Would You Flag Santa as a Fraudster?

Would You Flag Santa as a Fraudster?

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by Tamas Kadar

The holidays are a busy season for some – notably, Mr Santa Claus who has to deliver presents to children around the world in under 24 hours. While this is widely acknowledged to be a logistical nightmare, we wondered what would happen if Santa decided to use some eCommerce services, and whether or not those transactions would get approved.

Here’s our list of what would definitely get flagged as suspicious for chargeback fraud prevention:

No public identity records or social media

Known all around the world, yet lives such a secretive life. First flag.

Emails are bouncing

Santa is known to prefer snail mail, so it’s unlikely he’d use a valid email address.

Purchases from 195 countries within 24 hours

There is no frequent traveller trust rule that would let that pass.

Over a billion delivery addresses added

At least he’s picking up the order himself? Still, all velocity rules would be broken.

IP address resolves to low orbit

We know of the occasional customer transacting from an exotic location, but this might be just a bit too suspicious.

Device: Flying Sleigh Running RudolfOS with Rednose browser

At least it’s unique. Like happens once a year unique.

Cookies change after EVERY transaction

Or at least with every transaction where the tradition is kept. A red flag!

Customer literally claiming to be Santa Claus

“Yeah right,” says the risk manager just before pressing decline.

What would be on your list?

The SEON Team wishes you Merry Christmas!

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Tamas Kadar

Tamás Kádár is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of SEON. His mission to create a fraud-free world began after he founded the CEE’s first crypto exchange in 2017 and found it under constant attack. The solution he built now reduces fraud for 5,000+ companies worldwide, including global leaders such as KLM, Avis, and Patreon. In his spare time, he’s devouring data visualizations and injuring himself while doing basic DIY around his London pad.


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