Whenever online shopping is mentioned, it is impossible to avoid talking about something that is the terror of both consumers and retailers: fraud. And it’s no wonder, as data from the “The State of Fraud and Abuse 2024” report show that there is a projection for losses from these virtual scams to exceed US$343 billion by 2027. However, just as wrongdoers are becoming increasingly creative in developing criminal initiatives, companies have also taken excellent steps to ensure a secure environment for their consumers. Thus, can we say that 2025 will be a year in which e-commerce fraud will see a reduction?
A study by BigDataCorp showed that the digital security index of Brazilian e-commerce exceeded 95% in early 2024 thanks to the increased use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which uses encryption to protect the data of internet users. Furthermore, consumers themselves are more alert and have been able to more easily identify when a transaction is fraudulent. According to a survey by Opinion Box, 91% of users have already abandoned an online purchase precisely because they suspect scams.
Another point in favor of combating fraud is Artificial Intelligence. Through its use combined with data analysis and machine learning, for example, many retailers can define patterns for a normal transaction and take action proactively when they see a suspicious purchase. The technology can be based on various topics such as recurrence, location of the purchase, most used payment method, customer profile, etc.
In addition, AI is capable of profiling suspicious users, blocking their access to the e-commerce platform, and preventing future scams. In this case, the technology, also related to machine learning, relies on various information such as online behavior and profile analysis, monitoring email address, IP, and phone number. With this data, the retailer can trace the intentions of that individual, checking the possibility of identity theft, account intrusion, and even the history of defaults.
Due to this range of possibilities, a survey by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and SAS shows that 46% of anti-fraud professionals in Latin America already use AI and machine learning in their daily work. Furthermore, a study by EY indicates that the technology has approximately 90% accuracy in detecting spam, malware, and network intrusions.
While there is not yet complete data on the amount of fraud in e-commerce during the year 2024, since we are still at the beginning of 2025, 2023 saw a significant 29% drop in scam attempts on these platforms, according to data from the 2024 Fraud X-Ray survey. This brings hope, showing that technology has been an ally and contributes to a more optimistic outlook for the sector.
This way, we can say that combating fraud in the online environment is becoming more and more effective, with technologies that inhibit the actions of criminals. Although it seems quite challenging, the outlook for 2025 is positive, with greater trust and security on the part of retailers. Even though it may be difficult to determine whether fraud will actually decrease this year, we are convinced that players are updating themselves so that online scams become an increasingly rare reality, giving way to an excellent customer experience on platforms.
