Since July, Visa has noticed an uptick in unemployment insurance fraud with prepaid cards being used as a key disbursement vehicle. And the best solution may be rooted in technology, not law enforcement.

As the coronavirus pandemic has driven more people to work from home and shop online, the demands on digital, faster payment systems have been heightened — as have the opportunities for fraudsters to exploit them.

U.S. banks and credit unions reported skyrocketing levels of suspected business-loan fraud last month, a period that coincided with growing awareness of scams involving government small-business aid programs.

As many businesses and consumers have been forced to deal with the difficult conditions thrust upon them by the COVID-19 pandemic, so too have fraudsters needed to make adjustments just to continue their life of crime.

By taking action today, you can begin to have peace of mind that your previously existing fraud vectors have been sealed off, says PaymentWorks' Thayer Stewart.

Netwalker attacks are known to target victims using phishing emails disguised as COVID-19 updates from their organization, taking advantage of the heightened fears and anxieties that come with the current pandemic, says Stealthbits Technologies' Dan Piazza.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking to create a better-defined standard for effective AML compliance programs and is considering whether to impose formal requirements that banks assess their laundering risk.

By implementing email protections and patches, the bank was able to protect mobile payments, ATMs, and digital banking, says Red Canary's Tony Lambert.

In the coming months, governments will continue to disburse truly historic amounts of funds; and we can continue to expect historic levels of fraud. Leveraging technology can get money to those who deserve it while preventing criminals from exploiting this crisis, says Giant Oak's Gary Shiffman.

Fraud of all kinds has been spiking during the pandemic. Krista Tedder, head of payments, Javelin Strategy & Research, says there are many steps banks could be taking to detect and deter it.