What happened
On 22 October, TransUnion reported that 81% of suspected digital fraud in its global H1 2026 data occurred during interactions with existing customers. The figure describes suspected events in the company’s data, rather than a share of all payments or confirmed losses.[1]
For online gambling and betting, TransUnion highlights risks at login and during transactions. For CEOs and CFOs, that raises a practical question: do your checks continue after a customer signs up?
The same account, a different situation
Consider a fictional example. A regular player signs in on a new phone, changes their payout details and immediately requests a withdrawal. Their KYC checks are complete. Their balance covers the payment.
They may have replaced their phone and changed bank accounts. Someone else may have gained access. A new device alone does not establish fraud. The combination of changes deserves attention before money is sent.
An identity check at registration establishes who the customer is. By itself, it does not confirm that the same person issued today’s instruction. The payout question is whether the customer is changing the details and authorizing this payment to this recipient.
Three practical takeaways
1. Look at the sequence
Check whether your team can see a new login, account recovery, changes to contact or payout details, and a withdrawal request together. If those events sit in separate systems, a reviewer may see only the final request. Start with this one scenario and establish what information reaches the decision-maker.
2. Confirm a risky payout
For a suspicious combination of events, require additional confirmation through a previously configured security method. The customer should see the amount and recipient. Unresolved concerns need a reviewer and a clear process. This approach follows OWASP guidance on reauthentication and transaction authorization.[3, 4]
Define the grounds and permitted duration for a delay under your product rules and applicable requirements. Give the customer a clear next step and response time. A review without an owner or deadline becomes a queue of unresolved payouts.
3. Measure the cost of review
The CFO should track confirmed losses from these cases, payout processing time, and the share of reviews that end with a legitimate transaction. That last measure helps reveal unnecessary delays for genuine customers.
Track the workload too: how many cases need manual attention, and who makes the final decision? A higher count of stopped transactions alone does not show that protection has improved.
Where to start
Review a few recent payouts that followed changes to payout details. Walk through them with the payments team: which signals were visible, who authorized the payment, and how long did the customer wait? This will show where an extra check is needed and whether reviewers have enough information.