In this episode of the Fraudcast, Gena Rivera and Vito Petruzzelli welcome Kelley Andersen, a seasoned leader in payments fraud and customer support tooling at Microsoft and former Amazon fraud expert, to dive into the latest challenges and strategies in e-commerce fraud prevention.
Kelley opens up about her journey from early aspirations in law to risk analytics in insurance, eventually leading major fraud teams at Amazon and Microsoft. She emphasizes the untraditional pathways many take into fraud prevention and sets the stage for an insightful conversation about the dynamic evolution of the field.
The discussion dives deeply into how customer support and fraud teams can—and should—work hand-in-hand, especially as online threats grow more sophisticated. Kelley and the panel stress that social engineering scams now target not just systems but the human element, making frontline customer service agents crucial sources of fraud intelligence. The conversation also covers manual review, the enduring value of the human touch despite rapid advances in AI, and the risks of relying solely on artificial intelligence for fraud detection. Matthew and other participants provide firsthand insights from both financial institutions and operational support, adding layers of real-world perspective.
A major focus of the episode is the rise of agentic commerce—AI-driven or bot-assisted purchasing—which is poised to reshape risk management, especially as Black Friday and other peak shopping events approach. Kelley urges fraud professionals to use this year as a “trial run” for new strategies, suggesting proactive testing and collaboration with other business teams to fine-tune responses to emerging threats. She also shares lessons from past failures, highlighting the importance of scalable, adaptable guardrails instead of aiming for zero fraud or zero tolerance. Ultimately, the episode is a practical, engaging exchange packed with advice and camaraderie for fraud fighters preparing for the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.
Chapters:
00:00 E-commerce Evolution with Kelley
06:28 Adventures in Amazon Innovation
09:44 Analyzing the Lawyer Archetype
15:14 Enhancing Investigative Team Efficiency
18:44 The Human Element in AI Integration
22:27 Revolutionizing Cybersecurity Testing Methods
26:04 Prototyping's Role in Risk Strategy
27:37 Holiday Traffic Risk Assessment
30:50 Planning for High-Volume Events
35:49 Evolving Fraud Assessment Strategies
36:28 Balancing Fraud Detection and Approval Rates
41:56 Embracing Imperfection in Strategic Planning