From AFASA to BSP Circulars 1213 – 1215: SAVYINT Partners with Philippine Banks to Strengthen Security and Fight Digital Fraud
The rapid growth of digital banking, e-wallets, and online payments in the Philippines has led to a serious consequence – financial fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and more organized. Following the enactment of AFASA, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) continued to issue BSP Circulars 1213, 1214, and 1215, tightening the responsibilities of financial institutions and imposing stricter requirements for user authentication, fraud management, and data protection. About AFASA and BSP Circulars 1213, 1214, and 1215 Officially taking effect on June 25, 2025, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (Republic Act No. 12010) was enacted by the Philippine government with the following core objectives: One of the most important requirements under AFASA is the mandatory transition of authentication methods before June 2026. OTPs sent via SMS and email will no longer be accepted for high-risk transactions. Instead, more secure methods must be implemented, such as biometric authentication, passwordless authentication, and adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA) based on risk levels. AFASA marks a major shift in risk management thinking: account security is no longer just a technology choice – it is now a legal obligation. BSP Circular 1213 – Focus on Fraud Management and Strong Authentication Among the three circulars, BSP Circular 1213 is considered the technical backbone that brings AFASA into real operational practice. This circular requires banks and financial institutions to: BSP Circular 1213 clearly states that traditional authentication methods are no longer sufficient. Systems must understand user behavior patterns and detect fraud at the earliest stages – during login or even before a transaction is completed. Read more: Philippines BSP Circular No. 1213 and Compliance Solutions for Financial Institutions BSP Circular 1214 – Enabling Data Sharing for Faster Fraud Response BSP Circular 1214 addresses a major legal bottleneck related to accessing account data during fraud investigations. Its main goal is to create a fast-response mechanism to prevent funds from being completely withdrawn before authorities can intervene. Under this regulation: BSP Circular 1215 – Protecting Funds During Disputes While Circular 1213 focuses on prevention and 1214 focuses on investigation, BSP Circular 1215 addresses what happens after an incident occurs. It allows financial institutions to protect customer funds during the investigation period, preventing money from “disappearing” within minutes. Specifically, this circular: Together, AFASA and BSP Circulars 1213, 1214, and 1215 are reshaping the digital financial security standards in the Philippines. Financial institutions now need not only compliance documentation but also a strong technology foundation capable of detecting, preventing, and responding to fraud in real time. AFASA & BSP 1213, 1214, 1215 – Compliant Security Solutions from SAVYINT Savyint is a leading trusted service provider, ready to deliver authentication and payment security solutions that strictly comply with security standards and regulatory requirements under AFASA, BSP Circulars 1213, 1214, and 1215 issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), as well as the Philippine Open Banking framework and international regulations. Savyint’s solution ecosystem is built around four key pillars: Risk Management & Compliance, Cybersecurity & Application Protection, SCA/MFA Identity, and the FMS AI Fraud Engine. Together, these components protect the entire customer journey – from registration, login, authentication, and transaction execution to post-transaction monitoring. SAM Auth Server SAM Auth Server is an all-in-one strong authentication solution designed for mobile payments and digital banking. Built on a Zero Trust architecture and integrated with a FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certified Hardware Security Module (HSM), and ready for Post-Quantum Cryptography, SAM Auth Server supports a wide range of modern authentication methods, including: Biometric authentication, Smart OTP, Push Authentication, FIDO2 / Passkeys and Context-based authentication It enables step-up authentication when risk levels increase, ensuring maximum protection for electronic transactions. SAM FIDO2 Identity Server SAM FIDO2 Identity Server is a passwordless identity and authentication platform based on FIDO2/WebAuthn standards. It eliminates password storage by replacing passwords with asymmetric key-based authentication securely stored on the user’s device.As a result, the system effectively protects against common attacks such as phishing, man-in-the-middle attacks, and credential stuffing. SAM FIDO2 Identity Server fully meets Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements under PSD2/PSD3 and complies with international standards for identity and data security. SAVYINT Fraud Prevention & Risk Management SAVYINT Fraud Prevention & Risk Management leverages AI and Machine Learning (ML) to help banks and financial institutions detect, assess, and prevent fraud across the entire user journey – from login behavior, device characteristics, and access context to transaction data. Key capabilities include: RASP+ RASP+ protects mobile applications directly within the runtime environment, detecting and blocking attacks while the application is running. It can detect rooted or jailbroken devices, debugging attempts, code tampering, hooking techniques, memory manipulation and emulator-based attacks. RASP+ integrates directly into mobile applications without affecting performance, ensuring strong protection without compromising user experience. TrustShield TrustShield is a mobile fraud prevention platform powered by device fingerprinting, behavioral analytics, and AI. It can identify devices without relying on cookies or advertising IDs, detect emulators, rooted or jailbroken devices, identify multi-device fraud patterns, analyze in-app user behavior, generate real-time risk scores and trigger adaptive authentication directly on mobile devices. With a multi-layered architecture and seamless integration capabilities, Savyint’s security ecosystem delivers a comprehensive fraud prevention model – protecting devices, behavior, identity, and transactions simultaneously. All solutions comply with AFASA, BSP Circulars 1213, 1214, 1215, and international standards such as FIDO2, PSD2/PSD3, eIDAS, GDPR, and PCI DSS. This allows fast deployment on existing infrastructure while achieving the highest level of security. Connect with Savyint’s experts today to implement and optimize your security solutions – and be fully prepared to meet AFASA and BSP requirements within just 3 months!
