Main types of e-commerce fraud experienced by merchants worldwide 2024

In 2024, refund/policy abuse was the most common type of fraud, experienced by just under **** of online merchants worldwide. Real-time payment fraud affected ** percent of merchants, and phishing, pharming and whaling another ** percent, according to the source. First-party misuse (also known as “friendly fraud”) impacted ** percent of merchants. Both refund/policy abuse and first-party misuse occur post-purchase, so unlike phishing or card testing, are not attacks that can be stopped in real-time, making them more difficult for online merchants to manage.

Financial impact and regional variations

The financial toll of e-commerce fraud on merchants is substantial. A 2024 survey found that approximately ** percent of e-merchants reported fraud-related costs of at least ** million U.S. dollars annually, with over ** percent estimating annual losses exceeding ** million U.S. dollars. The impact varies by region, with Latin America reporting the highest share of loss at *** percent of e-commerce revenue due to payment fraud, while the Asia-Pacific region fared slightly better at *** percent. These figures underscore the urgent need for robust fraud prevention strategies across the e-commerce sector.

Challenges in fraud management

Effectively using data to manage fraud was reported as the main challenge by ******* of online merchants. Fraud AI and machine learning accuracy, along with gaps in fraud tool capabilities and features, were each cited as challenges by ** percent of merchants. The complexity of fraud management is further illustrated by the increasing prevalence of various fraud types. In 2024, *************** worldwide merchants with online presence reported a surge in online payment fraud, while almost ** percent noted an increase in chargebacks. To combat these threats, merchants must continually adapt their strategies and leverage advanced technologies to stay ahead of fraudsters.