New analysis of 4M+ transactions reveals email signals correlated with increased risk

DEDHAM, Mass., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AtData, a leading innovator in email address intelligence, data security, and digital trust solutions, today released new findings revealing the most critical email fraud signals plaguing digital payments. Drawing from an analysis of more than 4 million transactions in its fraud detection network, AtData identified the top four indicators that correlate with elevated fraud risk: disposable emails, email account age, international proxies and IP anonymization, and domain reputation.

1. Disposable Emails: A Red Flag for Fraud
   
   Disposable email domains are a top indicator of fraudulent behavior. Frequently used to bypass identity verification and commit one-time abuse, these temporary emails are more likely to be tied to payment fraud. Across several industries, they showed a fraud rate exceeding 70%, making them riskier than emails linked to legitimate internet service provider (ISP) domains.
2. Email Longevity: New Accounts Signal Immediate Risk
   
   Email age is another strong predictor of fraud risk. Addresses created just days before a transaction were 25x more likely to be fraudulent. In the lending space, this risk escalates—email addresses less than 30 days old showed a 35x increase in fraud risk. Borrowers using newly created emails carried a 67.3% fraud rate in payment scenarios.
3. Anonymized and International IPs: Elevated Threat
   
   Fraudsters often mask their location using proxies, VPNs, or anonymized routing. Transactions routed through international proxies are 3.7x more likely to be fraudulent than domestic IP addresses. In lending, the risk jumps to 14.6x. By hiding true geolocation, bad actors bypass region-based fraud checks. Real-time IP intelligence is key to uncovering threats that traditional systems miss.
4. Domain Risk Score: Reputation Signals Matter
   
   Real-time evaluation of a domain's reputation proves highly predictive. Domains with elevated risk scores are 10.3x more likely to appear in fraudulent loan applications. Leveraging real-time domain scoring allows organizations to flag suspicious transactions before they occur, preventing losses before they escalate.

"Bad actors are exploiting every gap in digital payments systems," said Diarmuid Thoma, AtData's Head of Fraud and Data. "These findings reveal why static, rule-based fraud filters are not enough. Email data holds a wealth of behavioral and identity signals, and fraud strategies built on real-time, data-driven intelligence, especially at the email level, will help stay ahead of emerging threats and protect both platforms and customers."

While many organizations rely on conventional detection methods, those systems often miss the nuanced signals embedded in email addresses. AtData's fraud detection network leverages advanced machine learning and real-time activity intelligence to uncover malicious behavior based on a single email.

About AtData

AtData is the leader in email address intelligence with the most accurate, comprehensive, and privacy compliant email-centric solutions. Leveraging its 20+ year dynamic, historical dataset and advanced machine learning models processing billions of monthly activity signals, AtData identifies malicious users hiding behind an email address. AtData's real-time fraud prevention enables organizations to avoid fake accounts, decrease fraudulent transactions, and mitigate promotion abuse. For additional information, visit AtData.com.

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SOURCE AtData