Industry News
Digital Fraudsters Increase Attacks Against Multiple Industries During Pandemic; Use COVID-19 Scams to Target Younger Generations
TransUnion quarterly global fraud analysis also examines the types of fraud targeting businesses and where it originates
TransUnion released its quarterly analysis of global online fraud trends finding that the telecommunications, retail and financial services industries have been increasingly impacted. From a consumer perspective, Millennials have been most targeted by fraudsters using COVID-19 scams.
Given the changing economic environment with COVID-19, this quarter TransUnion analyzed fraud trends through April 28 to ensure the impacts following the March 11 World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic declaration were included in the analysis
Overall, TransUnion found the percent of suspected fraudulent digital transactions rose 5% from March 11 to April 28 when compared to Jan. 1 to March 10, 2020. TransUnion identified more than 100 million risky transactions from March 11 to April 28.
“Given the billions of people globally that have been forced to stay at home, industries have been disrupted in a way not seen on this massive of a scale for generations,” said Shai Cohen, senior vice president of Global Fraud & Identity Solutions at TransUnion.
“Now that many transactions have shifted online, fraudsters have tried to take advantage and companies must adapt. Businesses that come out on top will be those leveraging fraud prevention tools that provide great detection rates and friction-right experiences for consumers.”
Examining Fraud Types and Their Impact on Industries
TransUnion analyzed the below industries for a change in the percent of suspected fraud against them, comparing Jan. 1 to March 10 and March 11 to April 28.
Suspected Fraud Post Pandemic Declaration
| Industry | Suspected fraud increase | Top type of fraud | Top country for suspected fraud origination |
| Telecommunications | 76% | Credit card | Timor-Leste |
| E-Commerce | 12% | Promotion abuse | Indonesia |
| Financial Services | 11% | Identity theft | Syria |
| Gambling | -1% | Promotion abuse | Sri Lanka |
| Public Sector | -1% | Account takeover | Nigeria |
| Insurance | -3% | Ghost broking | Pakistan |
| Logistics | -7% | Shipping | Philippines |
| Communities | -11% | Phishing | Ivory Coast |
| Travel & Leisure | -38% | Credit card | Haiti |
| Healthcare | -40% | Identity theft | Finland |
| Gaming | -43% | Gold farming | Myanmar |
“Our data shows that as social distancing changes shopping patterns, fraudsters have taken notice and targeted the more digital forward industries while following the money,” said Melissa Gaddis, senior director of customer success for TransUnion Global Fraud & Identity Solutions. “For instance, although we found online gaming increased 64% as people stay home, it isn’t immediately lucrative to target those companies since financial information isn’t generally shared there. However telecommunications, e-commerce and financial services all have large digital adoption, financial information and payments at the center of their online experience, and fared relatively well compared to other industries during the pandemic.”
Globally across industries, TransUnion found the countries with the highest percent of risky transactions were: 1) Yemen, 2) Syria and 3) Kazakhstan. In the U.S. overall, TransUnion found the cities with the highest percent of risky transactions were: 1) Springfield, Mass., Akron, Ohio and Louisville, Ky.
Consumers Targeted By COVID-19 Schemes
To better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on consumers, TransUnion surveyed 9,215 adults in the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, South Africa and the U.K. during the week of April 13. Nearly three out of 10 respondents (29%) said they had been targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19, with Millennials (those persons between the ages 26-40) being the most targeted at 34%.
Furthermore, TransUnion found that consumers who said their household income is being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are more likely to experience digital fraud with 32% reporting being targeted by online COVID-19 scams compared to 22% of people not financially impacted.
“A common assumption is that fraudsters target older generations who are perceived to be less digitally capable,” said Gaddis.”Our data showed the opposite with younger generations, Millennials and Gen Z (those born in or after 1995), being the most targeted. Adding insult to injury, our survey found Millennials are being financially challenged the most during the pandemic.”
