NAPLES Fla-- BUSINESS WIRE --New benchmark data from ACI Worldwide NASDAQ ACIW a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions revealed a projected 14 percent increase in fraud attempts during the upcoming 2018 peak holiday season based on hundreds of millions of merchant transactions including some the worlds leading global retail brands As consumers and merchants prepare for the busiest shopping season of the year the projected data shows that fraud attempts are likely to peak on Thanksgiving Day Fraud attempts expected to increase 14 percent during 2018 peak HolidaySeason according to latest ACI_Worldwide benchmark data of top merchants Tweet this The first step to fighting fraud is knowing what youre up against said Erika Dietrich global director Payments Risk ACI Worldwide Fraudsters prepare for peak holiday season just as much as merchants and consumers do By anticipating the increase in fraud during the holiday shopping season and being aware of where fraudsters may be lurking consumers and merchants can get ahead of fraudulent activity and protect themselves Principal findings from the data include Fraud attempts expected to increase 14 during 2018 peak holiday season between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday Cross Channel fraud continues to grow In addition to traditional online channels buy online pick up in-store and call centers will be areas of focus for fraudsters Volume of purchases is expected to increase by 18 while the value of purchases is expected to increase by 19 between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday in 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 Volume of fraud attempts is projected to increase by 14 while the value of fraud attempts is expected to increase by 17 between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday compared to the same period in 2017 The attempted fraud average ticket price or a merchants average size of individual sales by credit card is expected to increase 3 from 236 to 243 Thanksgiving Day Volume of transactions on Thanksgiving Day is expected to increase 23 in 2018 compared to 2017 Volume of fraud attempts on Thanksgiving Day is expected to be high at 180 Black Friday Volume of transactions on Black Friday is expected to increase 19 in 2018 compared to 2017 Volume of fraud attempts on Black Friday is expected to be 130 Cyber Monday Volume of transactions on Cyber Monday is expected to increase 14 in 2018 compared to 2017 Volume of fraud attempts on Cyber Monday is expected to be 093 As the market matures and EMV technology makes card-present fraud harder we expect overall fraud attempts to increase at a lower rate this year than they did in the last two years Dietrich continued In addition as more consumers purchase big ticket items like smartphones TVs and other electronics we expect the attempted fraud average ticket price to be higher this year than in previous years Fraudsters will keep an eye on items that have limited inventory as it gives them an additional opportunity to steal and sell those items on the black market for a higher price so consumers and merchants alike must be vigilant in such cases Dietrich concluded As the holiday season approaches ACI Worldwide provides consumers with nine tips to combat fraud this holiday shopping season Shop at more reputable websites Check the bottom right hand corner of a website during the check-out process and look for a security icon that indicates its a safe transaction Dont use public Wi-Fi when shopping Personal and financial information are vulnerable on public Wi-Fi networks so its safest to shop through a private and secure Wi-Fi network Be wary of public charging stations As consumers travel during the holiday season juice jacking where fake kiosks are rigged to steal personal data from devices is common Use biometric authentication Take advantage of thumb print or facial recognition features on mobile devices when possible Avoid using the same e-mail and password combination with multiple merchants fraudsters can use these credentials for future account takeovers Set up pins for online accounts to avoid friendly fraud and subsequent chargebacks especially for families with young children Do not leave boxes on front porches During the busy holiday shopping season fraudsters are looking to pounce as consumers are distracted Track and monitor credit and debit card spending Automated alerts for online transactions can let consumers know exactly when they or someone else attempts to use a card Check credit reports Various websites offer free credit scores reports and insights that allow consumers to keep tabs on activity that impacts their score and ensure that its accurate ACI ReD Shield a key component of ACIs UP Payments Risk Management solution delivers real-time multi-tiered protection thats tailored to the needs of eCommerce merchants payment service providers PSPs and Independent Sales Organizations ISOs This intelligent solution is delivered as a managed service through an expert team of risk analysts and provides instant decisions accept challenge deny on eCommerce and mCommerce transactions Methodology The survey includes leading global merchants that utilize ACI ReD Shield representing hundreds of millions of transactions globally these merchants most of whom are among the top 100 retailers have been utilizing ACIs service for at least two years Date Range January 1 2017 to October 31 2018 Terminology Volume number of transactions comparing last year to this year like for like global retail customers Value dollar value of transactions comparing last year to this year like for like global retail customers Fraud Attempt Rate a transaction associated to any one or more of the following Transaction data point confirmed fraud as a result of a merchant verifying Transaction data point matched a record in our ReD Shield global screening negative database chargebacks credit card numbers being sold online in underground chat channels or reported as fraud by an issuer pattern matching a recent confirmed fraud behaviour About ACI Worldwide ACI Worldwide the Universal Payments UP company powers electronic payments for more than 5 100 organizations around the world More than 1 000 of the largest financial institutions and intermediaries as well as thousands of global merchants rely on ACI to execute 14 trillion each day in payments and securities In addition myriad organizations utilize our electronic bill presentment and payment services Through our comprehensive suite of software solutions delivered on customers premises or through ACIs private cloud we provide real-time immediate payments capabilities and enable the industrys most complete omni-channel payments experience To learn more about ACI please visit wwwaciworldwidecom You can also find us on Twitter ACI_Worldwide Copyright ACI Worldwide Inc 2018 ACI ACI Worldwide ACI Payment Systems the ACI logo ACI Universal Payments UP the UP logo ReD PAYON and all ACI product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide Inc or one of its subsidiaries in the United States other countries or both Other parties trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners Product roadmaps are for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into a contract or agreement The development release and timing of future product releases remains at ACIs sole discretion ACI is providing the following information in accordance with ACIs standard product communication policies Any resulting features functionality and enhancements or timing of release of such features functionality and enhancements are at the sole discretion of ACI and may be modified without notice All product roadmap or other similar information does not represent a commitment to deliver any material code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision