Card Marketers Must Claim a Seat at the Fraud Prevention Table

By: Sarah Langmead, Strategy Director

Calling consumer fraud a crisis is no longer hyperbolic — it’s a necessary acknowledgment of the scale we’re facing. According to a recent Pew Research Report, 73% of Americans have experienced an online scam or attack, with a record $16.6 billion in losses reported to the FBI in 2024¹. Nearly half of U.S. adults (48%) said that online hackers made fraudulent charges on their credit or debit cards¹. 

For years, financial institutions have treated card fraud as a technical problem — the kind of issue that security teams naturally lead. Historically, consumer fraud communications have been largely reactive, confined to alerts sent when a cardholder is experiencing a real-time card compromise. While these alerts help guide affected cardholders through appropriate next steps, banks and credit unions must go further with proactive education. This teaches cardholders how to protect themselves and spot a scam before they become victims.

Now more than ever, card marketers must build a fraud-prevention strategy that supports and amplifies security and technology efforts. Whether you’re creating a strategy from scratch or optimizing an existing program, consider the following approaches:

1. Organize Your Proactive Fraud Prevention Communications: Build a bimonthly editorial calendar anchored by seasonally relevant educational messages that align to points in time when fraud tends to spike (e.g., tax time, the holidays). Drawing your cardholders’ attention to these topics positions your bank or credit union as a “trusted partner” in fraud prevention. Also consider dedicating some campaigns to more at-risk populations (e.g., children and elderly adults). Equipping your customers with the knowledge to protect themselves and their loved ones reinforces trust and loyalty.

2. Empower Cardholders to “Help Themselves”: Educate cardholders about the fraud-prevention tools already at their fingertips — such as mobile app alerts and two-step verification options. Keep your messaging approachable and jargon-free, especially for consumers who may find new technology confusing. 

3. Highlight Card Issuers’ Built-In Layers of Protection: As card fraud rises, issuers are fighting back with data-driven innovations. For instance, Visa recently announced that its newly formed scam disruption practice, Visa Scam Disruption (VSD), helped block over $40B in attempted fraud last year². Bringing cardholders’ attention to these positive fraud developments is a win-win — it reinforces consumer confidence and gives you the opportunity to remind cardholders of issue-backed benefits like Zero Liability Policy, chip technology, and other proactive features.

4. Always Defer to an Empathetic Tone: Victims of card fraud or online scams often feel embarrassed or violated afterward. Ensure your tone remains empathetic across all channel communications — from marketing emails to customer service calls. A compassionate approach goes a long way in cementing customer loyalty!

Keep in mind that fraud prevention marketing strategies must evolve as online scams become more sophisticated. Card marketers play a critical role in staying ahead of these fraud trends. Pragmatic is here to help! With our deep expertise in credit card marketing, we can help you design and advance proactive strategies that safeguard both your customers and your brand.

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¹ Pew Research Center – “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today” (July 31, 2025)

² eMarketer – “Visa’s $350 million scam crackdown: How data and new strategies are beating fraud” (March 11, 2025)