Margaret Bosworth, Director of Fraud, Identity, and Compliance Solutions at Equifax, joins Jade Terreberry for the first of a two-part series focused on fraud prevention in the automotive industry. In this first episode, the different types of fraud—first-party, third-party, and synthetic identity fraud—are broken down highlighting how education, technology, and cross-industry collaboration are key to protecting dealerships and consumers. Listen for insights into emerging fraud trends and how both Cox Automotive and Equifax are evolving its tools to help dealers stay ahead of threats while maintaining a smooth customer experience.
Guest Expert:
Margaret Bosworth
Director of Fraud, Identity and Compliance Solutions
Auto, Insurance and Telco Vertical
Equifax
Key Takeaways:
Understanding Fraud Types: Learn the differences between first-party fraud (like credit washing) and third-party fraud (including synthetic identities) and how they impact dealerships.
Emerging Threats: Hear how fraudsters are evolving, including the use of child SSNs and fake identities to build synthetic credit profiles.
Technology as a Defense: See how real-time data, device behavior tracking, and fraud detection tools can identify suspicious activity early in the customer journey and can help you combat fraud.
Cross-Industry Collaboration: Understand the importance of partnerships between dealers, lenders, and tech providers to create a unified fraud prevention strategy.
Creating a Fraud-Aware Culture: Learn why dealership-wide education and awareness are essential to successfully adopting fraud prevention tools and practices to protect your business.
Timestamps:
0:00 – 0:31
Introduction
Jade Terreberry introduces the topic of fraud and guest Margaret Bosworth, kicking off part one in a two-part series on fraud prevention in automotive.
0:31 – 2:20
Defining Fraud in Automotive
Margaret explains the importance of understanding fraud and balancing customer experience with risk mitigation in automotive.
2:20 – 4:14
First-Party vs. Third-Party Fraud
Breakdown of the two main fraud categories and their relevance to dealerships, including an intro to credit washing and synthetic IDs.
4:14 – 5:46
Credit Washing Explained
Margaret provides a relatable example of credit washing and how it can mislead dealers and lenders during underwriting.
5:46 – 7:33
Synthetic Identity Fraud
Discussion on how synthetic identities are created and why they’re a growing threat in the automotive space.
7:33 – 9:29
Fraud Detection Technology
Jade and Margaret explore how Cox Automotive and Equifax use advanced tools to detect bot behavior and non-human activity.
9:29 – 11:13
Predictions and Future Threats
Margaret shares predictions on fraud trends they are seeing at Equifax and how evolving customer journeys create both risks and opportunities for detection.
11:13 – 12:28
Equifax’s Role and Industry Collaboration
A look into how Equifax partners with Cox Automotive and others to build practical, real-time fraud prevention solutions.
12:28 – 14:04
Building a Fraud-Aware Culture
Jade and Margaret discuss the importance of internal education and making fraud awareness part of dealership culture, and what you can gain by doing so.
14:04 – 15:51
Final Thoughts and Anecdote
Margaret shares a personal story with her children that illustrates the mission of fraud prevention and the importance of understanding its impact.
15:51 – 17:26
Closing Remarks
Jade previews part two of the podcast series with Cox Automotive and Equifax and encourages listeners to subscribe for more insights and tools to protect their dealerships, as well as the first to hear when the 2nd part of the series is released.