Savyint Officially Announces Strategic Partnership with VietNet and SAVIS to Build a Digital Trust Ecosystem in Vietnam
On January 16, 2026, Savyint successfully hosted the event “Strategic Partnership Announcement, Cooperation and Market Development in Vietnam” officially marking a long-term strategic partnership between Savyint – VietNet – SAVIS Group. The event represents a significant milestone in Savyint’s growth strategy in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, reaffirming Savyint’s strong commitment to long-term , structured and sustainable investment in building a comprehensive, compliant and trusted digital security ecosystem. As the event organizer, Savyint proudly presented Strategic Partner Certificates to VietNet, its strategic distribution partner in Vietnam, and SAVIS Group, its technology partner. The event also featured live demonstrations of key solutions within Savyint’s Digital Trust ecosystem, aligned with the development direction of the Vietnamese market. The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Information Technology Department of the State Bank of Vietnam, the Government Cipher Committee under the Ministry of National Defence, the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), leaders of the three companies, as well as banks and organizations operating in Finance – Banking, Cryptography, Information Technology and Cybersecurity. Building a Digital Trust Ecosystem – An Inevitable Trend of the Digital Economy Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Director General of the Department of Information Technology Industry (Ministry of Science and Technology), emphasized that the strategic partnership announcement between Savyint – SAVIS – VietNet is a concrete demonstration of the Party and Government’s policy to place technology enterprises at the center of innovation, science and technology development, digital transformation, and the “Make in Vietnam to Lead” strategy. He highlighted that the three-party cooperation model creates a complete digital technology value chain, contributing to a secure and trusted foundation for the digital economy. At the same time, it opens opportunities for Vietnamese technology enterprises to expand into regional and international markets, fully reflecting the enterprise-centered innovation spirit as defined by Resolution 57 and Resolution 68. Mr. Brad Palmer, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Savyint, shared that Savyint has been present and growing in Vietnam for more than 15 years. The partnership with VietNet and SAVIS Group marks an important step in expanding Savyint’s deployment network and bringing its “Made in Vietnam” solutions closer to organizations and enterprises, particularly in the Finance – Banking sector and critical digital infrastructure. Under the cooperation agreement, VietNet, as the strategic distribution partner, and SAVIS, as the technology partner in Vietnam, will work closely with Savyint to deploy, integrate and develop solutions for authentication, encryption, digital identity, digital signatures and transaction authentication in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Within the cooperation framework, the parties will share implementation experience and technical expertise, while jointly organizing solution showcases, technology demonstrations and in-depth training programs to enhance deployment and operational effectiveness. The partnership is built on leveraging each party’s strengths, ensuring effective coordination, regulatory compliance, and contributing to higher levels of security and trust in electronic transactions in Vietnam. Digital Trust – Strengthening Security, Enabling Digital Confidence As digital transformation accelerates alongside increasing requirements for security, safety and regulatory compliance, Digital Trust has become a foundational pillar for ensuring confidence in digital transactions and services. With this vision, Savyint has developed a comprehensive Digital Trust ecosystem designed to protect the digital financial ecosystem and support the sustainable growth of the digital economy. The Savyint Digital Trust ecosystem consists of the following key solutions: These solutions are also the core offerings within the three-party cooperation framework, designed to meet stringent requirements for security, fraud prevention, regulatory compliance and scalability, fully aligned with the Vietnamese and regional markets. Mr. Le Tuan Dat, Chief Executive Officer of VietNet, stated: “As the strategic distribution partner, VietNet will focus on bringing SAM Appliance, SAM Auth Server, SAM FIDO Identity Server and Mobile Security solutions (TrustShield, RASP+) to the Vietnamese market, particularly in the Finance – Banking sector and critical information systems, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and operational models.” Meanwhile, Mr. Pham Van Duc, Chief Executive Officer of SAVIS Group, emphasized: “With extensive hands-on experience in information security infrastructure, electronic transactions, digital signatures and trust services, SAVIS will work closely with Savyint and VietNet to integrate, operate and optimize authentication, encryption and digital security solutions.” The combination of Savyint (core technology) – VietNet (distribution & market development) – SAVIS (deployment & integration) forms a comprehensive cooperation model, enabling customers to access digital security solutions that are effective, compliant and trusted. About Savyint Savyint is a technology company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with an R&D center in Hanoi. The company specializes in providing platforms, system solutions and services in Digital Trust, Open Banking, Secure Payments and cryptography for the Finance – Banking, FSI and Government sectors, meeting stringent requirements for security, compliance and scalability.About VietNet Founded in 2011, VietNet Distribution JSC is a professional technology distributor in Vietnam, with a well-trained workforce, strong market insight and a scientifically structured operating model. With more than 15 years of market development experience, a broad partner ecosystem, and strong consulting, technical support and operational capabilities, VietNet has established itself as a trusted distributor, particularly in the fields of information security and digital infrastructure.About SAVIS With 20 years of experience, SAVIS Group is a leading trusted service provider, recognized for its digital signature and electronic signature solutions, identity authentication and trust services across sectors such as Finance – Banking, Media, Digital Government, Healthcare and Education, in compliance with both domestic and international standards. Media coverage of the event: Event Highlights:
6-Step Model for Effective Real-Time Online Transaction Fraud Detection
With stricter requirements for payment security and compliance with standards such as AML, KYC, and PSD2/PSD3, a secure payment system must do more than just protect transactions. It also needs to monitor activity, track transactions, and respond quickly to unusual behavior. As online payments continue to grow and fraud becomes more sophisticated, payment systems are being strengthened with modern fraud detection technologies. These technologies help keep transactions safe and reduce financial losses caused by payment fraud. Online Transaction Fraud Detection Mechanism Modern online fraud detection models are designed to spot unusual behavior early, so risks can be stopped during the transaction instead of being handled only after fraud has already happened. In general, fraud detection systems follow a process with six main steps: Step 1: Data Collection Data collection is the foundation of any fraud detection system. To accurately assess the risk of a transaction, the system needs to collect different types of data related to users, devices, and transaction behavior. Step 2: Data Analysis Data analysis plays a key role in preventing online payment fraud. In the past, many organizations only reviewed transactions after they were completed, when fraud had already occurred. In most cases, recovering money from fraudulent transactions is very difficult or even impossible. That is why businesses now focus on detecting and stopping fraud before a transaction is completed. By analyzing transactions in real time, monitoring user behavior, and tracking the full customer journey – from login to payment – the system can quickly identify and block fraud risks. Step 3: Risk Detection Based on the collected and analyzed data, the system detects risks using machine learning or rules-based logic. Machine learning allows the system to learn from large amounts of data, recognize normal and abnormal behavior patterns, and predict fraudulent transactions more accurately in real time. Alongside machine learning, predefined rules also help detect suspicious transactions. For example, transaction limits can be set so that transfers above a certain amount – such as USD 1,000 – are blocked or require additional verification. Step 4: Risk Assessment and Risk Scoring Using identified risk signals, the system evaluates each transaction and assigns a risk score. Based on this score, transactions are classified as either “legitimate” or “suspicious.” Step 5: Alerts and Actions If a transaction is marked as suspicious, the system sends an alert to the security team so immediate action can be taken. This may include blocking the transaction, asking for additional verifications such as Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), biometric verification, or contacting the customer for further confirmation. Step 6: Continuous Updates and Improvement Fraud detection models are continuously updated and improved using new data and past fraud cases. This helps increase accuracy and allows the system to adapt to new and more advanced fraud techniques. Comprehensive Fraud Prevention with Savyint Fraud Prevention & Risk Management Built around the six- step fraud detection and prevention model, Savyint Fraud Prevention & Risk Management (FPRM) helps banks and financial institutions detect, prevent, and respond effectively to fraud. This reduces losses, strengthens transaction security, protects customer data, and improves long-term operational efficiency. With a Zero Trust architecture, Savyint FPRM enables: Savyint Fraud Prevention & Risk Management (FPRM) complies with global standards such as AML, KYC, KYB, PSD2, PSD3, and PCI-DSS, as well as local regulations including Circulars 64 and 50 (Vietnam), BSP 1213 (Philippines), and regulations in Malaysia. Contact Savyint experts today to strengthen security and implement effective payment fraud prevention strategies. Source: How payment fraud works – Tipalti
Financial Fraud Prevention: Protecting Assets, Data and Customer Trust
Proactive financial fraud prevention not only helps minimize losses but also plays a critical role in maintaining seamless customer experiences and improving overall operational efficiency. As fraud schemes become increasingly sophisticated, faster, and larger in scale, traditional control measures are no longer sufficient. Financial fraud prevention is therefore no longer merely a matter of compliance or security – it has become a strategic priority that enables organizations to optimize processes and ensure sustainable growth. 1. Benefits of Financial Fraud Prevention Implementing robust fraud prevention measures not only safeguards customers and organizations but also supports long-term, sustainable business growth. a. Minimizing financial losses Fraud can cause significant damage even when incidents occur on a small scale. Effective preventive measures help organizations reduce the risk of loss, control costs, and build a solid financial foundation for long-term development. b. Optimizing revenue and transaction processing efficiency One direct benefit is the improvement of authorization rates by reducing false declines of legitimate transactions – a common challenge in online payments. When transactions are processed accurately and quickly, completion rates increase, enabling businesses to maximize revenue. c. Protecting customer data and digital assets In the financial and banking sector, protecting personal information and financial data is essential to maintaining customer trust. Account Takeover (ATO) attacks and card data theft not only result in financial losses but also severely damage an organization’s reputation. By proactively preventing fraud, organizations can detect and stop these threats early, before real damage occurs. d. Enhancing customer experience Customers increasingly expect transactions to be smooth, uninterrupted, and free from unnecessary verification steps. Reducing fraud also means reducing unnecessary transaction rejections, leading to better customer experiences while lowering operational pressure and costs for businesses. e. Preserving brand reputation As noted above, even minor fraud incidents can erode customer trust and negatively impact brand image. Investing in comprehensive fraud prevention demonstrates a strong commitment to security and customer protection, helping organizations build a trusted and credible brand over the long term. 2. Effective Fraud Prevention with Savyint Fraud Prevention and Risk Management With these benefits in mind, a comprehensive and effective fraud prevention system enables banks and financial institutions to minimize losses, strengthen transaction protection, ensure customer data security, and enhance long-term operational efficiency. This is precisely the objective of Savyint Fraud Prevention & Risk Management (FPRM). Built on a Zero Trust architecture, Savyint FPRM enables organizations to proactively prevent fraud while integrating risk management and transaction security. The solution leverages AI and Machine Learning for behavioral analysis, combined with strong authentication mechanisms such as SCA, multi-layer MFA, and biometrics, along with advanced security technologies including tokenization and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). This enables: As a result, organizations can detect, prevent, and respond to fraud effectively before losses occur. Savyint Fraud Prevention & Risk Management (FPRM) also complies with global standards such as AML, KYC, KYB, PSD2, PSD3, and PCI-DSS, as well as local regulatory requirements including Circulars 64 and 50 (Vietnam), BSP 1213 (Philippines), and regulations in Malaysia. Connect with Savyint experts today for detailed consultation on a fraud prevention roadmap tailored to your organization’s business model!
Strengthening Authentication and Security in the Financial and Banking Sector in Southeast Asia
Alongside the rapid growth of the financial and banking sector, regulatory frameworks across many Southeast Asian countries have been continuously updated and refined to enhance safety and security in financial operations. In Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia, newly issued regulations go beyond technical compliance requirements and increasingly focus on protecting users and strengthening trust in digital financial systems. Safeguarding digital identities, personal data, and financial transactions is now widely recognized as a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the electronic financial ecosystem. In response to these increasingly stringent requirements, financial institutions are compelled to comprehensively upgrade their authentication capabilities, security controls, and risk-management frameworks to a higher level. Security Requirements for Open API Implementation The rapid expansion of digital banking, e-wallets, Open Banking, and fintech partnership models has made fraud, cyberattacks, and data leakage common challenges across the region. Establishing strict security requirements for Open API implementation has therefore become a critical prerequisite for protecting financial systems and maintaining customer trust. In Singapore, as early as 2016, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued Open Banking and API guidelines requiring financial institutions to implement strong authentication mechanisms, customer consent management, identity and access control, and strict authorization when sharing data with partners. From an early stage, Singapore mandated standards such as secure API gateways, OAuth/OIDC-based security, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and contextual access monitoring as foundational requirements for sustaining trust within the open financial ecosystem. In 2021, the Philippines introduced the Open Finance Framework, which defines a phased roadmap for data sharing with clearly articulated technical, governance, and security standards aimed at building an open financial ecosystem. One year later, in 2022, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) launched the Open API Framework, providing clear guidance on how banks and third-party fintech providers can securely share data. The framework emphasizes strict security controls, customer-consent-based access management, and technical reference guidelines to promote innovation and fair competition within the digital financial ecosystem. In Vietnam, Circular 64/2024/TT-NHNN regulates the implementation of Open Application Programming