A proxy is a computer or server that acts as an intermediary between two computers. It can be used for a variety of legitimate purposes, such as accessing websites blocked by your government or using a social media site without the risk of tracking. However, some users also use proxies to conceal their real locations and circumvent the rules of fraud detection systems.
Fraudsters are well aware of the benefits of using proxies and know how to use them to defraud businesses online. They may be targeting a specific campaign with click fraud or trying to sell sensitive information that they can then use for identity theft or phishing attacks.
One of the most effective ways to combat fraudulent traffic is by analyzing traffic with a Proxy Fraud Score. This will help to identify traffic from a known bad IP address, and provide the necessary data to filter these requests accordingly.
The Proxy Fraud Score is based on a variety of criteria that are relevant to the nature and type of fraudulent behavior being detected. It includes data such as the overall risk of the IP, recent reputation activity, whether or not the user is connected to a proxy, and more.
Several different sources of this data are utilized to create the score. These include internal and external databases, as well as a proxy database with over a million IPs. This database is regularly updated to ensure that it stays current with the latest fraudster activities and trends.
These proxy fraud scores are incredibly useful because they help to identify traffic that is causing significant harm to businesses and organizations around the world. This can range from bots and fake accounts to SPAM and fraudulent orders, and it allows businesses to quickly detect and block these types of users from entering their sites in order to prevent a loss or potential security breach.
This is especially important when it comes to ecommerce transactions, where fraudsters can place one item in their shopping cart and then chargeback it later. They can also hide their location from merchants and ad networks, making it hard for them to verify the IP addresses of their purchases.
To help combat this, a host can utilize a program called Proxy Piercing, which is designed to determine the original IP of a customer attempting a transaction. Depending on the level of this piercing, it can even determine the physical location of that person.
Another way to stop fraudulent traffic is to monitor the time spent on a website. This can help to detect whether or not the visitor has a high risk of committing a fraudulent transaction, as they could be looking for something to purchase before they make their final decision.
When looking at fraud traces, it is important to look for large peaks in traffic that are not consistent with the normal behavior of an ordinary consumer. This can indicate that a large group of fraudsters are using residential proxies to conduct their fraud.