The Spec Blog
Your source for fraud-fighting news and insights
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WEBINAR | Inside the Mind of an ATO Fraudster: How They Attack and How to Fight Back
Spec CEO & Co-Founder Nate Kharrl and Senior Fraud Strategy Manager Shawn Colpitts, CPFPP step into the shoes of bad actors—walking through exactly how they infiltrate accounts, evade detection, and cash out.
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New Year, New Threats: Key Fraud Trends to Prepare for in 2025
Advances in technology, coupled with new digital touchpoints, are creating both challenges and opportunities for fraudsters. For fraud teams, staying ahead means understanding the trends that will shape the coming year and implementing defenses that can handle these complex threats.
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Fraud Fighting: How to Spot Patterns and Stay Ahead of Attacks
Fraud is always happening—you just can’t always see it. That’s the hard truth I’ve learned after years of chasing fraudsters through payment systems, customer accounts, and even fake reviews. If you’re a fraud fighter, you’ve probably seen it too.
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Holiday Fraud Is Here: What Retailers Can Do Right Now to Stay Ahead
From refund abuse to policy exploitation, fraudsters are working overtime to take advantage of the seasonal surge. The cost-of-living crisis is driving even more opportunistic fraud, with individuals resorting to fraud schemes to fund holiday shopping. As the retail experts pointed out: fraudsters buy Christmas gifts too.
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How Marketplaces Can Combat ATO, Payment Abuse, and Refund Fraud
Online marketplaces are facing an onslaught of increasingly complex fraud schemes. Beyond Account Takeover (ATO) attacks, fraudsters are exploiting vulnerabilities in new ways—through collusion schemes, bot-driven manipulation, payment abuse, and refund fraud.