How Visa’s AI Task Force Disrupted US$2.6bn of Scams

In an era where digital scams are increasingly sophisticated, Visa has revealed a major milestone in the fight against financial crime.

The company’s specialised Visa Scam Disruption (VSD) team has identified and helped to stop more than US$2.6bn worth of fraudulent activity in just over two years of operation.

This announcement, made around the time of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, highlights the escalating threat and the need for proactive, AI-driven disruption.

The soaring figures demonstrate the rapid expansion of scam activity across international markets.

A new breed of fraud fighters

The VSD team is at the heart of this success. Visa has assembled a unique task force for the modern age of cybercrime.

This group includes data scientists, engineers, AI developers and professionals with backgrounds in law enforcement and the military.

This fusion of expertise is critical for tackling the complex, multi-layered scams that define today's digital world.

David Capezza, Chief Risk Officer at Visa Europe, says: “Every day, members of the VSD team work tirelessly to identify and help dismantle global criminal networks that target unsuspecting consumers around the world. 

“The work they do to protect consumers ensures a stronger, more resilient ecosystem that benefits everyone.”

How AI connects the dots from data to takedowns

The VSD team’s primary weapon is the vast, anonymised data flowing through Visa's global network.

The team employs network-level data and Gen AI tools to analyse immense volumes of information.

The AI models are trained to identify subtle patterns that signal organised criminal operations.

This intelligence enables investigators to connect seemingly unrelated fraudulent activities, revealing the full scope of a criminal network.

By detecting these patterns early, the team can work with banks and law enforcement to dismantle operations before they inflict significant financial harm on consumers.

Unmasking the European scam network

A prime example of VSD’s impact was the takedown of a social media ‘survey scam’ in Europe.

The operation targeted consumers across multiple markets, luring them with heavily discounted products such as beauty boxes and digital cameras.

After an initial small purchase, however, victims were unknowingly enrolled in costly recurring payment subscriptions.

Following a detailed investigation, Visa identified a complex web of approximately 1,000 fraudulent merchants.

This intelligence-led operation was eventually dismantled, shutting down a network responsible for an estimated US$100m in fraudulent earnings.

AI and collaboration are the future of fraud prevention

As online scams become more organised and international, the fight against them requires a synchronised, global response.

Michael Jabarra, Senior VP, Payment Ecosystem Risk and Control at Visa, says: “Scams are global, adaptive and fast-moving. Fighting them requires the same.

“Visa’s Scam Disruption practice uses intelligence from across our global network to connect signals across markets, detect evolving threats earlier using AI-enabled capabilities and help stop scams with key ecosystem partners before they harm consumers.”

The US$2.6bn in identified scam activity shows both the scale of the challenge and the value of using technology to disrupt it at the source, creating a safer digital economy for everyone.