success will depend on combining data visibility, advanced analytics and cross-functional collaboration. In a landscape where fraudsters are operating like businesses, retailers must do the same: building resilient, scalable defences that protect both revenue and customer trust.
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