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Today’s decision by the First Tier Tribunal substantially overturns the ICO’s Enforcement Notice issued against Experian in 2020. It represents a welcome development for the consumers, small businesses and charities across the UK that rely on the services provided by Experian.  The Tribunal found, in contrast to the ICO’s Enforcement Notice, that the vast majority of our practices meet GDPR requirements, including the transparency that we provide consumers through our Credit Reference Agency Information Notice and our Consumer Information Portal. We are very pleased with this outcome.   We also welcome the clarification concerning the provision of notifications to people whose data we collect solely from public records, who represent a very small percentage of our UK marketing database. We will build this into our processes in accordance with the Tribunal’s time requirement.  We share the ICO’s goals on the need to provide transparency, maintain privacy and ensure consumers are in control of their data. As we have stated throughout these proceedings, we remain deeply committed to transparency, safeguarding privacy, and helping consumers to better understand and control the use of their data.

Healthcare providers are struggling to address the high volume of insurance claims denials. It’s one of the top contributors to wasted dollars to the tune of more than $250 billion per year, according to industry reports. A denied claim means healthcare providers, like hospitals, are not getting reimbursed for care, leaving much-needed funds on the table. The cause of a denied claim is often due to incorrect data. The result? An endless cycle of submissions and resubmissions, which not only affects providers’ financial stability, but also puts pressure on the issue of staffing shortages with rounds of rework. You could even argue patients experience pains with this administrative burden, as inefficiencies could result in higher out-of-pocket costs. It’s no surprise that reducing claim denials is at the top of many healthcare leaders’ wish lists. In fact, a recent Experian Health survey among healthcare executives found that 72 percent said reducing denials was their highest priority. Experian Health aims to simplify the administrative aspects of healthcare and we recognize the claims process is currently one of the most challenging for providers. From the perils experienced with manual data entry to payer codes changing frequently to the decentralization of data and lack of staffing, the industry must adopt new ways to tackle the claims denial conundrum. We believe the solution involves tapping into the benefits of using artificial intelligence and are proud to announce the launch of AI Advantage™, an artificial intelligence engine in our #1 KLAS ranked ClaimSource® suite. With two new claim reimbursement products for the pre- and post-submission process, AI Advantage – Predictive Denials™ and AI Advantage – Denial Triage™, these products offer real-time intelligence and predictive modeling to prevent avoidable denials and prioritize re-submissions, leading to greater efficiencies and faster recouped revenue. This is an example of how Experian Health is using AI, analyzing and processing data and information in ways others can’t to solve problems. The next frontier in healthcare is upon us and the industry must embrace the technologies that make administrative processes faster and more efficient to allow providers to be more financially solvent and, most importantly, be in a better position to focus on patient care. For more information about AI Advantage, click here.  

Today we released our annual Future of Fraud Forecast to help consumers and businesses stay one step ahead of emerging fraud trends and scams. Here’s what we expect in 2023: Fake texts from the boss: Given the prevalence of remote work, Experian predicts there’ll be a sharp rise in employer text fraud. This occurs when the “boss” texts the employee to buy gift cards using a bogus reason, and then asks the employee to email the gift card numbers and codes. Fraudsters then use the gift cards, leaving the employee and/or the company with the expense.Beware of fake job postings and mule schemes: Amid uncertain economic conditions, Experian predicts fraudsters will create fake remote job postings, specifically designed to lure consumers into applying for the job and providing private details like a social security number and date of birth on a fake employment application. The job never materializes, and the fraudsters use the information provided to commit identity theft. Experian also predicts that consumers could fall prey to mule recruiting schemes. This happens when people sign up for work from home jobs and unintentionally act as a re-shipper of stolen goods or help move money through their personal bank accounts on behalf of fraudsters.Frankenstein shoppers spell trouble for retailers: Synthetic identity fraud is the fastest growing financial crime in the United States, according to The Federal Reserve. This type of fraud involves a fraudster creating a synthetic or “Frankenstein” identity by combining real and false information and opening and building up lines of credit, eventually maxing out their credit limit and never paying it back. Experian predicts a new version of this fraud could result in major losses for retailers in the coming year. Fraudsters can create online shopper profiles using synthetic identities so that the fake shopper’s legitimacy is created to outsmart retailers’ fraud controls. As the shopper’s profile matures, criminals add stolen payment cards to the accounts. When the fraud eventually occurs, a single synthetic identity will have multiple credit lines to burn through across retailers.Social media shopping fraud: Experian predicts in-app social commerce fraud could result in millions of dollars in losses. These apps are designed to make shopping easy, intuitive and compelling for consumers to make purchases without leaving the app. This means legitimate brands are racing to make social commerce a part of their sales strategy. However, social commerce currently has very few identity verification and fraud detection controls in place, making the retailers that sell on these platforms easy targets for a surge in fraudulent purchases.Peer-to-peer payment problems: Consumers love the convenience of peer-to-peer payments and usage continues to grow. Fraudsters also love peer-to-peer payment methods because they’re an instantaneous and irreversible way to move money, enabling fraudsters to get cash with less work and more profit. Experian predicts fraudsters will gain even more unauthorized access to peer-to-peer payments by using multiple social engineering techniques. Consumers will be duped into buying fake items, sending the money to fraudsters and then never receiving their orders. They’ll also be tricked into giving their account credentials, enabling fraudsters to send cash to themselves. Experian is at the forefront of fraud prevention and identity verification. We offer a full suite of automated tools that harness data and analytics to prevent fraud and mitigate losses. Learn more about Experian’s fraud prevention tools here.