Methodology
For its transactional data, TransUnion analyzed the billions of online transactions its flagship fraud and identity solution, TransUnion IDVision® with iovation®, assessed for fraud indicators for more than 40,000 websites and apps. It compared the percent of suspected fraudulent transactions it saw from Jan. 1 to March 10, 2020 to those from March 11 to April 28, 2020.
For a hub of relevant educational resources aimed to help fight fraud during this time, go to the TransUnion Global Fraud & Identity Solutions COVID-19 resource center.
About TransUnion:
TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.®
TransUnion Global Fraud & Identity Solutions unite both consumer and device identities to detect threats across markets while ensuring friction-right user experiences. The solutions, all part of the IDVision with iovation suite, fuse traditional data science with machine learning to provide businesses unique insights about consumer transactions, safeguarding tens of millions of transactions each day.
A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.
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Carsten Koerl Founder and CEO of Sportradar
Sportradar Introduces Playradar, Delivering Sports-Data-Backed Casino Content to Operators Around the Globe
New brand to link sportsbook and casino experiences via exclusive hybrid content.
Sportradar Group AG, a prominent worldwide sports technology firm that develops engaging experiences for sports enthusiasts and bettors, today unveiled Playradar, a specialized brand providing a comprehensive ecosystem of interconnected gaming experiences for international operators. This signifies the subsequent phase in the development of Sportradar’s iGaming operations.
Sportradar has recently appointed Edo Haitin, the former CEO of Playtech Live, to head its iGaming division as part of this expansion. Haitin offers over 20 years of experience in iGaming operations, live casino development, and executive leadership, contributing senior-level knowledge to enhance Sportradar’s iGaming expansion.
Playradar will leverage Sportradar’s live and historical sports data and AV streams, combined with casino games, to create unique, proprietary, hybrid products featuring:
- Live 24/7 Experience Centre – players will be offered a game and a live stream to watch simultaneously on the same screen, blending sports viewing and gaming for pure engagement or betting real money. This creates a community and opportunities for players to interact in real-time, sharing tips, game preferences and reactions.
- Live & Historical Streaming Sports/Casino Hybrid Content – transforming real sporting moments into interactive event driven gameplay by blending live and historical sports streaming with casino mechanics to create innovative hybrid gaming experiences. A live prediction product will also be powered by Sportradar’s live data.
- Premium iGaming Content – virtual sports and a full suite of casino games, from slots and table games to arcade and crash, developed to the highest standards for a positive player experience.
Sportradar is exceptionally poised to expand its iGaming operations by leveraging its current game studio, sports data knowledge, streaming abilities, and worldwide distribution network. The marketing, acquisition, and retention technologies of the company utilize profound understanding of player behavior across both betting and iGaming sectors, strengthening Sportradar’s connections with sportsbook and casino operators globally. Since most of Sportradar’s clients already function in both areas, iGaming serves as an organic pathway to foster sustained monetization and lifetime value in conjunction with betting.
Playradar will function solely in regulated markets, incorporating responsible gaming and integrity into each product it offers. Game launches are planned for 2026, starting in the UK, North America, and Latin America. The complete product lineup will include classic table games, arcade games, slots, and virtual sports.
Carsten Koerl, Founder and CEO of Sportradar, said: “iGaming represents a natural and scalable extension of our business, and a strategic acceleration of our long-term growth roadmap. Playradar content is designed to provide optimized cross-sell between the worlds of sport and casinos, helping operators to increase player value and session length at a time when engagement and retention are key to operational sustainability. In Edo, we have an experienced and proven industry leader to drive the business forward, with the support of a passionate and dedicated team.”
