Understanding and Preventing First-Party Fraud for Merchants
Fraud is already a complex challenge, but merchants face an additional hurdle: first-party fraud perpetrated by their own customers. Unlike second- or third-party fraud, first-party fraud occurs when consumers use their legitimate payment credentials to commit dishonest acts for personal gain. This creates a significant challenge for acquiring banks and payment service providers (PSPs) in assisting merchants with fraud prevention.
To effectively support merchants, acquiring banks must develop a thorough understanding of how first-party fraud operates. This article explores how acquirers and PSPs can help merchants mitigate first-party fraud and protect their profits.
What is First-Party Fraud?
First-party fraud involves a consumer intentionally defrauding a merchant for personal or financial gain. In these cases, the consumer obtains goods or services without paying for them. Customers may commit this type of fraud for various reasons, discussed below.
Often referred to as "friendly fraud" or "first-party misuse," industry leaders like the Merchant Risk Council advocate using the term “first-party misuse” to emphasize the seriousness of these actions. The rationale is simple: there’s nothing friendly about fraud. Over time, “first-party misuse” is expected to replace “friendly fraud” as the standard term.
First-party fraud (or misuse) is particularly challenging for businesses because it originates from legitimate customers, complicating detection and prevention efforts. It’s akin to realizing that “the call is coming from inside the house.”
Six Common Types of First-Party Fraud
Chargeback Fraud
Customers dispute legitimate transactions after receiving goods or services, requesting refunds or chargebacks through their financial institution. Merchants ultimately bear the financial loss.
Buyer’s Remorse
After making a legitimate purchase, a customer regrets it and, unable to return the item, requests a refund or chargeback.
Family Fraud
A household member, often a child, makes unauthorized purchases using a parent’s payment credentials. The parent disputes the charges, resulting in a chargeback.
Return Fraud
Customers exploit return policies by returning used, stolen, or counterfeit items for refunds or store credit.
Coupon/Discount Abuse
Customers manipulate promotional offers or create multiple accounts to exploit first-time customer discounts.
Unrecognized Transactions
Customers dispute charges they don’t recognize, often due to unclear billing descriptions or subscription renewals after free trial periods.
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