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New report today reveals a staggering 85% increase in online fraud with over a fifth of all online traffic now an attack

Published

4 years ago

February 8, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In the UK: gaming, online streaming and social media sites, travel and retail/ecommerce companies are the worst hit by fraudsters
Experts also find that the metaverse is already fast becoming a fertile breeding ground for cybercrime and newly defined, ‘Master Fraudsters’

A new report released today, The 2022 State of Fraud and Account Security, is warning UK commerce that it faces its most challenging year ever. Experts from the Arkose Labs Network, an online fraud deterrence platform, analyzed over 150 billion transaction requests across 254 countries and territories in 2021 over 12 months to discover that there has been an 85% increase in login attacks and fake consumer account creation at businesses. Alongside this, it identified that a quarter (one in four) of new online accounts created were fake. A further 21% of all traffic was confirmed as a fraudulent cyber attack.

“From the earliest days of online information to the rapid evolution of today’s metaverses, the internet has come a long way. However, this latest data shows that it is more under attack than ever before,” said Arkose Labs Founder and CEO Kevin Gosschalk.

He continued: “Your digital identity is a currency for fraudsters and wherever there is online commerce, cybercriminals are quick to identify vulnerabilities.”

The new report focused on a number of key themes:

The Worst Attacked Sectors in the UK

The latest research took a deep dive into UK business specifically to understand which sectors were the most attacked by online criminals. The ongoing popularity of online gaming puts it top of the list for fraudsters with almost half (46%) of all the attacks in the UK, as seen by Arkose Labs. Digital media companies (social networks and online streaming platforms) are also high value targets and represent a third of all attacks, seeing an 88% increase since 2020. Across all sectors including ecommerce/retail, travel, gaming, financial services, one in every four new online accounts created were fake throughout 2021.

Metaverse companies are more likely to be targeted by “Master Fraudsters”

The rise of virtual worlds has created new attack opportunities for bad actors. Early insights from the Arkose Labs Network show scams, microtransaction abuse, and unfair play are the top threats in a metaverse world. These companies experienced 80 percent more bot attacks and 40 percent more human attacks than other businesses. “Master Fraudsters” attack their targets by scripting together multiple tools with intense persistence. They combine bots and human fraud farms, and invest large amounts of capital, creating virulent attacks. Top attack patterns Master Frauders use to disrupt fair commerce include microtransaction fraud, spam and scams.

Crypto-fraud sees Asia overtake Russia as the world leading attacking region

In prior years, Russian attacks were more common, but in 2021, attackers from Asia took the top spot, with 40 percent of all attacks coming from this region. One in every two Asian attacks originated from China. Leveraging an ecosystem of tools and low-cost resources, two-thirds of Chinese attacks targeted registration, primarily driven by abusing free trials at cloud computing platforms for crypto mining.

Credential Stuffing attacks see a significant spike

Attacks are more volatile than ever. A single attack can consume nearly 80 percent of traffic at peak periods, and in 2021, credential stuffing spikes hit up to 76 million per week. Attack rates doubled during peak season in November, making it the most dangerous month in 2021. Bots were used almost exclusively in Black November.

The Intelligent Bot

Attackers have continued to invest in increasingly sophisticated bots. Bots mimic human behavior with a high degree of accuracy and in 2021 accounted for 86 percent of all attacks. Today’s bot signatures are three times more complex than signatures of previous years. This level of sophistication makes it more difficult to assess risk and make accurate decisions. Businesses require even more sophisticated analysis to detect anomalies and prevent loss.

Arkose Labs provides support for some of the world’s most recognized brands and platforms, including Honey, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PayPal, Pitney Bowes, Roblox, Venmo, and Zilch, covering industries, including financial services, fintech, gaming, retail, technology and social media, representing more than 1 billion social media users, 60 percent of online video gamers, and 40 percent of all retail volume.

av advertising

BetVictor rolls out new brand campaign with biggest AV spend to date

Published

1 hour ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

BVGroup’s flagship brand BetVictor has launched a new brand campaign, “For All Your Favourite Things”, backed by what the company said is its largest AV investment to date.

The campaign, created by Barn Door Studios, uses a rewrite of “My Favourite Things” from The Sound of Music over visuals of sporting events. BetVictor said the creative focuses on “the uncomplicated thrill of sport and betting”.

