Fraud networks, also referred to as fraud rings, are groups of individuals operating globally or within the same location, engaging in a spectrum of fraudulent activities including multi-accounting, money laundering, money mulling and personal data breaches. These syndicates collaborate to orchestrate fraudulent schemes on various digital platforms spanning from crypto exchanges, fintech applications to dating services and online casinos. As revealed by Sumsub’s internal research*, approximately one in every 100 users of a digital platform or service globally fell victim to a fraud ring crime in 2023, underscoring the importance of addressing this issue. The prevalence of network fraud in APAC outpaces other regions such as Americas and Europe by eight-fold. Notably, Asia witnesses an average of 2.6% of fraud network incidents, a notably higher rate compared to other regions such as Africa (0.9%) and Europe and the Americas (0.3%). Within Asia, these nefarious operations are impacting developed and developing markets alike. For instance, Bangladesh has an average fraud network incident rate of an alarming 10.2%, with worrying rates in other growing economies such as Thailand (6.6%), Vietnam (3.7%) and Indonesia (2.2%). Even renowned financial hubs like Singapore (2.8%) and Hong Kong (2.9%), are not infallible to the threat of fraud networks. “We’ve detected fraud networks ranging from three to over 750 users. In Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries, cyber scam rings target victims with fraudulent schemes like fake jobs or investments. The issue raises diplomatic concerns and deters Chinese tourists from traveling to the region,” comments Pavel Goldman-Kalaydin, Head of AI/ML at Sumsub. “Fraud networks, however small they may seem right now, will gain prominence, just like AI-powered deepfakes. The damage of fraud rings is much more significant than that of individual scammers. Businesses must be prepared for this and protect their platforms in advance”. To help companies counter evolving and widespread fraud attacks, Sumsub has strengthened anti-fraud technologies in its Fraud Prevention Solution. The upgraded solution will tap on Sumsub’s unique database which has identified and reported two million fraudsters, allowing businesses to better detect and track fraud rings. Using a multi-layered approach, the upgraded solution offers Detect & Act capabilities in one tab. The solution also provides the ability to set action alerts to automatically trigger additional checks, thus simplifying the decision-making process and reducing false positives. “Fraudsters are becoming more tech-savvy, presenting a threat for digital services and their users,” explains Vyacheslav Zholudev, CTO and co-founder of Sumsub. “Sumsub’s comprehensive solution for fraud prevention is based on machine learning algorithms detecting all possible fraud types at every stage of the user journey. To flag suspicious user activity, our system is equipped with a range of fraud prevention tools including Identity Verification, Behavioural Intelligence, Device Fingerprinting, Fraud Risk Scoring, Deepfake Detection, Email and Phone Risk Assessment, and AI-based Event Monitoring. The solution now also applies Fraud Network Detection to stop serial fraud.” Sumsub’s Fraud Prevention Solution new solution goes beyond traditional anti-fraud or Know Your Customer (KYC) methods, offering a fortified defense against a wide array of fraud, including account theft, romance scams, payment fraud, and much more. Moreover, the solution aims to assist businesses in building user and regulatory trust. The solution is tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, iGaming, online media, and marketplaces.