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Framework for Effective Fraud Risk Management

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Tookitaki
04 Jan 2021
5 min
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Fraud Risk Management

Fraud and misconduct can seriously undermine and expose an organization to legal, regulatory, or reputational damage. This is why institutes work to ensure that they have an effective approach to mitigating these risks. This is especially important to them, as they are part of an environment that is always under intense scrutiny and rising enforcement. Fraud risk management has been attracting mainstream attention: various stakeholders have now begun to understand the negative effects of uncontained risk. In Deloitte’s 2012 report on ‘The Internal Audit Fraud Challenge’, 58% of respondents stated that the new regulatory environment led them to have an increased focus on fraud risk management, which is a positive sign. Keeping a strong anti-fraud stance, along with a comprehensive approach to combating fraud, has now become a prerequisite. As such, any institute that fails to protect itself in the required manner could face increased vulnerability to fraud.

For firms to have an effective fraud risk management approach, they need to encompass controls that have three key objectives:

  • The first is to prevent instances of fraud from occurring in the first place.
  • The second is to detect instances of fraud and misconduct when they occur.
  • The third is to respond appropriately, and take necessary action when integrity breakdowns arise.

Fraud Risk Assessment 

What steps should an employee take when they suspect fraud or unethical behavior? Firstly, they need to keep detailed and precise records of all the events that took place, starting from what they were asked to do, who asked them to do it, and what the employee did in return. All these records are easy to locate, along with clear evidence of the occurrence: date, time, and the individual who wrote it. Secondly, the employee needs to report their concerns through an independent, anonymous hotline, or to a board member in the financial institute. A lot of the time, the whistleblowers are provided with meaningful protection from reprisal and are even eligible to avail a financial reward. This is due to the useful information they provide to law enforcement.

Apart from the fraud risk assessment, what can be done to prevent fraud in the initial stage, before it takes place? Here is a five-stage fraud risk management framework:

  1. Identify the fraud risk appetite: There needs to be a written statement designed by the firm and converted into a risk-tolerance limit. This risk-tolerance limit is of a quantifiable amount, which is the maximum that the financial institution is willing to lose. It is also a translation of the fraud risk appetite statement put into a number/digit. In order to determine the amount, various factors are considered, such as the previous history and the institute’s appetite and attitude.
  2. Ensuring that the institute’s culture and structure are conducive and open to fraud risk management. The firm must create a structure with a dedicated entity, along with a department or individual, which can lead all activities related to fraud risk assessment.
  3. Planning regular fraud risk assessment and assessing the risks to determine a fraud risk profile.
  4. Designing and implementing a fraud hotline, or a reporting system. Along with managing the hotline, firms need to determine risk responses. They further need to document an anti-fraud strategy based on their fraud risk profile and form a plan, outlining how they will respond to an identified instance of fraud. The firms should regularly engage with stakeholders, alongside any updates.
  5. Keep risk-based monitoring and assess all the components of the fraud risk management framework. Firms should focus on measuring their outcomes, then communicate the results.

Fraud risk management framework: Fraud is a risk to institutions, both internally and externally. Indeed, fraud can be seen as a symptom of a firm’s culture and requires the highest sense of surveillance, to ensure that it does not become endemic.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) Fraud Risk Management Framework 

To help the managers of federal programs combat fraud and preserve integrity in agencies and enforcements, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified the best practices to manage fraud risks. They have organized them into a conceptual framework called the GAO Fraud Risk Management Framework (the Framework). This Framework entails control activities that help to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud, along with an emphasis on prevention. Alongside this, they focus on the structures and environmental factors that influence or help the managers achieve their objective to mitigate fraud risks. GAO Fraud Risk Management Framework also highlights the importance of monitoring and incorporating feedback, which is an ongoing practice that applies to the following four components described below:

  • The first is to commit to combating fraud. This is achieved by creating an organizational culture, as well as a structure that is conducive to fraud risk management:
    • It would mean a demonstration at a senior-level commitment to combat fraud, involving all levels of the program to set an anti-fraud tone.
    • To designate an entity within the program office, which will lead the fraud risk management activities.
    • To ensure the entity has defined responsibilities, along with the necessary authority to serve their role.
  • The second is to plan regular fraud risk assessment and assess the risks that determine a fraud risk profile:
    • This implies to tailor the fraud risk assessment according to the program, with involvement from the relevant stakeholders.
    • To assess the possibility and impact of fraud risks and to determine the risk tolerance.
    • To examine the appropriateness of the controls that already exist, make the residual risks a priority, and document the fraud risk profile.
  • The third is to design and implement a strategy with specific control activities to mitigate the assessed fraud risks, then collaborate, which can help ensure effective implementation:
    • This means to develop, document, and communicate an anti-fraud strategy, focusing on preventive control activities.
    • To take in the benefits and costs of controls. To prevent and detect potential fraud, as well as to develop a plan for fraud response.
    • To establish collaborative relationships with the stakeholders and to create incentives that will help to ensure the effective implementation of the anti-fraud strategy.
  • The fourth is to evaluate the results using a risk-based approach and adapt the activities to improve fraud risk management: 
    • This includes conducting risk-based monitoring. Also, to evaluate the fraud risk management activities by focusing on the measurement of the outcome.
    • To collect and analyze the data from reporting mechanisms, as well as the instances of detected fraud for the real-time monitoring of fraud trends.
    • To use these results of monitoring, evaluations, and investigations for improvement of fraud prevention, detection, and response.

Importance of the Framework of Government

The risk of fraud can impact the integrity of federal programs, which can, in turn, diminish the public’s trust in the government. The managers of federal programs need to maintain their primary responsibility: namely, to enhance the program’s integrity. The legislation, with guidance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the new internal control standards, has increased its focus on the need for program managers to take a strategic approach to manage improper payments and risks, which also includes fraud. Furthermore, based on prior reviews, GAO highlights the opportunities for federal managers to take a further step: a more strategic, risk-based approach to manage fraud risks and develop effective anti-fraud controls. The driven fraud risk management is meant to facilitate a program's mission, as well as its strategic goals, by ensuring that the government services serve their intended purposes. The program’s objective is to identify the leading practices and to conceptualize them into a risk-based framework that can help the program managers to manage fraud risks.

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Blogs
22 Aug 2025
4 min
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Stopping Fraud in Its Tracks: Transaction Fraud Prevention in Taiwan’s Digital Age

Fraud moves fast and in Taiwan’s digital-first economy, transaction fraud prevention has become the frontline of trust.

With payment volumes soaring across e-wallets, online banking, and instant transfers, the fight against fraud is no longer about catching criminals after the fact. It’s about detecting and stopping them in real time. Advanced platforms such as Tookitaki’s FinCense are redefining how financial institutions in Taiwan and beyond approach this challenge — blending AI, collaboration, and regulatory alignment to build smarter defences.

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Taiwan’s Digital Finance Boom and the Fraud Challenge

Taiwan has become one of Asia’s leaders in digital payments, with e-wallet adoption rising sharply and cross-border transactions powering e-commerce. But speed and convenience come with vulnerabilities:

  • Account Takeover (ATO): Fraudsters gain access to accounts via phishing or malware.
  • Money Mules: Recruited individuals move illicit funds through small-value transactions.
  • Synthetic Identities: Fake profiles slip past onboarding checks to exploit payment rails.

Regulators such as the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) have ramped up requirements, urging banks and payment firms to adopt risk-based monitoring. But compliance alone isn’t enough — prevention requires smarter tools and adaptive intelligence, the kind being pioneered by Tookitaki’s AI-powered compliance platform.

What Is Transaction Fraud Prevention?

At its core, transaction fraud prevention means identifying, analysing, and blocking suspicious payments before they can be completed. Unlike post-event investigations, prevention focuses on:

  1. Real-Time Detection – Flagging anomalies instantly.
  2. Behavioural Analytics – Profiling normal user patterns to spot deviations.
  3. Risk Scoring – Assigning risk levels to every transaction.
  4. Adaptive Learning – Using AI to refine rules as fraud evolves.

For Taiwan, where instant payments via the Financial Information Service Co. (FISC) platform are mainstream, real-time fraud prevention is a necessity. Platforms like FinCense help banks achieve this by combining speed with precision.

Key Fraud Risks in Taiwan

1. Account Takeover via Phishing

Taiwanese banks report rising cases of SMS phishing (“smishing”), where fraudsters impersonate institutions. Once accounts are breached, rapid fund transfers are executed before victims react.

2. Online Investment Scams

Cross-border scam syndicates target Taiwanese consumers with fraudulent investment schemes, funnelling proceeds through mule networks.

3. Social Engineering

“Pig butchering” scams, romance fraud, and fake job offers have become prominent, with victims manipulated into initiating fraudulent transfers themselves.

4. Merchant Fraud

E-commerce sellers set up fake storefronts, collect payments, and disappear, leaving banks to handle disputes and reputational risks.