Interfaces (Open APIs) in the banking sector, allowing credit institutions to connect and collaborate with third parties to deliver new financial services. However, ecosystem expansion must be accompanied by stringent requirements for authentication, access control, data protection, and customer consent management. The Circular also defines a clear roadmap for banks that have already deployed Open APIs, ensuring a controlled and secure transition process. Data Protection and Financial Fraud Prevention Requirements Singapore and the Philippines have long established comprehensive legal frameworks to protect customer data. Singapore is a regional pioneer in data-protection and digital-banking regulation. The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), enacted in 2012 and amended in 2020, provides detailed rules governing the collection, use, and storage of personal data, and requires organizations to notify authorities in the event of data breaches. In the banking sector, the Technology Risk Management Guidelines issued by MAS mandate multi-factor authentication (MFA), the use of OTPs or biometrics, and enhanced monitoring of high-risk transactions. The Philippines adopted the Data Privacy Act in 2012, one of the earliest such frameworks in the region, granting users the right to access, correct, and delete personal data. Compliance is overseen by the National Privacy Commission (NPC). In banking, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) mandates MFA for electronic payment services, the implementation of eKYC, and device and transaction risk management. Most recently, BSP Circulars 1213 and 1214 were issued in response to rising financial account fraud, to enforce the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA). These regulations emphasize enhanced technology risk management, the adoption of modern authentication methods, and the establishment of coordinated investigation and information-sharing mechanisms between banks and law-enforcement authorities. Specifically: In Vietnam, the Personal Data Protection Decrees (2023), together with the Cybersecurity Law (2018), impose strict requirements on customer consent, impact assessments for sensitive data, and data localization. More recently, Circular 50/2024/TT-NHNN establishes security requirements for online banking services, mandating that credit institutions and foreign bank branches implement customer-protection guidelines (PINs, OTPs, fraud awareness), encryption, access monitoring, and incident reporting to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability while protecting customer rights. Overall, regulatory priorities in Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia converge around the adoption of advanced security measures to protect customers from technological risks, online fraud, and cyberattacks, alongside clearly defined Open API implementation roadmaps. Strengthening Authentication and Security with Savyint’s Comprehensive Solutions In response to increasingly stringent compliance requirements, Savyint delivers a comprehensive security ecosystem that enables banks and financial institutions to effectively comply with Circulars 64 and 50, as well as BSP Circulars 1213 and 1214, while strengthening long-term security capabilities and risk governance. Savyint’s solution portfolio is built around four core pillars: Secure Payments, Open Banking, Data Protection, and Digital Trust. Under the Secure Payments pillar, Savyint deploys strong customer authentication (SCA), multi-factor authentication (MFA), Smart OTP, passkeys, FIDO2, biometrics, 3D Secure, tokenization, and fraud-management capabilities such as risk scoring and real-time monitoring. This security layer directly protects card payments, e-wallets, online transfers, and e-commerce transactions, reducing fraud risks for customers, financial institutions, and merchants while safeguarding wallet and card data. To support controlled Open API connectivity under Circular 64 and Open Banking standards, Savyint provides a full Open Banking solution suite, including API Management, Open Banking Portal, Consent Management, CIAM/SCA-PSD2, TPP Management, and Tokenization. These solutions enable banks to securely deploy Open APIs with strict access control, robust customer consent management, and purpose-limited data sharing in line with security and compliance requirements. For transaction and data protection, Savyint secures information throughout its lifecycle with solutions such as Sam Appliance, Sam Auth Server, Savyint PKI-in-a-Box, Enterprise Security Appliance, KMS, and DSS. Notably, Sam Appliance is an all-in-one platform for data encryption, digital signatures, and mobile identity, featuring a FIPS 140-2 Level 3-certified server appliance integrated with Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), SAM software, key-management systems, and digital-signing software. This flexible security platform supports diverse deployment needs across banking, finance, healthcare, education, telecommunications, broadcasting, and media sectors. Beyond digital signatures for invoices, contracts, documents, certificates, and payment records, Sam Appliance is built on a Cryptographic
AI/ML-Based Banking Transaction Fraud Prevention
