Fraud, embezzlement, money laundering: in 2025, every industry is a potential target. But what about you? Are you ready to detect the suspicious transaction before it's too late?
Introduction
Fraud is no longer confined to the financial sector. In 2024, more than 211,000 suspicious transaction reports were filed withTracfin. The number of reports is exploding across all sectors.
Europol and EPPO estimate the damage caused by fraud in the EU at several tens of billions of euros a year (€24.8 billion in 2024 alone, according toEPPO). This shift can be explained by the growing sophistication of fraudulent schemes: digital laundering, data theft, hybrid mechanisms...
Even more worryingly, fraudsters are now targeting unexpected sectors (healthcare, real estate, insurance, technology...).
As a result, every company needs to put in place systems capable of capturing weak signals, structuring detection and formalizing suspicions without fail.
That's what this new series of articles is all about: showing that no one is spared... but that everything can be anticipated!
What is fraud and how do you recognize a suspicious transaction?
Fraud occurs when a concealed, irregular or illegal action is taken to obtain an undue advantage: embezzled money, falsified contracts, false identities, fictitious transactions... The aim is always the same: to circumvent the law in order to profit from it.
A suspicious transaction, on the other hand, is not necessarily proven. It is based on a legitimate suspicion: unusual behavior, an inconsistent movement of funds, a sudden change in beneficiary or structure. This type of signal must be rapidly analyzed and, if necessary, reported to Tracfin without delay.
These two notions are linked: a suspicious transaction may reveal a fraud in progress, while a well-functioning fraudulent system produces a series of visible irregularities. Knowing how to identify them means understanding that justified doubt is enough to take action and protect your company upstream.
Why are all sectors affected by fraud and suspicious transactions?
Long confined to banks and financial institutions, fraud now affects all business sectors. And with good reason: illicit schemes move to where the loopholes are most accessible, and each sector has its own vulnerabilities.
➺ In real estate, cash purchases without clear justification or set-ups via shell companies mask dubious operations.
➺ In healthcare, the manipulation of medical data, false prescriptions or overbilling weaken systems.
➺ Fintechs and insurtechs, often agile but young, are confronted with rapid, sometimes uncontrolled financial flows.
➺ As for associations, local authorities or even construction companies, they become targets due to a lack of awareness of the risks or a lack of internal resources.
The widespread use of digital technology is exacerbating the phenomenon. With interconnected systems, poorly parameterized automation and unsecured access, opportunities for fraudsters are multiplying.
No sector is immune, because fraud adapts, moves and evolves. It exploits every loophole, no matter how discreet. Hence the importance of adopting appropriate detection systems, such as those developed by AP Solutions IO, already tried and tested in the field.
Fraud detection and suspicious transactions: what's really at stake?
Detecting fraud or suspicious transactions requires neither intuition nor improvisation. It's a structured process, requiring high-performance tools, a keen eye for weak signals and a well-oiled internal organization.
Here are the main issues to consider:
- Protect the company: fraud leads to financial losses, legal disputes and lasting reputational damage. The earlier a fraud is detected, the more effective the response.
- Comply with regulatory obligations: entities subject to AML-CFT must report any suspicions via Tracfin. Failure to do so can result in heavy penalties (ACPR, AMF...).
- Act quickly: fraud often occurs in real time. A high-performance detection system can handle alerts as soon as they appear.
- Ensuring traceability: keeping a record of each anomaly strengthens your ability to prove your good faith in the event of an inspection.
- Mobilize internal resources: training teams, equipping them with tools and instilling a culture of vigilance are essential.
Solutions such as those offered by AP Solutions IO enable this detection chain to be efficiently structured, without overloading processes.
A series to understand, anticipate... and act
This first episode inaugurates a series dedicated to the detection of fraud and suspicious transactions in key sectors of the economy. Our aim? To provide you with a concrete overview, business by business, of the risks weighing on your activity, the signals to watch out for, the mistakes to avoid... and, above all, the levers to activate.
Each subsequent installment will explore a specific universe:
- Finance and its ultra-fast flows
- Real estate and its opaque structures
- Legal professionals and involuntary complicity
- Insurance and its massive processes
- Tech and its digital flaws
- NGOs and NPOs and their responsibility towards AML-CFT
But the risks don't stop there.
The retail sector, with its cash register manipulations and reimbursement fraud, the hotel industry, the liberal professions, the education sector and the energy and transport industries also face sophisticated attempts:
➺ Overbilling
➺ False documents
➺ Identity theft
➺ Embezzlement
Wherever money, data or decisions circulate, fraud finds fertile ground.
This is where AP Solutions IO, a RegTech solutions provider committed to the industry, comes in. The suite of tools enables weak signals to be analyzed, traceability to be automated, clear and usable Tracfin reports to be generated, and day-to-day support for teams to be provided, without adding to business flows.
A system designed to fit into your operational reality, whatever your sector.
In short, understanding the risks means protecting yourself.
Anticipating them gives us the means to act.
Surrounding yourself with the right tools means choosing serenity.
Discover AP Solutions IO's solutions for your business.
