OrboGraph

16/10/2025

The U.S. Treasury Department has officially eliminated paper check disbursements… well, most of them.

To assist the estimated 10M individuals who will need to transition to direct deposit, the U.S. Treasury Department has published a new Resources Page to educate recipients about the phaseout, offering support in shifting to electronic payments.

How will the elimination of U.S. Treasury paper disbursements affect financial institutions? Very minimally, as U.S. Treasury checks only account for 36M (according to the Federal Reserve data) of the 9-10B paper checks written each year.

U.S. Treasury Department has officially “eliminated” paper check disbursements — with many exceptions New resources page published by the U.S. Treasury to assist in transition How will this impact inancial institutions? As many are aware, as of September 30, 2025 the US Government has official...

15/10/2025

According to TransUnion’s H2 2025 Global Fraud Report, businesses across the globe lost an astonishing 7.7% of their annual revenue to fraud in the past year—totaling an estimated $534 billion.

In the United States -- which has a unique payments landscape as checks are still heavily utilized by businesses, the situation is even more alarming, with losses averaging 9.8% of annual revenue, up 46% from 2024 and 27% higher than the global average. For the surveyed U.S. companies alone, this represents $114 billion in lost revenue.

Take a deeper dive into the TransUnion report and the US's unique fraud challenges.

Companies lost 7.7% of their annual revenue to fraud in the past year The United States has a fraud loss rate that is 27% higher than the global average U.S. House Committee on Financial Services recently convened to discuss the issue Fraud is inflicting record-setting damage on businesses worldwide...

09/10/2025

While the government continues its push toward eliminating paper checks, small and mid-sized businesses aren’t necessarily following the same path.

For many, checks remain a practical and familiar payment method, supported by customers who still prefer them and by operations that aren’t fully equipped for a digital-only approach.

In fact, 91% of businesses still use paper checks, showing just how ingrained they are in everyday transactions.

The move to digital payments may be gaining ground, but widespread adoption among SMBs will take more than new standards – it requires readiness on both sides of the transaction. Until then, checks will continue to play a key role in how businesses send and receive payments.

How do you see this balance shifting in the years ahead?
Read the full post on OrboNation to explore what this means for SMBs and financial institutions.

The U.S. government plans to eliminate paper checks in federal payments Small businesses face a challenge Local merchants, contractors,& independent service providers rely on checks PYMNTS takes a look at the U.S. government’s move to eliminate paper checks in federal payments, which is accelerati...

08/10/2025

AI isn’t just transforming fraud detection; it’s transforming fraud itself.

In the latest Wrestling Payments podcast, Brian Keefe of NICE Actimize sheds light on a problem that isn’t getting enough attention: AI-driven check fraud.

Fraudsters are now using AI to forge, alter, and mass-produce counterfeit checks faster than ever, and sharing their playbooks on the dark web.

But this same technology is also what’s helping financial institutions fight back.

From explainable AI to real-time image forensic analysis, the race between fraudsters and defenders is accelerating, and it’s clear:

Whoever uses AI smarter, wins.

07/10/2025

Are the ABA’s latest fraud prevention campaigns sending the right message?

The American Bankers Association (ABA) has relaunched its award-winning and campaigns for 2025 , aiming to educate consumers and small businesses on how to spot and stop scams.

But, while the intent is spot-on, the messaging in the new Practice Safe Checks videos could easily be misunderstood.

The content promotes digital payments as a “safer” alternative, potentially suggesting that checks themselves are inherently risky rather than emphasizing proper protection and fraud prevention.

Education is key to stopping fraud, but it needs to strike the right tone. Financial institutions must ensure that customers understand both the risks and safeguards of check payments, not just shift to another payment method.

See how the ABA’s messaging has evolved and what it means for check safety in our latest blog:

The ABA has relaunched campaigns to educate consumers The new theme is “Snap Out of It” Some of the video messaging may be misconstrued The American Bankers Association (ABA) has relaunched its award-winning consumer protection campaigns, and , in 2025 to bo...

02/10/2025

Are banks using more AI than they realize?

According to American Banker’s latest survey, institutions are rapidly adopting AI for fraud detection, compliance, financial modeling, and even HR analytics.

Yet many leaders still hesitate over issues of trust and data accuracy.

But here’s the catch: AI is already at work behind the scenes.

Take check processing; fintech vendors are leveraging AI to read and extract data from checks with over 99% accuracy.

For many banks, that means their operations are already running on some of the most reliable AI systems available, even if they don’t label it that way.

The question isn’t whether banks will adopt AI, it’s whether they recognize how deeply it’s already embedded in their day-to-day processes.

Read the full OrboNation blog to see what this means for the future of banking and fraud detection:

AI is transformative for the banking industry Barriers to adoption include trust and data Many banks are unaware that they are already leveraging AI Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the banking industry, offering innovative solutions to improve customer experiences, streamline operations...