As digital transformation accelerates, detecting and preventing banking transaction fraud through advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning (AI/ML) has become a top strategic priority for financial institutions, as cybercrime continues to grow in both scale and sophistication. According to the latest data from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), total consumer-reported fraud losses in 2024 reached approximately USD 12.5 billion, representing an increase of nearly 25% compared to 2023. This highlights the rapidly escalating severity of fraudulent activities. Beyond direct financial losses, banks also incur substantial additional costs related to investigations, legal proceedings, incident response, and reputation recovery – often making the actual cost several times higher than the initial monetary loss. More critically, fraud incidents significantly erode customer trust, negatively impacting customer retention and the ability to attract new users. Investing in advanced fraud detection systems and proactive prevention measures is therefore not merely an operational requirement, but a strategic imperative for banks to protect assets and maintain credibility in the digital era. What Is Banking Fraud Prevention? Banking fraud prevention refers to the use of multiple, layered protection methods by banks to detect early signs of fraud, reduce risk exposure, and prevent financial fraud before it causes serious damage. Today, modern fraud prevention strategies no longer focus solely on incident response after fraud has occurred. Instead, they emphasize proactive prevention from the outset. These approaches integrate advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and AI-driven risk assessment, enabling banks to stay ahead of increasingly complex financial threats. As fraud types become more sophisticated, fraud detection technologies are more critical than ever to maintaining the security and integrity of banking data and transactions. Using AI/ML to Detect and Prevent Banking Fraud By deploying a flexible and adaptive defense system against financial fraud threats, banks and financial institutions can effectively prevent and minimize the impact of fraudulent activities. At the core of this defense system is the application of advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to detect fraud patterns in real time and provide early warnings of potential risks. In parallel, banks deploy phishing-resistant Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), incorporating FIDO2 security keys, passkeys, transaction signing, device-bound cryptographic keys, and biometric factors. Together, these mechanisms create a flexible, adaptive and resilient defense against financial fraud, ensuring that only authorized users can access accounts and sensitive information. Real-time transaction monitoring serves as a foundational component of financial fraud prevention systems. Beyond supporting compliance with KYC and anti-money laundering requirements, continuous AI/ML-driven monitoring enables large-scale data analysis to identify abnormal behaviors as soon as they occur, thereby mitigating risks before fraud results in actual losses. Periodic risk assessments involve analyzing emerging fraud trends, reviewing vulnerabilities in existing systems, and adjusting prevention strategies accordingly. This allows banks to continuously refine and enhance the effectiveness of fraud detection over time. Beyond detection and assessment, AI/ML enables the prediction of future fraud risks. By learning from past fraud incidents, systems can identify individuals or groups with a higher likelihood of committing fraud, helping organizations allocate preventive resources more precisely and effectively. Strong Customer Authentication and Multi-Factor Authentication enhance the security of user access and transaction approval by moving beyond traditional password-based mechanisms. When implemented with phishing-resistant authentication methods such as FIDO2 security keys, passkeys, transaction signing, device-bound cryptographic keys, and biometrics, SCA/MFA provides a flexible, adaptive, and resilient security layer. This method ensures that only legitimate users can access accounts and authorize transactions, effectively mitigating risks such as phishing, credential theft, account takeover, and financial fraud, while meeting stringent regulatory and security requirements. Alongside technology, customers play an increasingly important role. Proactively raising customer awareness of common scam techniques and providing guidance on safe transaction practices empowers users to protect themselves against fraud and social engineering attacks. Financial fraud prevention is a continuous journey that requires banks and financial institutions to constantly update and adopt new technologies to enhance prevention capabilities and minimize fraud-related losses. Savyint delivers a comprehensive Fraud Prevention and Risk Management solution suite designed to help banks and financial institutions detect fraud early, prevent incidents promptly, and manage fraud risks effectively. Connect with Savyint’s experts today to strengthen your defenses and minimize financial fraud risks. Source:
5 Common Global Financial Fraud Types
Financial fraud is rising at an unprecedented rate worldwide. The explosion of digital payments, e-commerce, online banking, and e-wallets, combined with advancements in technologies such as AI and deepfake, has made financial fraud more complex and difficult to detect. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumer-reported losses due to fraud increased by 25% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching $12.5 billion. Simultaneously, Coinlaw.io predicts that global losses from online payment fraud will exceed $50 billion in 2025, with approximately 3.3% of global digital payment transactions involving fraudulent activity. 1. What is Financial Fraud? Financial fraud refers to the act of deceiving victims in order to unlawfully seize their assets or sensitive information. This often involves tricking the victim into acting quickly, such as entering an OTP, scanning biometric data, or transferring funds fraudulently. Along with financial theft, personal information, such as bank account numbers, identification numbers, or passwords, is also targeted to facilitate asset theft. The growth of artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce, digital payments, and other technologies has opened the door to more sophisticated and damaging financial fraud schemes. 