Edo Haitin, EVP of iGaming added: “By combining our unrivalled experience in sports data and live streaming, along with a proven track record of product development, we aim to create hybrid content and gaming experiences to capitalize on the rising popularity of sports casino consumption. We’re uniquely positioned to seamlessly blend live and historical sports events, innovative gaming mechanics, and casino content and have the advantage of being able to distribute games to an already licensed portfolio of operators. I’m incredibly excited to be further strengthening our iGaming business through Playradar and to grow it into a leader in iGaming content, leveraging Sportradar’s existing resources and the highly experienced and skilled team already in place.”
The post Sportradar Introduces Playradar, Delivering Sports-Data-Backed Casino Content to Operators Around the Globe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Table Trac Inc. (TBTC) has received patent-pending status from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its proprietary AI-driven Table Games Manager / Manager Trainer. The system leverages machine learning trained on decades of table games transactional data and pit player data to create distinct player personas designed to challenge both human pit managers and artificial intelligence systems.
The solution is delivered through a realistic gaming floor simulation environment, allowing the generation of a simulated gaming floor to be configured. Each training session utilizes a randomized mix of the player personas, creating a continually changing set of scenarios that never repeat. This approach enables trainees to compete head-to-head against the AI, optimize floor decisions to improve yield, and better understand the factors driving each decision.
While initially developed for table games management and training, the underlying artificial intelligence, simulation, and decision support framework has broader applicability across the CasinoTrac platform. Management is exploring additional use cases for this technology across the Company’s suite of casino management solutions, reinforcing CasinoTrac’s long-term product roadmap and innovation strategy.
The post Table Trac Introduces Patent-Pending Artificial Intelligence Technology for Table Games appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
GR8 Tech is implementing a series of platform-wide enhancements designed to help operators maximize performance during the year’s biggest sporting event. With the World Cup expected to drive massive traffic, repeated betting surges, and intense competition for player acquisition, these updates focus on the areas that most directly impact operator results. The improvements aim to help partners convert more traffic, retain more players, and extract greater value throughout the entire tournament journey.
“World Cup traffic by itself does not guarantee better results. What matters is how well operators can turn that attention into acquisition, conversion, retention, and long-term player value,” said Denys Parkhomenko, Chief Product Officer at GR8 Tech. “That is where our focus is right now. We are enhancing the sportsbook experience, expanding engagement and loyalty tools, and advancing our crypto capabilities to help partners make the most of the biggest opportunity of the year.”
Key Areas of Focus
1. Sportsbook
The sportsbook is receiving a comprehensive upgrade, including redesigned navigation for easier event discovery, improved campaign visibility, and enhanced Bet Builder functionality. Additional updates include quick-access, player-specific markets and new Odds Boost features, balancing player appeal with margin control.
2. Engagement and Retention
GR8 Tech is expanding its loyalty and bonus systems with a VIP-focused program, automated bonus mechanics, more flexible bonus selection, and enriched casino and sports-related engagement tools. The update also includes updated tournament settings and the introduction of new game content to enhance player retention.
3. Crypto
The company is strengthening its crypto offering with early-stage player segmentation based on wallet transaction history, more flexible VIP and risk management before first deposit, and smoother wallet-based payments, including ramp payments and direct top-ups via WalletConnect and other wallets.
Across the platform, these updates are designed to help operators capitalize on the World Cup’s peak traffic, delivering measurable improvements at every stage of the player journey. Detailed release notes will follow, highlighting specific product enhancements and the developments shaping GR8 Tech’s World Cup-ready platform.
GR8 Tech – Platform for Champions
GR8 Tech is an award-winning provider of high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. Its portfolio includes Crypto Turnkey and Hyper Turnkey solutions, ULTIM8 Sportsbook, Infinite Casino Aggregation, and the proprietary affiliate management platform Aff.Tech.
With a geo-specific, operator-first approach, GR8 Tech delivers practical innovations that drive measurable results quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, the company has over 100 successful deployments and multiple industry recognitions, including Platform Provider of the Year at the SBC Awards 2025.
The post GR8 Tech Unveils Major Platform Enhancements Ahead of the World Cup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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