New account fraud prevention is a constant strain on businesses. It affects companies that are trying to grow, and can lead to significant financial losses, negative media coverage, and even criminal investigations. It’s also very hard to mitigate once the fraudulent account has been opened, so prevention is key.

New Account Fraud Prevention

To prevent new account fraud, it’s important to have the right approach to background checks. This means focusing on verifying that a person is the same individual that they claim to be, and that they are authenticating in real time. Using technology like iProov to do this can help protect against identity theft and new account fraud at the onboarding stage.

New Account, No Problem: A Guide to Effective New Account Fraud Prevention

Often, fraudsters attempt to circumvent security checks by creating a fake identity. This can include obtaining photo IDs that do not match the applicant, and using fake addresses to register accounts that are then used to make fraudulent purchases or apply for loans and credit cards that they don’t intend to pay back.

Having the right tools can make it easier to spot this type of activity, especially if you use behavioral monitoring to look for suspicious account opening patterns that align with known fraud indicators. This includes looking for dormant-to-warmed-up accounts; large transfers in/out compared to salary data in the application; and a home or business address that is not within the bank’s geographic footprint. Also, training staff to watch for certain behavioral cues can be helpful, such as an applicant who appears overly friendly and eager to establish a rapport quickly.