2. Common Types of Financial Fraud While there is no exact report on the total number of types of financial fraud, they can generally be classified into several prevalent forms: 2.1. Identity Theft Identity theft occurs when fraudsters illegally acquire and use another person’s sensitive information, such as ID numbers, bank account details, credit card information, email addresses, or biometric data, for fraudulent purposes. Common identity theft methods include: 2.2. Payment Fraud Payment fraud is one of the most widespread forms of financial crime, affecting both individuals and businesses around the globe every day. Criminals manipulate payment systems to steal money, defraud sellers, or exploit banking system vulnerabilities, often causing severe consequences. In the third quarter of 2024, U.S. consumers reported losses of $58 million, according to industry estimates. Common methods include: 2.3. Account Takeover (ATO) ATO occurs when fraudsters gain control over a victim’s online account, such as a bank account, email, or social media account. Criminals typically gain access through brute force attacks, credential stuffing, phishing, malware, or by purchasing stolen data. Once they have access, they can withdraw or transfer money without authorization, change account details (such as phone numbers or email addresses) to maintain long-term control, or impersonate the victim to defraud others. According to reports from Experian & TransUnion, the APAC region has seen a 70% increase in ATO cases between 2023 and 2024. Common signs of ATO include: 2.4. Investment Fraud Investment fraud schemes often involve sophisticated tactics designed to deceive individuals into believing they are making legitimate, low-risk investments offering high returns. In 2024, the FTC reported that consumers lost over $5.7 billion to investment fraud, a $1 billion increase compared to the previous year. Fraudsters use various techniques, including AI-generated content for convincing advertisements and deepfake technology to impersonate celebrities in fraudulent campaigns. Regulatory bodies predict that AI will be increasingly exploited for fraud in 2025 and 2026. 2.5. Mobile App Fraud The widespread use of digital banking has facilitated the rise of fraud involving mobile apps. Common methods include: Financial fraud is becoming an increasingly serious global issue. The development of advanced technologies has made it easier for fraudsters to carry out sophisticated and complex schemes, resulting in enormous financial losses. Both organizations and individuals must adopt advanced security solutions and raise awareness to prevent these attacks. Savyint offers a comprehensive Fraud Management System (FMS) platform that integrates real-time fraud detection, enhancing the security of transactions. This system helps businesses build strong customer trust by minimizing fraud risks, protecting sensitive customer data, and strengthening security in all transactions. Connect with Savyint experts today to mitigate all financial fraud risks! Sources:
Savyint – Pioneering and Dominating Vietnam’s Open Banking Game
On the morning of November 21, Savyint, in collaboration with IBM Vietnam and TechData, successfully organized the Workshop “Implementing Safe, Reliable Open Banking and Complying with Circulars 64 & 50/2024/TT-NHNN.” In the context where Open Banking is becoming a pillar of digital transformation in the Finance – Banking sector, institutions require not only advanced technologies but also legal compliance, data security, and strong authentication. The workshop, held with the support of the Vietnam Institute for Digital Transformation and Innovation (VIDTI) and the Open Banking Forum, provided a comprehensive perspective on strategies, technical frameworks, and legal considerations for implementing Open Banking in alignment with the State Bank of Vietnam’s directives. Delivering the opening remarks, Mr. Doan Thanh Hai – Deputy Director of the Information Technology Department, State Bank of Vietnam – emphasized: “This workshop is an opportunity to share successful models, exchange practical lessons, and discuss emerging trends in security and technology for the effective implementation of Open Banking.” He also expressed confidence that the capabilities of banks, technology enterprises, and pioneering organizations would contribute to promoting safe, reliable Open Banking deployment in Vietnam, establishing a compliant ecosystem aligned with both domestic and international regulations. As the hosting organization, Savyint showcased solutions and delivered presentations on the Open Banking Tech Stack and Savyint Digital Trust – two core solution suites enabling banks to implement Open Banking in full compliance with Circulars 64 and 50/2024/TT-NHNN. Mr. Brad Palmer, COO & EVP of Savyint, highlighted that Open Banking is not merely about API connectivity but a multi-layered security ecosystem where customer identity, strong authentication, transaction protection, fraud risk management, and encryption infrastructure play foundational roles. Open Banking Tech Stack – Strengthening Connectivity and Expanding a Comprehensive Digital Financial Ecosystem Savyint’s Open Banking Tech Stack is purpose-built to meet all regulatory and technical requirements for Open Banking deployment. The stack comprises multiple critical components: Notably, SAVYINT Consent Management is one of the core systems, supporting multiple consent flows including redirect, decoupled, and intuitive consent