As the Golden Week shopping season approaches, specific product categories like cosmetics, health supplements, and fan merchandise are prime targets for fraudulent purchases and resale activities. With enticing offers such as first-time buyer discounts and limited-time releases, the risk of unscrupulous practices escalates. Spider Labs, based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has developed a tool known as Spider AF which has successfully identified more than 410,000 fraudulent orders in the previous year alone. This surge in deceptive practices has compelled Spider Labs to advocate for stronger pre-shipment fraud prevention measures.
Rising Threat of Resale Fraud
During mid-April each year, leading up to Golden Week, businesses in industries such as cosmetics, apparel, and collectibles experience a peak in sales activity. However, increased consumer excitement has also led to a surge in 'resellers' eager to capitalize on initial discounts and exclusive offers. On social media platforms, users often voice their frustrations, noting that items sell out in mere seconds or are being resold at staggering markups, sometimes ten times the original price. These incidents not only foster dissatisfaction among consumers but also erode trust in brands, making it imperative for companies to ensure that legitimate customers receive their products.
Technical Advances in Resale Fraud Techniques
Analysis from Spider Labs highlights that today's fraudulent purchasing methods are increasingly sophisticated, moving beyond simple manual tactics. The following advanced strategies have been identified:
- - Bot-driven mass accesses for split-second purchasing
- - VPNs and proxy servers used to mask geographical locations
- - Cookie deletion and multi-device techniques to create numerous accounts
Such tactics camouflaged these activities, making it difficult to detect through standard IP restrictions or manual oversight, often only recognized after resale activities have occurred.
Monitoring Fraudulent Orders
In examining over 6.8 million orders from January 1 to December 31, 2024, Spider AF determined that around 415,392 orders, approximately six percent of total transactions, were fraudulent. The findings reflect an alarming trend, averaging about 1,135 fraudulent orders per day, emphasizing the ongoing prevalence of these illicit activities. Many use complex methods that blend seamlessly with genuine user behavior, making detection through conventional efforts challenging.
The Importance of Pre-shipment Security
Resale fraud poses a significant threat to brand integrity, potentially leading to consumer disengagement and negative publicity on social media. While it is becoming standard for e-commerce firms to address post-purchase resale issues, the most effective strategy involves pre-shipment fraud checks. In this arena, Spider Labs endeavors to visualize these often-overlooked fraudulent activities, facilitating their elimination prior to product dispatch. Notably, they conduct free assessments to help identify trends in fraudulent access.
Real-time Fraud Detection Pre-shipment
Spider AF provides real-time monitoring of questionable behaviors associated with orders, preventing previously undetectable fraudulent transactions. This proactive approach enables timely interventions before shipment, significantly mitigating resale risks for companies. Certain shopping cart systems and chatbot functionalities can now block suspicious requests at the point of sale, thereby protecting the customer experience and brand reputation. Industries from cosmetics to toys are increasingly adopting this technology.
Case Study: Successful Implementation
A notable case involves an e-commerce company that implemented Spider AF, allowing them to tackle previously undetected 'list-based reselling'. By acting on fraud detection data, they managed to reduce fraudulent orders significantly—down to a third of their peak levels. This outcome underlines the effectiveness of the 'detect before shipment' strategy.
About Spider AF
Spider AF is designed to detect abnormal user behaviors through a multifaceted approach, addressing the evolving landscape of fraudulent activities. Its seamless implementation ensures that genuine consumers' shopping experiences remain untainted while swiftly adapting to threats. Features include the detection of bots, VPN usage, abnormal traffic patterns, and real-time monitoring during key purchasing processes.
Conclusion
At Spider Labs, our mission is clear: ‘Building a safer and happier future through automation.’ We continuously strive to combat online fraud, positioning ourselves as the leading anti-fraud company. With our flagship product, Spider AF, which already safeguards over 500 clients, we aim to extend our reach within e-commerce, focusing on diverse sectors where interactions with consumers occur. The underlying goal is to eliminate situations where genuine enthusiasm for a product is undermined by fraudulent purchases. Spider Labs is committed to realizing a future where all legitimate users can access products and experiences without hindrance, leveraging technology's potential to its fullest.
Company Information
- - Name: Spider Labs Inc.
- - Headquarters: 4F, Minami-Aoyama ST Building, 7-10-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- - CEO: Soko Ohtsuki
- - Business: Development and management of the AI fraud prevention tool Spider AF, data science consulting, and solutions for combating resale and affiliate fraud.
- - Established: April 2011
- - Website: Spider AF