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Strategies for Effective Transaction Fraud Prevention

Real-Time Monitoring

Fraud can unfold in seconds. Systems must analyse every transaction as it occurs, applying machine learning to flag suspicious transfers instantly. Tookitaki’s FinCense does this by ingesting real-time data streams and applying dynamic thresholds that adapt as fraud tactics change.

AI-Driven Risk Modelling

Instead of static rules, AI models learn from both fraud attempts and genuine behaviour. For example, FinCense leverages federated learning from a global network of institutions, enabling it to detect anomalies like unusual device fingerprints or abnormal transaction velocity — even when fraudsters attempt never-before-seen tactics.

Cross-Institution Collaboration

Fraudsters rarely confine themselves to one bank. Taiwan’s industry can strengthen defences by sharing red flags across institutions. Through the AFC Ecosystem, Tookitaki empowers banks and fintechs to access shared typologies and indicators, helping the industry act collectively against emerging fraud schemes.

Regulatory Alignment

The FSC requires strict fraud monitoring standards. Tookitaki’s compliance solutions are designed with explainable AI and governance frameworks, aligning directly with regulatory expectations while maintaining operational efficiency.

Customer Awareness

Technology alone isn’t enough. Banks should run consumer education campaigns to help customers spot phishing attempts and suspicious investment offers. FinCense complements this by reducing false positives, ensuring customers are not unnecessarily disrupted while genuine fraud attempts are intercepted.

Transaction Fraud Prevention in Practice

Case Example:

A Taiwanese bank detected an unusual pattern where multiple accounts began transferring small sums to the same overseas merchant. Using behavioural analytics powered by AI, the system flagged it as mule activity. Within minutes, the institution froze accounts, reported to the FSC, and prevented further losses.

Solutions like FinCense allow this type of proactive monitoring at scale, reducing detection lag and limiting potential reputational damage.

How Technology Is Raising the Bar

Transaction fraud prevention is no longer just about blacklists or simple thresholds. Cutting-edge solutions now combine:

  • Machine Learning Models trained on fraud typologies
  • Federated Intelligence Sharing across institutions to learn from global red flags
  • Explainable AI (XAI) to ensure transparency in decisions
  • Automated Investigation Tools to reduce false positives and improve efficiency

Tookitaki’s FinCense unites these capabilities into a single compliance platform — enabling financial institutions in Taiwan to monitor transactions in real time, adapt to evolving risks, and demonstrate clear accountability to regulators.

Why Transaction Fraud Prevention Matters for Taiwan’s Reputation

Taiwan’s financial system is a trusted hub in Asia. Yet with global watchdogs like FATF scrutinising AML/CFT effectiveness, a weak approach to fraud prevention could tarnish the country’s standing.

Robust prevention not only protects banks and customers — it safeguards Taiwan’s role as a secure, innovation-driven financial market. Tookitaki’s role as the “Trust Layer to fight financial crime” helps institutions balance growth and security, ensuring trust remains central to Taiwan’s digital finance journey.

Conclusion: Building Smarter Defences for Tomorrow

Fraudsters are fast, but Taiwan’s financial industry can be faster. By investing in transaction fraud prevention powered by AI, data collaboration, and regulatory alignment, banks and payment firms can build a financial system rooted in trust.

With advanced platforms like Tookitaki’s FinCense, institutions can move beyond reactive defence and adopt proactive, intelligent, and collective prevention strategies. Taiwan now has the opportunity to set the benchmark for Asia — proving that convenience and security can go hand in hand.

Stopping Fraud in Its Tracks: Transaction Fraud Prevention in Taiwan’s Digital Age
Blogs
22 Aug 2025
5 min
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Chasing Zero Fraud: Finding the Best Anti-Fraud Solution for Australia

Fraudsters are getting smarter — but the best anti-fraud solutions are evolving even faster.

Fraud in Australia is no longer just about stolen credit cards or phishing emails. Today, fraudsters use AI deepfakes, synthetic identities, and mule networks to move billions through legitimate institutions. Scamwatch reports that Australians lost over AUD 3 billion in 2024, and regulators are tightening expectations. In this climate, choosing the best anti-fraud solution isn’t just an IT decision — it’s a strategic imperative.

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Why Fraud Prevention Has Become Business-Critical in Australia

1. Instant Payment Risks

The New Payments Platform (NPP) has made payments faster, but it also allows criminals to launder money in seconds.

2. Social Engineering & Scam Surge

Romance scams, impersonation fraud, and investment scams are rising sharply. Many involve victims authorising payments themselves — a challenge for traditional detection systems.

3. Regulatory Pressure

AUSTRAC and ASIC expect financial institutions to adopt proactive fraud prevention. Weak controls can lead to fines, reputational loss, and customer churn.

4. Consumer Trust

Australians expect safe, frictionless digital experiences. A single fraud incident can erode customer loyalty.

What Defines the Best Anti-Fraud Solution?

1. Real-Time Fraud Detection

The solution must monitor and analyse transactions instantly, with no batch delays.

  • Velocity monitoring
  • Device and IP fingerprinting
  • Behavioural biometrics
  • Pattern recognition

2. AI and Machine Learning

The best anti-fraud systems use AI to adapt to new typologies:

  • Spot anomalies that rules miss
  • Reduce false positives
  • Continuously improve detection accuracy

3. Multi-Channel Protection

Covers fraud across:

  • Bank transfers
  • Card payments
  • E-wallets and digital wallets
  • Remittances and cross-border corridors
  • Crypto exchanges

4. End-to-End Case Management

Integrated workflows that allow fraud teams to investigate, resolve, and report within the same system.

5. Regulatory Alignment

Supports AUSTRAC compliance with audit trails, suspicious matter reporting, and explainability.

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Use Cases for Anti-Fraud Solutions in Australia

  • Account Takeover (ATO): Detects unusual login + transfer behaviour.
  • Payroll Fraud: Flags sudden beneficiary changes in salary disbursement files.
  • Romance & Investment Scams: Detects unusual transfer chains to new or overseas accounts.
  • Card-Not-Present Fraud: Blocks suspicious e-commerce transactions.
  • Crypto Laundering: Identifies fiat-to-crypto activity linked to high-risk wallets.

Red Flags the Best Anti-Fraud Solution Should Catch

  • Large transfers to newly added beneficiaries
  • Multiple small transactions in rapid succession (smurfing)
  • Login from a new device/IP followed by immediate transfers
  • Customers suddenly transacting with high-risk jurisdictions
  • Beneficiary accounts linked to mule networks

How to Choose the Best Anti-Fraud Solution in Australia

Key questions to ask:

  1. Can it handle real-time detection across all channels?
  2. Does it integrate seamlessly with your AML systems?
  3. Is it powered by adaptive AI that learns from evolving fraud tactics?
  4. How well does it reduce false positives?
  5. Does it meet AUSTRAC’s compliance requirements?
  6. Does it come with local expertise and support?

Spotlight: Tookitaki’s FinCense as the Best Anti-Fraud Solution

Among global offerings, FinCense is recognised as one of the best anti-fraud solutions for Australian institutions.

  • Agentic AI detection for real-time fraud monitoring across banking, payments, and remittances.
  • Federated learning from the AFC Ecosystem, bringing in global crime typologies and real-world scenarios.
  • FinMate AI copilot helps investigators close cases faster with summarised alerts and recommendations.
  • Cross-channel visibility covering transactions from cards to crypto.
  • Regulator-ready transparency with explainable AI and complete audit trails.

FinCense not only detects fraud — it prevents it by continuously learning and adapting to new scam typologies.

Conclusion: Prevention = Protection = Trust

In Australia’s high-speed financial landscape, the best anti-fraud solution is the one that balances real-time detection, adaptive intelligence, and seamless compliance. It’s not just about stopping fraud — it’s about building trust and future-proofing your institution.

Pro tip: Don’t just ask if a solution can detect today’s fraud. Ask if it can evolve with tomorrow’s scams.

Chasing Zero Fraud: Finding the Best Anti-Fraud Solution for Australia
Blogs
21 Aug 2025
5 min
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Malaysia’s Compliance Edge: Why an Industry-Leading AML Solution Is Now Essential

Financial crime is moving faster than ever — and Malaysia needs an AML solution that can move faster still.

The Rising Stakes in Malaysia’s Fight Against Financial Crime

In Malaysia, the financial sector is at a crossroads. With rapid digitalisation, the boom in fintech adoption, and cross-border flows surging, financial crime has found new entry points. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has been firm in its stance: compliance is not optional, and institutions that fail to meet evolving standards face reputational and financial fallout.

At the same time, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated. From money mule networks exploiting young workers and students to investment scams powered by social engineering and deepfakes, Malaysia is seeing threats that transcend borders.

Against this backdrop, the demand is clear: financial institutions need an industry-leading AML solution that not only meets regulatory expectations but also builds consumer trust in a fast-changing market.

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Why “Industry Leading” Is More Than a Buzzword

Every vendor claims to offer the “best” AML software, but in practice, very few solutions rise to the level of being industry leading. In the Malaysian context, where financial institutions must juggle FATF recommendations, BNM guidelines, and ASEAN cross-border risks, the definition of “industry leading” is clear.

An AML solution in Malaysia today must be:

  • AI-driven and adaptive — able to evolve with new money laundering and fraud typologies.
  • Regulator-aligned — transparent, explainable, and in line with AI governance principles.
  • Comprehensive — covering both AML and fraud in real-time, across multiple payment channels.
  • Scalable — capable of supporting banks and fintechs with diverse customer bases and transaction volumes.
  • Collaborative — leveraging intelligence beyond siloed data to detect emerging risks faster.

Anything less leaves financial institutions vulnerable.

The Challenge with Legacy AML Systems

Many Malaysian banks and fintechs still rely on legacy transaction monitoring systems. While these systems may tick the compliance box, they struggle with modern threats. The common pain points include:

  • High false positives — compliance teams are overwhelmed with noise instead of meaningful alerts.
  • Static rule sets — traditional systems cannot keep pace with the speed of criminal innovation.
  • Limited explainability — leaving compliance officers unable to justify decisions to regulators.
  • Fragmentation — siloed systems across AML and fraud prevention create blind spots in detection.

The result? Compliance teams are overstretched, risks are missed, and customer trust is eroded.

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Tookitaki’s FinCense: Malaysia’s Industry-Leading AML Solution

This is where Tookitaki’s FinCense stands apart — not just as another AML system, but as the Trust Layer to fight financial crime.

FinCense is purpose-built to help financial institutions in Malaysia and beyond move from reactive compliance to proactive prevention. Here’s why it leads the industry:

1. Agentic AI Workflows

FinCense harnesses Agentic AI, a next-generation compliance framework where AI agents don’t just analyse data but take proactive actions across the investigation lifecycle. This enables:

  • Automated alert triage
  • Smarter case management
  • Real-time recommendations for compliance officers

The outcome: compliance teams spend less time firefighting and more time making strategic decisions.

2. Federated Learning: Collective Intelligence at Scale

Unlike siloed systems, FinCense taps into a federated learning model through the AFC Ecosystem — a community-driven network of financial institutions, regulators, and compliance experts. This allows Malaysian banks to detect threats that may have first emerged in other ASEAN markets, giving them a head start against syndicates.

3. Explainable, Regulator-Aligned AI

Trust in compliance technology hinges on explainability. FinCense is designed to be fully explainable and auditable, aligned with frameworks like Singapore’s AI Verify. For Malaysian banks, this ensures regulators can clearly understand the basis for alerts, reducing friction and enhancing oversight.

4. End-to-End Coverage: AML + Fraud

FinCense goes beyond AML, offering integrated coverage across:

  • Transaction monitoring
  • Name screening
  • Fraud detection
  • Smart disposition and narration tools for investigations

This eliminates the need for multiple systems and ensures compliance teams have a single view of risk.

5. ASEAN Market Fit

FinCense is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Its scenarios and typologies are tailored to the realities of ASEAN markets, including Malaysia’s unique mix of cross-border remittances, e-wallet adoption, and high cash usage. This localisation ensures higher detection accuracy and relevance.

What This Means for Malaysian Banks and Fintechs

Adopting an industry-leading AML solution like FinCense translates to tangible benefits:

  • Reduced Compliance Costs — through automation and lower false positives.
  • Faster, More Accurate Detection — stopping illicit funds before they can be layered or withdrawn.
  • Regulatory Confidence — meeting BNM and FATF expectations with explainable, auditable AI.
  • Stronger Customer Trust — safeguarding against scams and building confidence in digital finance.

With Malaysia pushing to strengthen its financial system and attract international investment, trust is the new currency. A compliance framework that prevents financial crime effectively is no longer optional — it is foundational.

The Road Ahead: Building Malaysia’s Trust Layer

Financial crime is only going to get smarter. With the rise of instant payments, deepfake-driven scams, and cross-border mule networks, Malaysia’s financial sector needs a solution that evolves just as quickly.

Tookitaki’s FinCense is more than software — it is the Trust Layer that empowers banks and fintechs to detect risks early, protect customers, and stay a step ahead of regulators and criminals alike.

For Malaysian financial institutions, the choice is clear: staying competitive in the region means adopting an industry-leading AML solution that can deliver speed, precision, and transparency at scale.

Malaysia’s Compliance Edge: Why an Industry-Leading AML Solution Is Now Essential