Fraud Prevention Month: What 2025 Moneris data tells us and how businesses can stay ahead

Fraud Prevention Month is an important reminder that protecting your business is not a once-a-year activity. Fraud evolves constantly, and so must the steps businesses take to prevent it. Moneris data from 2025 shows that while fraud levels remain lower than they were in 2023, there is still a noticeable rise in activity that Canadian businesses should be paying attention to.

Fraud cases are rising again, but the picture is complex

Moneris data shows a 4 per cent year-over-year increase in reported fraud cases across Canada in 2025. Even with this rise, fraud cases are still 13 per cent lower than in 2023. Although the increase seems small, the true scale of fraud is often larger because many cases go unreported or undetected for long periods of time.

Fraud has also become more sophisticated. The growth of artificial intelligence and accessible digital tools allows fraudsters to hide their behaviour more effectively, making it harder for businesses to identify unusual activity early.

Card Not Present fraud continues to lead fraud types

Mail order and telephone order fraud (MOTO) remains the most common fraud type in Canada, and this is reflected clearly in the data. In 2025, Card Not Present fraud accounted for 65 per cent of all reported cases, a 3 per cent increase from 2024.

Card Not Present fraud includes situations where payment information is manually typed in, such as:

These scenarios carry higher risk because fraudsters can more easily dispute the transaction, leading to chargebacks that leave businesses without recourse.

Risk signals businesses should watch for

When handling payments by phone or mail, businesses should pay attention to customers who:

These may be signs of potential fraud attempts.

Ontario shows a different trend: Account takeover rises

While most regions cited Card Not Present fraud as the most common type, Ontario reported something different. Account takeover fraud was the most common fraud type in the province, representing 8 per cent of all fraud cases nationally and rising 2 per cent from 2024.

Account takeover occurs when fraudsters use stolen information, usually obtained through phishing or malware, to access business accounts. Once inside, they can compromise:

Funds can be redirected, and business information can be altered without immediate detection. This trend shows how critical cybersecurity awareness has become for Canadian merchants.

Refund fraud trends reveal both progress and new concerns

One of the largest shifts in 2025 data appears in refund fraud. The insights show two very different stories:

1. Refund fraud on stolen devices is decreasing

This category dropped from 16 per cent in 2024 to just 1 per cent in 2025, a major decline. This suggests that merchants are taking stronger precautions to secure their devices, such as:

2. Internal refund abuse is rising

Employee refund fraud and general refund abuse made up 16 per cent of all fraud cases in 2025. Most notably, refund abuse jumped from 1 per cent in 2024 to 9 per cent in 2025.

Businesses can protect themselves by:

How businesses can protect themselves

The highest-risk transactions continue to be Card Not Present payments, especially mail order and telephone order (MOTO). Whenever possible, businesses should shift away from manual entry and toward secure digital channels that verify cardholder identity.

Secure payment gateways, such as Moneris Checkout, help prevent fraud by adding authentication layers that make it harder for criminals to use stolen or fabricated card details. For businesses that need a complete solution across in-store and online channels, Moneris Total Commerce integrates fraud prevention into the checkout experience and can help divert certain chargeback liabilities to card issuers when proper authentication is used.

If you must accept MOTO payments, confirm that the customer is someone you already know or have a long-standing relationship with. Fraud attempts often happen through one-time interactions with customers who push for rushed or unusual payment arrangements.

Why staying informed matters

Fraud Prevention Month is a chance for businesses to pause, reassess, and strengthen their defences. The data clearly shows that fraud types evolve quickly. What dropped sharply this year may rise again next year, and new techniques continue to emerge.

Protect your business from evolving fraud threats. Check out Moneris Fraud Prevention tools today!