30/09/2025

The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services has made check fraud a top priority.

At a recent Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing, lawmakers and witnesses dug into the alarming rise of scams targeting American consumers.

From stolen checks and phishing texts to advanced AI-driven schemes that mimic voices and images, fraudsters are exploiting both technology and human vulnerability.

Chairman French Hill even revealed his own experience with check fraud, underscoring that no one is immune.
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The message is clear, defeating fraud requires a united front, including:

- Banks and FIs investing in technology and education

- Telecom and social platforms stopping scams at the source

- Stronger mail security to prevent check theft

- Federal agencies and law enforcement coordinating efforts

- Consumers staying vigilant and reporting scams

But will the required collaboration actually happen?

Can these groups truly align to close the gaps, or will fraudsters stay one step ahead?

https://orbograph.com/u-s-house-committee-makes-fighting-check-fraud-a-priority/?utm_source=social+media&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_campaign=us+house+check+fraud&utm_id=fraudblog

25/09/2025

In banking, the conversation around agentic AI is growing louder, with some envisioning a future of “zero operations,” where processes manage themselves.
But as Forbes recently pointed out, the reality is more complex.

For one of the world’s most heavily regulated industries, the challenges aren’t just technical, they’re regulatory. Privacy concerns, compliance demands, and the risk of unpredictable outcomes mean banks must proceed with caution.

At the same time, AI is already proving its value in areas like check processing and fraud detection, delivering measurable accuracy and efficiency without the risks that come with agentic AI.
So, the real question isn’t just when banks will embrace agentic AI, but whether they truly need it in areas where existing technology is already driving results.

The financial industry is undergoing an AI evolution. Review our vision for Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and deep learning targeted for banking, check payments, and fraud detection.

24/09/2025

What’s holding Positive Pay back from reaching its potential?

At the recent OrboGraph Check Fraud Roundtable, industry experts formed a dedicated Positive Pay Workgroup to uncover why adoption remains limited and where the biggest obstacles lie.

Key challenges that surfaced:

- Onboarding clients is often cumbersome, with timelines missed and processes unclear.

- Data quality issues like truncated payee names from ERP/accounting systems cause exceptions and weaken results.

These barriers limit the effectiveness of a tool that should be helping financial institutions and businesses reduce fraud.

The conversation is just beginning. Read today’s blog to see the challenges identified by the workgroup and how you can be part of shaping its future.

Check fraud steals billions from businesses each year Payment fraud is a particularly pressing issue Businesses have exhibited low Positive Pay adoption rates Despite massive advances in fraud-prevention technology, check fraud continues to siphon billions from businesses each year, with fraudsters....

10/09/2025

What if the U.S. Treasury replaced government-issued checks with Zelle transfers?

That idea was recently floated by Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, a signal of where payments could go. But for now, the numbers tell a different story.

Despite recent growth, only about a quarter of U.S. banks participate – which is unsurprising when Zelle costs 25–90¢ per item while checks cost 5–15¢.

Add in familiar workflows, established processes, and new AI technologies that automate check processing, and it’s clear why checks remain a staple.

At the same time, scrutiny around scams has led some banks to restrict certain types of P2P transactions, underscoring the risks institutions must weigh alongside potential benefits like higher account openings.

The result: hecks remain more resilient, and more relevant, than many might expect.

Get the full context behind the costs, adoption, and scrutiny in today's blog post.

Despite the modern push toward instant digital payments, checks are still surprisingly popular among both banks and customers.

09/09/2025

CI-FIRST puts feedback into SARs.

With 682k check-fraud SARs in the past year, clarity and two-way communication help connect cases faster—especially at the point of deposit. Pair that with consortium-style data sharing and AML + fraud working in one system, and you get earlier detection and stronger outcomes.

CI-FIRST (Feedback in Response to Strategic Threats), launched in 2025, aims to break this cycle by forging a genuine feedback loop.

04/09/2025

The Federal Reserve is embracing financial technology (fintech) innovations like tokenization, smart contracts, and especially artificial intelligence (AI) within payment systems as part of its research into payment modernization.

Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Governor Christopher Waller emphasized that engagement with industry innovators is crucial as the lines between traditional finance and digital assets continue to blur.

​​​​​​​His message is clear: The success of private-sector initiatives like stablecoins and AI-driven fraud detection is shaping the future of payments. And the technologies implemented today are laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s success.

Read more about the Fed’s perspective and what it could mean for financial institutions here:

The Federal Reserve is adopting fintech solutions The private sector has blazed a trail Technologies implemented today lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s success PAYMENTS DIVE reports that the Federal Reserve is making strides towards embracing financial technology (fintech) innovations like tokeni...