Equifax Inc. has issued several resources to help organizations combat the elusive and increasingly expensive problem of fraud during customer acquisition. The resources describe current fraud scenarios, the background and methods most commonly used to commit this type of fraud, and outline best practices to detect and deter fraud during customer acquisition.

All industries are vulnerable to fraud during customer acquisition as the account opening process can provide fraudsters with direct access to credit, goods, or sensitive data, according to Daniel Jean, Assistant Vice President of Identity and Fraud Product Development at Equifax and author of a white paper about fraud during customer acquisition.

The costs of fraudulent applications are expected to reach an astounding $28.6 billion this year, as reported in Aite Group research, "First-Party Fraud: The Global Battle against Diabolical Charge-Offs."

"Detecting and deterring fraud is essential in helping organizations manage costs and mitigate risks," Jean said. "Equifax is committed to using our unparalleled expertise in data analytics to provide companies with effective solutions for detecting fraud – starting at the beginning of the customer life cycle."

Equifax resources to help organizations combat fraud during customer acquisition include white papers, an infographic, and a series of educational webinars offered through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.