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The Complete A-Z Guide to Managing Bank Fraud and High-Risk Customers

Modern banks handle a multitude of financial transactions involving significant money flows and enormous volumes. Consequently, banks have become prime targets for fraudulent activities. In 2023, an impressive $10 billion loss was attributed to fraud, with nearly 1 in 5 people affected by imposter scams.

The challenge for banks is that modern criminals are highly tech-savvy, leveraging the latest technologies to access user data and money. Financial organizations must therefore adopt advanced methods to prevent banking fraud.

This comprehensive guide delves into the methods of preventing bank fraud, the role of IT technologies in fraud prevention, and how financial institutions work with high-risk customers. Based on extensive expertise in this field, we will explore the most advanced methods of bank fraud protection.

Understanding Banking Fraud

What Is Banking Fraud?

Banking fraud refers to activities that result in unauthorized money being obtained through deceptive means.

Examples of Banking Fraud

  1. Loan Fraud: Using someone else’s personal data to obtain a loan, leaving the actual person with a debt.
  2. Card Fraud: Unauthorized use of someone else’s card information, either by stealing the physical card, skimming card data, or deceiving the cardholder into sharing their financial information.
  3. Internet Fraud: Includes phishing, vishing, and other identity theft schemes where attackers impersonate bank employees to extract login credentials and misuse customer accounts.
  4. Occupational Fraud: Committed by employees using their official positions to embezzle funds, create fake invoices, or forge bank statements.

Methods to Prevent Bank Fraud

Banks use various methods to protect against fraud, involving both customer screening and transaction monitoring.

Customer Screening

Pros:

  • Identifies risk-related issues immediately.
  • Provides insights into customer types, allowing for tailored security measures.
  • Screens both participants in every transaction for reliable funds protection.

Cons:

  • Can be slow, requiring additional investigations by security officers.

Example: Using the Dow Jones list, customer data such as name, surname, family members, passport information, and employment details are checked against sanctioned individuals. The system generates alerts for data matches, which are then investigated further.

Customer Screening

Transaction Monitoring

Pros:

  • Analyzes user behavior and detects suspicious actions.
  • Adapts quickly to changes in customer behavior.
  • Fast decision-making through automated processes.

Cons:

Most effective with robust data architecture and sufficient data.

Example: A fraud management system analyzes customer behavior patterns. For instance, a customer with a $5000 monthly income and typical expenses suddenly makes unusual payments to new accounts. The system flags and blocks these transactions for further verification, preventing potential fraud.

Transaction Monitoring

Fraud Prevention Checks Conducted by Banks

Banks conduct various fraud prevention checks at different stages of customer interaction:

Customer Onboarding Check

  1. Data Acquisition: Customers provide personal data either in-branch or online.
  2. Initial Data Screening: Customer data is checked against loan history, criminal records, and digital footprints.
  3. Second-Round Screening: Data is screened against sanctions lists and for politically exposed persons (PEPs).
  4. Risk Rating Assignment: Customers are categorized into low, mid, or high-risk based on guidelines from national banks.

Monetary Transaction Check

  1. Sender and Recipient Screening: Similar to the second-round screening during onboarding.
  2. Transaction Monitoring: Machine learning and AI analyze transaction patterns and flag suspicious activities, which are then investigated.

Non-Monetary Activity Check

  1. User Activity Monitoring: Analyzes user actions in bank branches, web, or mobile apps.
  2. Personal Data Change Monitoring: Triggers fraud prevention procedures if significant changes are detected.

Overnight Check

Every night, banks perform fraud protection procedures for all existing customers, ensuring regular updates and accurate risk categorization.

Fraud Prevention

Dealing with Low-, Middle-, and High-Risk Customers

Banks categorize customers into low, middle, and high-risk categories, applying specific measures for each to ensure data safety and prevent fraudulent activities.

1.Low-Risk Customers

Typical Representatives:

  • Institutions with publicly available financial statements.
  • Government institutions.
  • Financial organizations licensed by central banks.
  • Employees with clearly defined salaries.
  • Self-employed individuals with confirmed income statements.

Fraud Prevention:

  • Standard monitoring and routine checks.
  • Basic KYC procedures.
  • Limited restrictions on transactions.
  • Standard alerts for unusual activities.

2.Middle-Risk Customers

Typical Representatives:

  • Non-regulated companies with up-to-date tax clearance.
  • Small businesses and startups.
  • Freelancers and consultants with irregular income.
  • Individuals with multiple income streams or moderate transaction volumes.

Fraud Prevention:

  • Enhanced monitoring and periodic reviews.
  • Additional KYC procedures.
  • Moderate restrictions on large or unusual transactions.
  • Increased alerts for deviations from normal patterns.

3.High-Risk Customers

Typical Representatives:

  • High-net-worth individuals.
  • Companies in high-risk industries.
  • Companies providing private investments.
  • Customers with a history of suspicious activity.
  • Politically exposed persons and customers from high-risk countries.

Fraud Prevention:

  • Intensive monitoring with advanced detection systems.
  • Comprehensive KYC procedures and due diligence.
  • Stringent restrictions on transactions.
  • Frequent account reviews and real-time notifications.
Low risk Middle risk High risk

Actions Taken If Banking Fraud Is Suspected

If fraud is suspected, banks gather additional details such as proof of income, source of funds, and transaction history. They may require approvals from security officers and management. Depending on the investigation outcome, the bank may proceed with or halt onboarding/dealing with the customer, potentially leading to account closure.

The Role of Technology in Enhancing Fraud Protection

To develop fraud prevention software, you need a team with extensive experience in Fintech development and a comprehensive understanding of the regular basis in this industry.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-based software provides flexibility in fraud management, enabling unbiased evaluation, instant responses to malicious activity, and minimizing errors.

The bottom line

Software Developing effective fraud prevention software requires a team with extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the banking industry. At Sprinterra, we possess these skills and invite you to discuss your anti-fraud software project with us.

By leveraging advanced technologies and implementing robust fraud prevention measures, banks can effectively protect themselves and their customers from fraudulent activities.

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