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Across the globe, fraud risks continue to grow and businesses continue to invest more to combat potential threats. According to Experian's 2019 Global Fraud and Identity Report, which was published this past January, more than half of businesses across the world have increased their fraud management budget in the past twelve months. I recently had the opportunity to discuss this very topic with Forbes.com. In the article I raised the issue of whether businesses are investing in the right places. Our research shows that businesses may sometimes be investing in the wrong capabilities or point solutions that are materially less effective than if they were to take a layered approach to fraud detection. To provide consumers with both security and convenient online experiences, companies must have a complete understanding by looking at the problem holistically. By layering multiple approaches such as digital risk assessments leveraging device intelligence, behavioural biometrics together with more traditional measures – businesses can focus their resources where it matters most – providing a safe yet convenient online environment for their customers. The Forbes article also looked at the issue of trust. The anonymous nature of digital interactions makes creating trusted and meaningful relationships with digital consumers difficult. Unlike face-to-face interactions where people rely on visual cues, and relationships developed over time, businesses must find other ways to quickly recognize their customers online and deliver personalized experiences. At Experian, we believe trust is extremely important. In fact, the report found that nearly eighty percent of consumers say the more transparent a business is about the use of their information, the greater trust they have in that business. And fifty-six percent of businesses plan to invest more in transparency-inspired programs such as educating consumers, communicating terms more concisely and helping consumers be in control of their data. There is no doubt about it, businesses who want to continue to thrive and lead in the digital economy will find ways to offer their customers both security and convenience whilst building trust with their audience. Learn more the state of fraud and how trust plays a role by downloading our 2019 report: Consumer trust: Building meaningful relationships online.  

We are delighted to announce our investment in bonify, a German fintech start-up dedicated to giving consumers better insights into their creditworthiness. bonify gives its 500,000 customers easy access to their creditworthiness and financial data, offering them a number of financial management tools to help analyse and optimise their financial situation. At Experian, we believe very deeply in the power of data to help improve people’s lives. That’s why we’re so excited by bonify’s continued goal to improve its users’ financial lives, and the steps it is taking to help people in Germany understand and benefit from their financial information. We are delighted to join a number of investors in supporting the growth of this innovative start-up. Charles Butterworth, Managing Director Experian UK, Ireland and EMEA​, said: "We are excited by the way bonify is helping people in Germany understand, engage with and improve their credit scores. We look forward to supporting the team as an investor and partner in their future growth.“ Founder and CEO of bonify, Dr. Gamal Moukabary​, said: “Experian's  investment shows that we are on the right track. It rewards our achievements and  our unique value proposition. Experian is an ideal investor and partner for us to  support the next growth phase. Our goal is to expand our operations into other  European countries.” Manuel Silva Martínez, Partner and Head of Investments, Santander  InnoVentures​, added: “We are delighted to welcome Experian  Ventures to bonify. Experian will add tremendous value and technical expertise to  bonify’s product roadmap. We are thrilled to support bonify as we accelerate growth and help more and more people across Germany and Europe with taking control of  their finances in a sound and responsible way.

In the United States, June is observed as Pride Month by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGTBQ+) community. The celebration is in remembrance of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the U.S. Pride is not only about the parades and flags, but about the celebration and commemoration of the contributions members of the LGBTQ+ community have made throughout U.S. history—and there are many. Though the beginnings of Pride Month originate in the U.S., Experian is committed to supporting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community on a global scale. This year was an especially important year, marking both the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and the one year anniversary of the inception of Experian’s Pride Network Employee Resource Group (ERG). Our Pride Network executive co-sponsors, Michele Bodda and Todd Rudie, say, "As our culture continues to evolve, we feel especially empowered by Experian’s demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion. With great support from our leadership, we launched the Experian Pride Network just one year ago and have achieved success beyond our aspirations." Earlier this year, for example, Experian earned a "2019 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" designation by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). "We are proud to have achieved a perfect score on our very first submission to HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. This was a goal our ERG originally set out to achieve within three years," Bodda and Rudie stated. With so much to commemorate and celebrate, our Pride Network kicked off the month with numerous events around the world, including participation in official Pride parades, on-campus barbecues, bake-offs, spirit days, LGBTQ-focused webinars and so much more. It's important for us to not only provide a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community, but to also educate all of our non-LGBTQ employees about how they can be better allies. As part of the festivities, we had The LGBT Center OC conduct a webinar for ways we can develop tools and strategies for good allyship across the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Here are some takeaways of what it means to be an LGBTQ+ ally: Allies have a deep understanding of LGBTQ+ people, terms, and experiences​ Allies speak up when they see discriminatory behavior​ Allies intervene in cases of bullying or harassment​ Allies always use the right name and pronouns for their transgender friends​ Allies recognize that they have privilege over other marginalized groups, and they want to use that privilege to help elevate the voices of the unheard​ Experian also hosted a webinar on navigating the workplace as a transgender individual. While several states have laws in place to protect transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the workplace, harassment and discrimination are still large issues in the U.S. today. Here are some takeaways of what we can do to better support our transgender and gender non-conforming colleagues and friends: Understand the biases and hardships trans and gender non-conforming individuals face in the workplace — 75 percent of transgender workers experience discrimination, harassment, bullying, privacy invasion and suppression every day at work Know the laws in your state Empathize. You can do this by calling people by the preferred name/pronoun, refraining from making assumptions about others' sexual orientations and avoiding making assumptions that all trans people look the same or are going through a "transition" Be an ally — add gender neutral/all-gender restroom options, normalize the usage of pronouns, don't ask personal or inappropriate questions, etc. After taking measures to further educate ourselves, it was time to celebrate! Here are some photos from our Pride celebrations:   Costa Mesa, CA Allen, TX Schaumburg, IL Clearwater, FL Costa Rica