BetVictor is timing the launch around this weekend’s Premier League schedule, with spots running alongside Arsenal vs Newcastle on Saturday evening and Chelsea vs Leeds on Sunday afternoon.

Media planning is led by Bountiful Cow. The plan includes a new partnership with Sky, spanning live sport integrations, on-demand, YouTube channels and targeted digital placements via Sky Advance. BetVictor also outlined a data-led SVOD and BVOD strategy across ITVX, Channel 4, Prime Video and Netflix, plus digital and social.

Richard Walters, Director of Brand and Creative at BetVictor, said:

“‘For All Your Favourite Things’ captures what BetVictor stands for today – a premium, straightforward experience that enhances the thrill of sport.

When done right, we believe that gambling is a simple pleasure; one that we love connecting our customers to. We wanted to celebrate the moments that matter most to sports fans.”

The post BetVictor rolls out new brand campaign with biggest AV spend to date appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

QTech Games wins Leader in Online Casino at SBEA+ Eventus Awards 2026

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-wins-leader-in-online-casino-at-sbea+-eventus-awards-2026

QTech Games has won the Leader in Online Casino award at the Annual Sports Betting East Africa (SBEA+) 2026 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The company said it beat other shortlisted suppliers including SA Gaming, BetConstruct, and DST Gaming. The award is described by the event as recognising the “top all-round online casino platform for innovation, user engagement, and sustained growth” over the past year.

The SBEA+ Eventus Awards focus on the East African igaming and sports betting sector and were presented at a gala ceremony at the Argyle Grand Hotel. QTech Games said the judging period covered 2025/26 and that its aggregation platform performance was ranked highest by the panel.

QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re thrilled to have walked off with another notable award for the best overall online-casino-platform provision in East Africa. Being shortlisted in such good company was already a result, but victory provides the real validation, particularly after running a great campaign at recent Eventus events in Africa. We’ve been promoting QTech Hybrid, our breakthrough retail solution, to great effect and it’s been fantastic to see that going live with a handful of top-tier clients on this continent has led to such overwhelmingly positive feedback and immediate success cases in the realm of genuine innovation.

“This win is testimony to our diligent team at QTech Games, and to the constantly growing group of innovative suppliers that our platform represents. It’s a truly collaborative effort. We remain committed to rolling out high-quality content that drives revenue for our worldwide partners across Africa and beyond. After all, in today’s marketplace, only premium games of the highest standard will separate you from the crowd, so we were delighted to see the panel acknowledge how our premier platform is delivering across Africa’s eclectic ecosystem. We’ve made our name as the pre-eminent aggregator in these evolving margin markets, delivering localised games that speak to a host of player proclivities. This award win will spur us on to new horizons.”

The post QTech Games wins Leader in Online Casino at SBEA+ Eventus Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brazil

Evoplay adds 24 slot titles to Oleybet in Brazil deal

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-adds-24-slot-titles-to-oleybet-in-brazil-deal

Evoplay has signed a content partnership with Brazilian operator Oleybet to distribute 24 slot titles on the brand’s online casino in Brazil’s regulated market.

Oleybet is operated by Lindau Gaming S.A. in Brazil and offers sportsbook, online casino and live casino products. The rollout focuses on Evoplay’s slot portfolio, with the supplier saying the content is intended to support Oleybet’s casino expansion.

The integration is delivered through Sportingtech’s platform, which the companies said is intended to support a streamlined rollout and operational efficiency as Oleybet scales its games catalogue.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Brazil remains a key focus for Evoplay, and partnering with Oleybet is another key strategic move in strengthening our presence in this dynamic market.

“Our portfolio is designed to deliver strong engagement across diverse player demographics, and we’re confident our games will resonate well with Oleybet’s audience as they continue to grow their offering.”

Robson Salvador, Ombudsman Director at Lindau, added: “We are very pleased to partner with Evoplay, a provider known for innovation and high-quality gaming experiences.

“This collaboration reinforces Oleybet’s commitment to offering a diverse and engaging portfolio to Brazilian players, always aligned with the highest standards of compliance and responsible gaming. We see this partnership as an important step in strengthening our positioning in Brazil’s regulated market.”

The post Evoplay adds 24 slot titles to Oleybet in Brazil deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.