According to a new study released by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, for every $100 in fraudulent transactions, retailers surprisingly incurred a 'true' cost of $270.

Findings from the study show the cost of fraud is on the rise compared to last year. This year’s cost of $2.70 per $1.00 in merchandise is up $0.40 from last year’s level of $2.30. One of the areas of major fraud growth is the mobile sector. This year, mobile merchants paid $2.83 for every $1.00 lost compared to just $2.00 for 2011, an increase of more than 40 percent. The analysis in the study shows that criminals are shifting more attention to merchants that use a broader array of sales interaction methods, including browser, applications, text and evolving near-field communication methods.

The 4th annual LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud Study examines how fraud affects retail merchants, financial institutions and U.S. consumers, as well as identifies and quantifies the losses involved in a fraudulent retail transaction.

On the web:

• The Future of Money and Mobile Commerce (Infographic) - Mashable.com
• Square CEO Jack Dorsey Discusses Mobile Payments (Interview) Stanford Daily
• Meeting the Demand for Cash — Counting On Currency

On the wires:

• NEBA Fraud Monitoring Service Protects Bank Credit Card Portfolios from Brute Force Fraud
• LexisNexis Announces FraudPoint Solutions to Reduce Identity Theft and Fraud with Advanced Scoring and Analytics
• YuuPay and Virtual Piggy Partner to Provide Secure Online and Mobile Payments for Under 18 Users

According to a new study released by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, for every $100 in fraudulent transactions, retailers surprisingly incurred a 'true' cost of $230.

According to the study, retail merchants and financial institutions reported an overall decline in fraud rates and transactions while total retail sales rose. However, the research suggests that this is not the time to lose focus on fraud mitigation, as fraudsters’ techniques continue to evolve as retailers enter new markets through international and mobile channels. Consumers also experienced a decline in fraud losses overall but the average time it took to resolve fraud issues rose by 57% and the out-of-pocket costs of fraud rose by $244.

On the wires:

• Creativity Pays - Introducing Cleeng, the First Social Alternative to Paywalls
• hyperWALLET Announces Partnership with WIP (Wireless Industry Partnership)
• ACI Worldwide and Integrated Research Launch Payment Service Management for Fraud Prevention
• AuraPortal Launches the First BPM Software with a Seamlessly Integrated e-Commerce System
• Stream Media Raises Series A Funding to Provide Global Payment Platform for Mobile In-App Transactions
• LexisNexis Releases New Comprehensive, Hosted Collections Platform

On the web:

• TechCrunch: Tradeshift Integrates PayPal into its Free Invoicing Platform
• GigaOM: Phones Becoming Frontline in Credit Card Fraud Battle
• Digital Transactions: With Signed Merchants Onboard, ISIS Looks at Transit, Fast Food, and Groceries
• iNewp.com: Mobgets Exposes Verified by Visa Flaws on Mobile Devices
• Vator.tv: Danny Shader Interview on PayNearMe's Consumer Demographic (Video)
• Digital Money: Davd Birch's Impression on GSMA Mobile World Congress
• MIT Technology Review: The New Money - Square Profile

According to a new report released today by LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, U.S. merchants are incurring $191 billion in fraud losses each year. The 2009 LexisNexis® True Cost of Fraud Benchmark Study discovered that merchants must absorb nearly 10 times the identity fraud cost incurred by financial institutions. Retail merchants experience a massive $100 billion in losses solely attributed to identity fraud, which escalates to $191 billion when factoring in the additional cost of lost and stolen merchandise. The study also found that merchant fraud losses amounted to more than 20 times the total value of consumer fraud victim losses which totaled approximately $4.8 billion in 2008. READ MORE »