management interfaces. Developed on an open, globally aligned architecture, the Savyint Open Banking Platform fully supports advanced security standards such as FAPI 2.0, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, PAR, JAR, JARM, mTLS, and Consent Management, ensuring compliance with Circulars 64/2024 and 50/2024. It also aligns with stringent Open Banking frameworks from the Berlin Group, UK Open Banking, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and others. The platform is seamlessly integrated with Savyint Digital Trust, enabling core capabilities such as end-to-end encryption, transaction signing, key management, and tokenization – ensuring every API request is strongly authenticated, encrypted, and verifiably recorded. Savyint Digital Trust – Building Digital Trust and Enabling Secure Digital Transformation Alongside the Open Banking Tech Stack, Mr. Brad Palmer emphasized that the most critical factor in Open Banking is data security. This is why Savyint Digital Trust was created—to safeguard the financial ecosystem in the digital era. The platform is built on an advanced authentication foundation powered by the Cryptographic Security Platform (CSP), which includes SCA/MFA, passwordless authentication based on PKI, data encryption, Smart Token, tokenization, end-to-end transaction signing, and modern cryptography-based mobile device security. This ensures that every user, device, and transaction is protected, authenticated, and verifiable with absolute trust. Highly scalable, Savyint Digital Trust integrates with core systems across banking and finance, including invoicing, taxation, insurance, e-wallets, and digital banking. It supports on-premise or hybrid-cloud deployment and fulfills stringent domestic and international requirements for digital signatures, encryption, and authentication such as eIDAS, CSC 2.0, GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more. As the organizer of the workshop, Savyint reaffirmed its pioneering role in shaping the Open Banking landscape in Vietnam. Savyint is among the most comprehensive Open Banking solution providers in Vietnam and the region – covering legal compliance, transaction security, identity & authentication, TPP management, and API infrastructure. Savyint’s technology ecosystem equips banks to implement Open Banking safely, reliably, compliantly, and with scalable expansion – supporting the digital transformation strategies of the Finance – Banking sector. Photos from the workshop:
Savyint Proudly Sponsors World Financial Innovation Series (WFIS) 2025 Philippines as Bronze Sponsor
Savyint is honored to be a Bronze Sponsor of the World Financial Innovation Series (WFIS) 2025 Philippines, the premier fintech event in the ASEAN region, organized by Tradepass. The event will bring together over 600 leaders and experts from the finance, banking, and insurance sectors, representing more than 200 organizations across the region. The Philippines is at the forefront of the digital financial transformation, with the online lending market projected to reach USD 1.68 billion by 2027 and over 65 million e-wallet users expected by 2025. Additionally, electronic payments account for 52.8% of total retail transactions, reflecting the widespread adoption of digital technologies in financial services. This surge is driven by three key factors: supportive government policies, the rapid rise of fintech, and the growing demand for a comprehensive financial ecosystem. Initiatives led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), such as the Open Finance pilot program and Project Nexus for enhanced cross-border payments, underscore the country’s commitment to fostering financial inclusion and sustainable development. Against this backdrop, WFIS 2025 Philippines, hosted by Tradepass, serves as a pivotal platform, uniting over 600 industry leaders and experts from 200 organizations. Under the theme “Bridging Financial Gaps for a Digitally Smart Philippines,” WFIS 2025 is more than an event—it is a hub for strategic collaboration and discussions on critical topics such as Open Finance, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and the application of AI and blockchain in financial services. With over 300 active fintech companies and online payments comprising 52.8% of retail transactions, WFIS 2025 is the ideal stage to shape the future of fintech in the Philippines and drive financial innovation. Over the course of two days, WFIS 2025 Philippines will feature a robust lineup of activities, including: As a Bronze Sponsor, Savyint is represented at the event by Mr. Steve Hoang, Chief Technology Officer, and Mr. Brad Palmer, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. Savyint’s leadership will engage with top regional executives, investors, and strategic partners, sharing insights on secure digital transformation, electronic identity, and building digital trust within the financial ecosystem. Mr. Brad Palmer stated: “WFIS 2025 is a vital platform for Savyint to connect with strategic partners in the region while reaffirming our long-term commitment to delivering advanced security, identity, and digital finance solutions. This event provides an opportunity to showcase our latest technologies, engage with banking and fintech leaders, and contribute to the secure and sustainable growth of the Philippines’ and ASEAN’s financial ecosystems.” With over 20 years of expertise in developing encryption, identity, and authentication solutions, Savyint offers the market’s most comprehensive authentication platforms, fully compliant with BSP Circular No. 1213. The company is dedicated to supporting the Philippines’ financial sector by implementing modern security standards, combating fraud, and fostering digital trust. Images from the event: