In traditional commerce, buyers, and sellers exchange goods, services, and money in real time, creating immediate trust. In the digital world, trust depends on confidence in the unseen – the systems that process payments, verify identities, and secure financial data.
Less than half of consumers feel well-informed about how to keep money safe online.
Consumers in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and The United Arab Emirates feel the most informed.
While France, Germany, and Japan report the lowest confidence levels in knowing how to stay safe online.
Individuals who feel most confident in protecting their money online
To address escalating fraud, businesses are turning to AI and machine learning for more advanced detection. While fraud volumes typically rise during peak periods like Black Friday, the threat is constant. Fraudsters are relentless, using tactics ranging from card testing and account takeovers to old-fashioned stolen cards. Recent data shows activity often spikes late at night or early in the morning. The threat landscape is always shifting – which makes round-the-clock protection not just important, but essential.
*Time stamps for blocked fraud attempts according to Checkout.com network data
Time stamps for blocked fraud attempts according to Checkout.com network data
Many consumers believe they’re protected by the law when transacting online.
Younger consumers feel more protected by the law than other generations.
In contrast, Baby Boomers feel the least protected when making online transactions.
I generally trusted consumer protections when buying stuff online, but when governments change sometimes the regulators change, the focus can shift, sometimes you don’t feel so sure you know where you stand anymore with the strength of consumer protection. I hope I don’t have to find out anytime soon, I’ll have to be more vigilant.
33, Boston
Among those hit by fraud, phishing scams are the most common attack.
With 49% impacted, Boomers are the most vulnerable to phishing. These scams usually focus on older age groups.
Gen Z is more vulnerable to QR code attacks, likely due to their higher usage of QR codes.
Nearly two-fifths of consumers have experienced a form of card fraud
The scale of global scam operations is staggering. There are at least seven major scam centers worldwide, each employing over 500,000 individuals – many of whom have been trafficked or coerced into executing fraud full-time. These scams span the globe and evolve constantly, encompassing romance frauds, fake gift card schemes, and sophisticated social engineering tactics. AI is accelerating this problem at an alarming rate.
CEO, Merchant Risk Council
A few key factors build trust for consumers during the payment process.
The UK stands out, with 51% rating greater confidence in payment security as their top priority.
Read the report to understand what’s behind this and see how other countries compare.
Download reportIt shows customers you’re serious about protecting them, building trust with every transaction.
Use a mix of custom rules and AI trained on real-world data to catch fraud without blocking legitimate customers.
Integrate tools like 3DS selectively – applying it where it protects, skipping it where it adds friction.
Track fraud patterns as they emerge, adjust your settings quickly, and fine-tune your defences by region, product, or customer type.
