Latest news with #Forter
Techday NZ
4 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Forter expands tools for retailers to track agentic AI risks
Forter has announced a product expansion aimed at helping retailers manage the rising prevalence of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in digital commerce. The company has introduced new capabilities to monitor both agent and human identities and behaviours, enabling businesses to address fraud and risk as the use of agentic AI increases in the marketplace. According to Forter, agentic traffic spiked by 18,510% across its network shortly after the release of ChatGPT Agent, highlighting major changes in how automated bots and AI assistants engage with online retailers. AI agent detection The new release from Forter incorporates advanced AI agent detection tools and browsing identification, a dashboard for real-time monitoring, and industry-wide insights based on its global eCommerce network. Forter states that these tools will give merchants increased visibility into AI-driven activity on their platforms, providing actionable data to help them approach an evolving eCommerce environment securely. Gartner and other research firms forecast that AI agents will be responsible for 20% of digital commerce traffic in the next five years. In light of this, Forter has positioned its new tools as essential for merchants seeking to understand and leverage the emerging opportunities – and challenges – posed by the rapid advent of agentic commerce. "AI-powered commerce is the next frontier," said Forter CEO Michael Reitblat. "Merchants that embrace agentic AI will elevate customer experience and unlock new opportunities - those that don't will fall behind." The expansion arrives at a time when the lines between customer and bot interactions are increasingly blurred. As AI begins to play a more prominent role in commerce, product research, and purchase transactions, Forter notes that legacy approaches to digital engagement, identity management, and fraud prevention are no longer sufficient. Rise in fraudulent activity In its network, Forter has observed a 50% increase in fraudulent activity employing scripted and automated methods designed to rapidly alter identities and manipulate images. The company reports that another growing area of concern is synthetic identity fraud, in which multiple data points, brought together by AI, create false yet convincing identities that can mimic either human or agentic consumers. Discussing the opportunity and challenges presented by AI agents, Cyndy Lobb, Chief Product Officer of Forter, said, "Agentic AI presents an enormous growth opportunity for merchants. What we hear from our customers and the market-at-large is control against fraud and risk in this AI-era is critical to unlocking this opportunity. Our commitment is to give merchants and commerce organizations of all types the confidence to experiment and scale with agents and agent developers." Capabilities outlined According to Forter, the new features include models that differentiate between types of AI agents, tools for detecting AI-assisted shopping behaviour, a real-time Agentic Dashboard, and anonymised insights published at industry scale. Planned future capabilities will support automation of policy creation, further insight into consumer trends, specialised tokenisation for agentic transactions, and deeper integration with other eCommerce systems. Michael Reitblat commented on the company's history and commitment in AI, stating, "Since our founding more than a decade ago, Forter has been at the forefront of AI, building to unlock opportunities for merchants. We were the first to apply neural networks to make real-time identity and fraud decisions possible, co-developed bot identification technology being used by the world's largest brands, the first to recognize the threat and opportunity for enterprise to manage bot access rather than just block it, and now we are at the forefront of agentic commerce while continuing to invest in fraud prevention, payments optimization, and several new areas." Industry perspectives Jenna Flateman Posner, CEO and Founder of Chief Digital Agency and an advisor to Forter, added her perspective on the importance of distinguishing AI activity from legitimate customer behaviour. She said, "As a former retail executive, longtime Forter client and now advisor to the business, I've watched Forter consistently stay ahead of the curve. With AI agents so quickly saturating traffic, getting ahead of determining bad actors vs qualified bot transactions is going to be essential. Retailers need tools that can distinguish between human and agentic behavior without sacrificing customer trust. Forter's agentic AI strategy is exactly what the industry needs to embrace the future of AI-powered commerce confidently and securely." Forter's latest product capabilities are now available to its customers. The company continues to monitor developments in AI-driven commerce and fraud as it develops additional products and integrations.
