Identity theft is the new thriving business, silently victimizing the lenders and challenging the lending industry. The Equifax report data shows that mortgage application volume rose by 9.4%, but mortgage fraud went up by almost 32% in Q4 2022 compared to Q4 2021.  

Synthetic identity theft is one of the fastest growing financial frauds in the US, and fraudsters today use a combination of real and fake personal information to create a new identity and apply for loans, credit cards, or commit other financial crimes. As criminals seek to take advantage of digital processes, they will become more efficient and sophisticated in carrying out financial crimes. In this blog, we'll explore the current state of identity theft, its impact on lenders, and ways through which lenders can prevent themselves from loan fraud.  

Identity Theft’s Impact on Lending

‍

Financial Loss:  Identity theft is a big financial headache for lenders. The numbers don’t lie. In 2022, there were 93,124 fraud reports, resulting in a total loss of $414 million. Identity theft increases the risk of loan defaults, causing several millions in losses for lenders every year.  

Bad reputation among investors:  Identity theft can tarnish a lender's reputation among investors. When lenders are repeatedly targeted by identity theft, investors may lose confidence in their ability and won’t purchase loans from them in the future, fearing the probability of bad loans. This can lead to potential financial consequences for the lending institution.

Regulatory scrutiny and fines: Identity theft also attracts regulatory scrutiny and potential fines. Lenders are responsible for ensuring the security of customer data and complying with relevant data protection regulations. Failure to implement adequate security measures or detect and report identity theft incidents can result in investigations, penalties, and reputational damage.

Increased operational costs: Dealing with identity theft incidents can significantly increase a lender's operational costs. Implementing robust fraud prevention measures and conducting thorough customer verifications increases the costs to the company.

‍

Key Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft  

Robust verification processes: Implement strict identity verification processes very early in the application phase. This includes verifying borrower information by cross-referencing multiple data sources, including bank statements, credit reports, employment details, etc.  

Encryption: Encrypt sensitive customer data during transmission and storage. Use the latest encryption standards to protect data from potential breaches.  

Employee training: An informed team is an essential asset in preventing fraud. Invest in ongoing training for employees so they recognize potential red flags related to identity theft, phishing attempts, and fraudulent documents.  

Regular security audits: Conduct regular security audits and assessments to identify vulnerabilities in your systems and processes. Quickly address any weaknesses to stay ahead of potential threats. Collect and retain only data necessary for legitimate business purposes. Securely dispose of customer data when no longer needed.  

Use state-of-the-art fraud prevention tools: Leverage the power of latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Computer Vision, to look for fraudulent bank statements and applications.  

Customer education: Educate customers about the risk of identity theft and provide advice on how to keep their personal information secure. This includes advice on password security and recognizing phishing attempts.  
 
Incident response plan: Prompt and transparent communication with affected customers is critical.  Develop a robust incident response plan to respond quickly in the event of a data breach.  

Continuous improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve your identity theft prevention measures as cyber threats evolve. Always proactively apply modern technologies and security measures.

Prudent AI’s Robust Fraud Detection Technology  

‍

Prudent AI shields your profits from fraud losses by strengthening your defenses. Prudent AI uses sophisticated pre-trained models to look for inconsistencies and incidents of document tampering in borrower bank statements. Our built-in risk meter looks for various anomalies in borrower bank statements and gives you critical insights to help you make the right lending decision. The best part is, it does all this very early in the application process, saving you time and resources.  

We also run multiple redundancy checks to make sure you’re only notified of critical issues and not false positives. With Prudent AI, our customers were able to analyze borrower bank statements, evaluate borrower income certainty, and scan for fraud risk in under 15 minutes.  

With platforms like Prudent AI, you can effectively eliminate bank statement fraud and streamline your lending process. Stay ahead of the ever-evolving landscape of identity theft and fraud with Prudent AI as your trusted partner.

‍

Ready to see Prudent AI in action? Click here to schedule your demo