09/14/2025

AI-Powered Scams Target Trust Before Transactions, Visa DPS Says

PYMNTS

Fraud isn’t standing still.

Today’s criminals have more advanced technology at their disposal than ever before, and they’re using it in ways that are subtle, sophisticated and effective.

“Fraudster tactics to compromise funds start well before the transaction occurs,” Dustin White, vice president of risk products and solutions at Visa DPS told PYMNTS.

Texts, emails and other forms of digital engagement are now the front lines of fraud, as criminals deploy artificial intelligence-powered tools to collect information that unlocks new avenues of attack, he said.

Is there a new avenue of detection and defense? For Visa DPS, one area of focus is identity intelligence.

Get used to the term because identity intelligence can help companies increase their knowledge of fraud before it happens.

For example, social engineering has become “one of the most dangerous” techniques because it underpins so many other scams, White said. Romance scams, schemes preying on parents with fake emergency calls and deep psychological manipulation all give criminals entry points into accounts.