The AI transformation is reorienting digital businesses around new opportunities for expansion, innovation, and positive disruption. Fraudsters aren’t blind to the potential, already turning to artificial intelligence to undermine every step of the online user journey and siphon valuable data and capital from consumers and companies alike.
We see AI being used to outsmart fraud prevention strategies by helping criminals mimic legitimate user content, timing, and behavior, and trick fraud mitigation tools designed to detect pattern anomalies. With accessible AI in hand, fraudsters can do more than craft realistic phishing content and synthetic identities; they can also adapt tactics in real-time, reach far greater pools of victims, and leverage intelligent bots to conduct sweeping, high-velocity attacks that wouldn’t otherwise be possible at such speed and scale.
This makes fraud prevention more dynamic than ever before, and almost impossible to get right using the practices that many fraud teams have been using in recent years.
No matter the industry, teams that stick solely to scores or static thresholds are inviting unnecessary risk, and stunting growth in the process. Any risk qualifier that requires constant human intervention quickly becomes inefficient and even dangerous. Risk scores can lead to unpredictable swings in block and review rates, while static thresholds demand constant attention and manual upkeep to avoid shutting down legitimate transactions or inviting fraud.
Today, I’m thrilled to introduce RiskWatch, a game-changing, patent-pending innovation designed to make fraud decisioning more intuitive and efficient. We want to ensure that our customers’ defenses evolve in sync with emerging threats of every variety, transforming fraud management from a static, reactionary task into a dynamic, proactive strategy. With RiskWatch, you’re not just keeping up with fraudsters—you’re outpacing them with fine-tuned, AI-powered scoring and dynamic thresholding.
Intelligent Cruise Control for Fraud & Risk Operations
RiskWatch changes the game by delivering automated control to fraud and risk teams. It automatically maintains block, friction, and manual review rates at a target percentage of the riskiest users while accommodating for targeted fraud attacks as well.
By working closely with our customers and leading fraud experts we have transformed a significant body of work that was previously done manually into an intelligent and automated process that now takes place in a level of accuracy and speed that no human or team of humans could ever accomplish.
RiskWatch dynamically adjusts to fluctuations in fraud activity, seasonality, and market expansion, and leverages intelligent mechanisms to detect large-scale fraud attacks. This means that your team can focus on what truly matters—growing your business—without being bogged down by the minutiae of manual adjustments and the costs they may create if not fully optimized.
A standout advantage of RiskWatch is real-time adaptability. During a fraud attack or other significant shifts in user behavior, RiskWatch automatically adjusts block rates to capture emerging risky events as they happen. When the dust settles, risk thresholds return to their pre-fraud levels, which can be easily fine-tuned to meet a business’s specific needs.
This innovation is especially valuable for companies that must comply with the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and other stringent authentication standards. For example, RiskWatch can help these companies optimize exemptions for 3D Secure authentication (3DS) more selectively and efficiently, ensuring a smoother user experience without compromising security.
Many fraud teams today leverage a risk score (e.g., “Risk score = 89”), that requires them to translate and interpret a number—or multiple numbers—in order to understand the overall riskiness of an interaction compared to the overall population. RiskWatch gives fraud teams the freedom to accelerate and prioritize manual review where it’s actually needed.
Own the Risk Revenue Equation with RiskWatch
RiskWatch is already impacting real-world revenue and retention. A valued Sift customer and global crypto exchange faced the challenge of maintaining stable block and acceptance rates while expanding into new and rapidly shifting markets. Their fraud team was constantly on their toes, manually analyzing and adjusting risk thresholds. With RiskWatch, this process became seamless. The company saw a significant stabilization in their acceptance rates and unlocked $19 million in new revenue in just one quarter.
The increasing sophistication of fraud attacks, driven by factors like generative AI, demands that we stay one step ahead and keep pace strategically and tactically. Fraudsters are continually evolving their techniques to mimic legitimate consumer identities and behaviors. Companies relying on manual thresholds simply cannot adapt quickly enough. RiskWatch is our answer to the call—adapting automatically to nuanced changes, supporting business growth, and helping brands maintain seamless, secure consumer experiences while providing robust control for risk teams.
RiskWatch is now available for all Sift customers who use our platform for account creation, account takeover, content, payment, policy, and chargeback fraud. Reach out to [email protected] to learn more.