Techday NZ
4 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Forter unveils tools to help retailers manage agentic AI surge
Forter has introduced new product capabilities designed to help retailers manage risks and opportunities associated with the rapid rise of agentic AI in digital commerce. The launch follows a significant increase in agentic traffic identified across Forter's network, with a recorded surge of 18,510% in agentic activity day over day following the release of ChatGPT Agent. This shift highlights a new phase in eCommerce where autonomous agents and AI-powered tools are playing a much greater role in interacting with merchants' websites. Shift in digital commerce Forter's new product features are intended to provide merchants with greater visibility into AI-driven activity on their platforms, allowing them to distinguish between human and agent traffic, detect fraud, and safeguard revenue more effectively. These tools arrive as Gartner and other research organisations predict that AI agents will account for 20% of digital commerce traffic over the next five years. According to Forter, the rapid adoption of agentic AI is creating increased complexity for merchants, particularly as traditional approaches to digital engagement and fraud prevention may not effectively manage new risks posed by these technologies. There is concern that legacy systems could create friction for consumers or expose brands to emerging threats. Discussing the broader implications for digital commerce, Forter's Chief Executive Officer Michael Reitblat stated: "AI-powered commerce is the next frontier. Merchants that embrace agentic AI will elevate customer experience and unlock new opportunities - those that don't will fall behind." Michael Reitblat also explained the context of Forter's approach: "Since our founding more than a decade ago, Forter has been at the forefront of AI, building to unlock opportunities for merchants. We were the first to apply neural networks to make real-time identity and fraud decisions possible, co-developed bot identification technology being used by the world's largest brands, the first to recognise the threat and opportunity for enterprise to manage bot access rather than just block it, and now we are at the forefront of agentic commerce while continuing to invest in fraud prevention, payments optimisation, and several new areas." Detection and monitoring tools The new capabilities introduced by Forter include enhanced AI agent detection, models to differentiate types of AI agents, strengthened identification of AI-assisted browsing activities, a dashboard that visualises real-time agentic activity, and the publication of anonymised insights on agentic behaviours across Forter's global network. These features aim to help merchants adapt to evolving consumer behaviour while maintaining control over fraud risks. Forter reports that among hundreds of enterprise retail and commerce brands on its network, there has been a 50% increase in fraud employing scripted and automated attack methods, including those that change identities rapidly or manipulate images. The company also highlights concerns about synthetic identity fraud, where AI tools combine multiple data points to convincingly mimic real consumers or agents. Cyndy Lobb, Chief Product Officer of Forter, commented on the importance of adapting to these changes: "Agentic AI presents an enormous growth opportunity for merchants. What we hear from our customers and the market-at-large is control against fraud and risk in this AI-era is critical to unlocking this opportunity. Our commitment is to give merchants and commerce organisations of all types the confidence to experiment and scale with agents and agent developers." Industry perspectives The introduction of agentic AI detection and monitoring tools has been welcomed by some in the retail technology sector. Jenna Flateman Posner, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Chief Digital Agency, said: "As a former retail executive, longtime Forter client and now advisor to the business, I've watched Forter consistently stay ahead of the curve. With AI agents so quickly saturating traffic, getting ahead of determining bad actors vs qualified bot transactions is going to be essential. Retailers need tools that can distinguish between human and agentic behaviour without sacrificing customer trust. Forter's agentic AI strategy is exactly what the industry needs to embrace the future of AI-powered commerce confidently and securely." Forter anticipates that future releases will add features such as multiple agents for automating policies, new insights to identify trends across consumer groups, tokenisation options to aid in building commerce-focused agent workflows, and integrations with payments infrastructure providers. These enhancements reflect ongoing investment as agentic commerce grows in scale and complexity.
Malaysian Reserve
02-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Forter Recognized as a Leader in Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection & Prevention, KYU for the Fourth Year
NEW YORK, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has been recognized as a leader in the Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection and Prevention, Know Your User (KYU) for the fourth year, signaling its continued market leadership and product innovation. According to Deepali Sathe, Senior Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, 'Forter incorporates evolving fraud trends into its product development strategy, helping companies improve profitability and move beyond a transaction-based approach to a more holistic consumer approach.' Since its founding in 2013 – when Forter disrupted the market with its AI-powered fraud management solution – the company has expanded its platform to address the entire digital commerce journey, processing over $2 trillion in transactions and protecting 1.8 billion shoppers. Its fully automated solutions protect every digital interaction, including account protection, fraud management, payment optimization, chargeback recovery and abuse prevention. Together, they form Forter's Trust Platform which delivers identity intelligence to help businesses optimize conversions, grow customer lifetime value, reduce loss and accelerate growth. 'Forter's investment in research and development translates into growing its offerings to address challenges across the customer journey. Its identity intelligence empowers risk and digital teams to understand the identity behind every transaction and proactively counter sophisticated fraud attempts,' according to Sathe. The company's product innovation, including its recent spring product release, helps businesses grow revenue, deliver a seamless customer experience and scale their operations. Forter also continues to expand its partner ecosystem, receiving exclusive partner status with AWS, Shopify and Salesforce – accelerating growth and extending its global reach to serve the world's leading brands. 'Over a decade ago, Forter pushed the industry forward by taking an identity-focused approach and introducing AI to deliver automated risk decisions. Since then, we've built the largest first-party dataset and expanded our use of AI to drive revenue uplift and customer lifetime value for the world's biggest brands,' said Cyndy Lobb, chief product officer, Forter. 'Four years of leadership recognition from Frost & Sullivan is a testament to the strength of our platform, our unwavering commitment to customers and the growth of our business.' To read the full Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection and Prevention (KYU), visit About ForterForter is the Trust Platform for digital commerce. We make accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey. Our ability to isolate fraud and protect consumers is why Adobe, ASOS, eBay, Instacart, Priceline, Nordstrom, and many more leaders across industries have trusted us to process more than $2 trillion in transactions. Our deep understanding of identity and use of automation helps businesses prevent fraud, maximize revenue and deliver superior experiences for their consumers. Learn more at
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forter Recognized as a Leader in Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection & Prevention, KYU for the Fourth Year
NEW YORK, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has been recognized as a leader in the Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection and Prevention, Know Your User (KYU) for the fourth year, signaling its continued market leadership and product innovation. According to Deepali Sathe, Senior Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, "Forter incorporates evolving fraud trends into its product development strategy, helping companies improve profitability and move beyond a transaction-based approach to a more holistic consumer approach." Since its founding in 2013 – when Forter disrupted the market with its AI-powered fraud management solution – the company has expanded its platform to address the entire digital commerce journey, processing over $2 trillion in transactions and protecting 1.8 billion shoppers. Its fully automated solutions protect every digital interaction, including account protection, fraud management, payment optimization, chargeback recovery and abuse prevention. Together, they form Forter's Trust Platform which delivers identity intelligence to help businesses optimize conversions, grow customer lifetime value, reduce loss and accelerate growth. "Forter's investment in research and development translates into growing its offerings to address challenges across the customer journey. Its identity intelligence empowers risk and digital teams to understand the identity behind every transaction and proactively counter sophisticated fraud attempts," according to Sathe. The company's product innovation, including its recent spring product release, helps businesses grow revenue, deliver a seamless customer experience and scale their operations. Forter also continues to expand its partner ecosystem, receiving exclusive partner status with AWS, Shopify and Salesforce – accelerating growth and extending its global reach to serve the world's leading brands. "Over a decade ago, Forter pushed the industry forward by taking an identity-focused approach and introducing AI to deliver automated risk decisions. Since then, we've built the largest first-party dataset and expanded our use of AI to drive revenue uplift and customer lifetime value for the world's biggest brands," said Cyndy Lobb, chief product officer, Forter. "Four years of leadership recognition from Frost & Sullivan is a testament to the strength of our platform, our unwavering commitment to customers and the growth of our business." To read the full Frost & Sullivan Radar Report for Fraud Detection and Prevention (KYU), visit About ForterForter is the Trust Platform for digital commerce. We make accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey. Our ability to isolate fraud and protect consumers is why Adobe, ASOS, eBay, Instacart, Priceline, Nordstrom, and many more leaders across industries have trusted us to process more than $2 trillion in transactions. Our deep understanding of identity and use of automation helps businesses prevent fraud, maximize revenue and deliver superior experiences for their consumers. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Forter Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Do retailers make it too easy to return items? Why shoppers love lenient policies.
Returns of items are both a fact of life for retailers but also a difficult balance to maintain as they try to keep customers happy while not losing money. For consumers, lenient return policies play a big role in where they choose to buy. But then there is also the dark side of returns, with criminal rings set up to take advantage of those lenient return policies. Returns cost retailers a lot of money: total returns were expected to top $890 billion in 2024, according to a December 2024 report by the National Retail Federation. Retailers estimated that 16.9% of their annual sales in 2024 would be returned. But shoppers also say return policies impact where they shop: 67% of shoppers said a negative return experience would impact whether they would go back to that retailer. In a survey by Forter of 4,000 shoppers in both the United States and the United Kingdom, 68% said they believe retailers make it easy to abuse flexible return policies. In fact, 49% admitted to abusing policies in the last year. Another 29% said they use the policies to avoid paying full price. Thirty percent said they use and return expensive wardrobe items they otherwise couldn't afford and that number spikes to nearly half or 46% for younger consumers. More than half, or 58% also said they open multiple online accounts to take advantage of promotions. Retailers have to navigate how to please customers while not losing money on returns, said Doriel Abrahams, principal technologist for Forter, a software company that helps digital commerce brands block fraud. "Clamping down too hard on policies to curb abuse could turn away good customers," Abrahams said, adding that nearly 1 in 5 consumers in the survey said they've stopped shopping with a brand that initiated more strict return policies. "Ultimately, blanket policies – whether that's charging for all returns or having zero restrictions – are bad for business. The goal is to block abuse, not loyal customers, "Abrahams said. Lauren Beitelspacher, a professor in the marketing division of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts whose research includes return policies, said she was not surprised that shoppers abuse return policies, but she was surprised that a significant number admitted to it. The numbers are probably even higher than the 49% of people who admitted to taking advantage of lenient policies in the survey, she said. "Returns have always been a problem, but since the pandemic, it's been really bad," said Beitelspacher. Return policies got very generous during the Covid-19 pandemic when shoppers couldn't go to physical stores and online e-commerce began to explode, said Beitelspacher. But with online e-commerce, comes the lack of being able to feel an item or try it on. "So in order for retailers to minimize the consumers' risk they offer that free returns and free shipping and people just went nuts and took advantage of it," she said. Some retailers started quietly dialing back their return policies or charging for return shipping or restocking fees during the holiday season of 2023, but they didn't make a big deal of it so as not to alienate their customers, said Beitelspacher. "Returns are a big cost for online retailers although, arguably, they are part of the price of doing business in the ecommerce space. The problem is that the consumer rarely covers the full cost of returns, so it harms the bottom line," said Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at the research and analytics firm GlobalData. Tighter policies around returns, such as making the consumer pay, helps offset some of the cost but it also deters customers and can harm sales, so there is a balance to be struck, he said. Social media is full of videos of moms who brag that they have taken a years' worth of used kid clothes from the Target Cat & Jack brand back to Target for a refund or exchange for new clothes. But some shoppers say it is up to the Target store manager's discretion. Are the shoppers who are getting refunds or exchanges smart consumers or taking advantage of a lenient Target policy? Target customers can return the Cat & Jack items or any Target branded item for up to a year with the receipt or proof of purchase in the Target app, a Target spokesperson confirmed. This guarantee is in place because of the confidence the retailer has in the quality of what it is offering when guests shop Target's owned brands, the spokesperson said. Some retailers don't even want the returned product back. An Amazon spokesperson said customers are allowed to receive refunds without returning some products as a convenience to customers. That is allowed on a very small number of returns and helps keep prices low for customers, the spokesperson said. Some shoppers have shared on social media that Walmart in some cases also allows consumers to return an item and keep it. The retailer would not specifically address that claim when asked, pointing to its return policy, which does not have any details about keeping a returned item. A Walmart spokesperson added that she didn't have anything to add on its return policy, but pointed to the retailer's return policy, which says on most items shoppers have 90 days to return. However, in an online guide for its Marketplace or online site, which includes sales from third-party sellers, Walmart offers tips on how those resellers can implement a "keep it rule," allowing customers to keep the returned item. Love 'em or hate 'em?: What's in store for the future of self checkouts? How retailers are pulling back. Beitelspacher, the marketing professor, said retailers will allow customers to return an item on the theory that "the delight that you might feel might make you more of a lifetime customer." The cost of that item to gain the lifetime customer would be more than the cost of absorbing the cost for you to ship the item back, she said. But Beitelspacher also pointed out that Amazon's lenient return policies, while it may help shoppers have better feelings about Amazon, can hurt the many third-party sellers on the platform, who are actually taking the return hit. There's a big difference between a shopper who takes advantage of a retailer's lenient return policy and criminals making a business of bilking retailers through returns – and consumers who participate. Some shoppers purposely buy an item and "wardrobe" it, or wear it with the tags on and then return it, which is arguably gaming the system, said Eyal Elazar, head of market intelligence at Riskified, a company that helps e-commerce companies detect and prevent bad behavior. But criminal rings also exist to defraud retailers and some consumers are participating in this fraud, he said. Real shoppers are using cyber criminals to handle the return process for them, but with a twist, said Elazar. The criminals scam the retailers using methods such as disappearing ink on return labels, which shows proof that some package was scanned in and on its way back to the retailer. When that package doesn't arrive, the criminal can put pressure on the retailer to still give the refund. The customer gets to keep the item and some of the refund while the criminal also gets a cut, he said. The criminals love this method since they don't have to put out any investment to buy stolen credit cards or stolen inventory and are still earning money from the fraudulent returns, Elazar said. This new return fraud really ramped up after the Covid-19 pandemic when people stopped needing to sign for deliveries and when retailers were trying to figure out ways to make consumers happy with the increase in e-commerce and returns, he said. Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Don't like an item? Why shoppers love lenient return policies Sign in to access your portfolio
