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Fraudulent merchant signal Private preview
Detect connected accounts engaging in fraudulent activity.
The fraudulent merchant signal identifies whether a new or existing account poses a fraud risk. The Stripe machine learning models analyze patterns across the network, including bank account information, business details, transaction activity, disputes, and relationships with other accounts.
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Risk levels
Each signal returns a risk_level and a probability score with a value between 0 to 100.
| Risk level | Description |
|---|---|
highest | Approximately a 90% probability that the account is fraudulent. |
elevated | Approximately a 50% probability that the account is fraudulent. |
normal | A low probability of fraud. |
low | A very low probability of fraud. |
not_assessed | The signal hasn’t been assessed for this account. |
Indicators
The following indicators explain the factors that contributed to the risk assessment.
| Indicator | Description |
|---|---|
bank_account | The bank account matches a previously detected fraudulent account. |
business_information_and_account_activity | We detected a spike in the average order value or payment volume, or suspicious business details. |
disputes | We detect a spike in disputes. |
failures | We detect a spike in payment failures. |
geo_location | We detect account activity in a country that differs from the business location or that’s in a high-risk region. |
other_related_accounts | The account is connected to a previously detected fraudulent account. |
other_transaction_activity | We detect unusual transaction patterns, such as spikes in volume or order value. |
owner_email | The email address uses a suspicious domain or doesn’t match the business URL. |
web_presence | We detect a suspicious web presence, such as a domain that doesn’t match the business. |
Webhook event
Listen for v2.signals.account_signal.fraudulent_merchant_ready event notifications when a fraud signal is evaluated. The event’s related_object contains the ID of the account signal; use it to retrieve the risk_level, probability, and indicators for the connected account.
Take action on connected accounts
You can respond to the fraudulent merchant signals that you receive for a connected account using the Radar tools. See the list of available actions.