Equifax, the global data, analytics and technology company, has launched Authorized Payment Protection in the UK, a purpose-built solution designed to help prevent Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud in real-time, before funds leave a customer’s account.

Unlike other solutions on the market that have been adapted from card fraud models, Authorized Payment Protection monitors real-time bank transfer journeys and can be deployed by institutions of any size through a single, modern API.

Key capabilities include:

1. Destination account intelligence to flag ‘sleeper’ and fast-moving mule accounts - accounts used by criminals to receive and disperse stolen funds.

2. Real-time decisioning via a risk Application Programming Interface (API), providing stop/go/review decisions in milliseconds before a payment is authorised.

3. Leveraging a global fraud data consortium and a specialised AI model to assess account history and transaction velocities and adapt quickly to emerging typologies, including AI-enabled scams.

In the UK alone, APP fraud losses climbed to £257.5 million in the first half of 2025 - a 12% year-on-year1 increase that signals a growing global crisis. Since the UK Payment Systems Regulator introduced mandatory reimbursement in October 2024, the financial and operational stakes for banks have substantially increased. Equifax is meeting this challenge with a 360-degree safety net: a pre-authorisation risk assessment that scrutinises both the sender and the destination account in milliseconds, stopping fraud before the funds ever leave the customer’s pocket.

By evaluating the comprehensive financial footprint of the destination account alongside the originator’s profile, the solution enables banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to move beyond traditional session and originator-only monitoring to help stop scams at the critical moment of decision.

Stephen Adams, Principal Consultant – Identity & Fraud Risk at Equifax, said: “The fraud landscape is growing ever more sophisticated, increasing the potential threat to consumers and the burden on businesses. We want to unite banks and PSPs under a single transparent framework to try and reduce fraud happening at the point of authorisation. By focusing on destination account analysis, Authorized Payment Protection from Equifax can help businesses big and small boost efficiency, protect consumers, and reduce the need for reimbursements.”

Authorized Payment Protection is now available for banks, PSPs, fintechs and e-commerce platforms in the UK and select international markets. It has already been launched with success in parts of Latin America. Redeban, Colombia’s leading electronic payment processor and financial technology infrastructure provider, is already using the solution.