Fraud, CX, and the Future of Retail – Forter

Published:
March 19, 2025

Reading time:
2 minute read

Written by:
Forter Team

By Michael Fulvio, Director of Customer Experience, SNIPES

Thanks to the Forter IMPACT Fund, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2025 Merchant Risk Council (MRC) conference in Las Vegas — the go-to event for eCommerce payments and fraud professionals.

Walking in, I expected to be surrounded by payment and fraud experts from some of the world’s biggest retailers, but what I didn’t expect? SNIPES is facing many of the same challenges they are. It was eye-opening to realize that fraud isn’t just a “big company problem,” it’s an everyone problem — and every retailer, no matter the size, is fighting the same fight.

Balancing Fraud & CX

One of my biggest takeaways? Fraudsters are ridiculously organized. I knew fraud was a constant battle, but I didn’t fully grasp the level of coordination these bad actors have. Entire networks are dedicated to scamming retailers — testing loopholes, sharing stolen data, and finding new ways to exploit policies. And it’s not just high-ticket items — they’ll go after seemingly small purchases, knowing that volume and persistence add up.

But here’s the thing: stopping fraud can’t come at the cost of blocking real, loyal customers. That’s why it’s critical that fraud prevention teams work hand-in-hand with customer experience and support teams.

At SNIPES, we’re laser-focused on making sure the right customers — the sneakerheads, the trendsetters, the ones who come to us for the culture and the experience — aren’t getting caught in the crossfire. That’s what makes Forter such a great partner: they help us balance fraud prevention with a frictionless experience.

Lunch & Learn

One of the additional highlights of my time at MRC was participating in a Lunch & Learn panel on balancing fraud prevention with customer delight. It was a fantastic discussion with fellow fraud fighters, where I shared how our hyper-vigilant CX team plays a key role in detecting fraud while ensuring legitimate customers aren’t unfairly blocked.

I walked away from MRC with new insights, fresh ideas, and a deeper appreciation for the role CX plays in fraud prevention.

If you’re thinking about how to better protect your business without hurting the customer experience, I highly recommend checking out the Forter IMPACT Fund — they’re investing in professionals across industries to expand their knowledge and bring these insights back to their teams.

And if you want to chat about fraud, CX, or how we’re tackling these challenges at SNIPES — message me! Let’s keep the conversation going.

Michael Fulvio is the Director of Customer Experience at SNIPES, where he leads customer-focused initiatives that drive engagement and loyalty. With a proven track record in customer experience transformation, Michael specializes in optimizing business processes, implementing innovative technologies, and aligning strategy with business goals. A recognized thought leader and speaker, he brings deep expertise in loyalty program rollouts, Voice of the Customer strategies, and process optimization.