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Report: ‘Global scam economy’ thriving in 2023

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A payments study by Javelin Strategy & Research and SAS examines digital fraud trends worldwide, revealing eight expert strategies banks, retailers and other enterprises can use to fight back

CARY, N.C., June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a digital payments revolution, forever reshaping expectations. Today’s consumers demand flexible, real-time payment options throughout their digital journeys. As banks, fintechs, retailers and other businesses modernize and add apps and offerings to keep pace, criminals cash in on weaknesses at every turn. How are professional fraud fighters striking back? A payments fraud study by Javelin and analytics leader SAS explores the fraud climate in 12 countries and offers eight recommendations for curbing the deluge.

This 12-country #payments study explores the digital #fraud-fueled “global scam economy” + eight ways to fight back.

Global Digital Fraud Trends: Evaluating the Past, Present, and Future is the continuation of an October 2020 report by Javelin and SAS on the early pandemic’s digital fraud escalation. This next chapter examines the evolution of digital fraud trends and their impact on consumers and enterprises worldwide, and is based on:

2022 market research on the global fraud landscape.Javelin’s 2022 identity fraud survey, reflecting insights from 5,000 US consumers.Interviews with financial services leaders confronting evolving fraud attacks.

Registering to download the report also gives users access to three regional webinars exploring key findings in the US, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

“Pandemic digital habits shifted so strongly into card-not-present transactions, and suddenly it feels as if everyone is online, including the bad guys,” said one European fintech executive. “We are making strides in controlling payment fraud with strong authentication and machine learning, but it took some losses to gain an understanding of how important it is to plan ahead.”

“Telecom and [business email compromise] fraud are sources of serious concern for my team,” said the Vice President of Special Investigations at one US bank. “The pandemic has made it impossible to create enough fraud strategy to stay ahead because the criminals now mix multiple merchant names, MCC codes and dollar amounts in automated attacks that are hard to prevent.”

2023’s digital economy presents fresh fraud trends with global impact
In the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital economy exploded. For fraudsters, the sudden surge in digital transactions and payment modalities offered countless new fraud avenues. As anti-fraud pros grappled with how to adequately protect transactions, scammers largely focused on pandemic-themed schemes and socially engineered attacks.

But the landscape has changed. In 2023, the digital economy and the “global scam economy,” as coined by Javelin, are here to stay – and they will evolve in parallel. Per the report, 2020’s schemes du jour have been replaced by scams galore: romance scams, fake home-based employment opportunities and investment schemes popular among them.

Fraud diversified by region vexes local authorities and anti-fraud pros
Globally, threats are more or less identical, though certain fraud types have manifested and grown differently by region and nation, challenging local anti-fraud pros, law enforcement and governments accordingly. Among the regional trends and national landmark issues revealed in the 12-country study and explored in the webinar series:

AfricaSouth Africa‘s new Rapid Payments Program will not only foster faster payments but formalize them, helping reduce cash-based crimes that have long plagued the country. Related payment modernization is also expected to help the nation curb rampant cross-border money laundering and terrorist financing by accurately identifying senders and receivers.Asia-Pacific – Per one Singaporean banker, “the perpetrators are very polished,” as robocalls, vishing and phishing impact globally-connected citizens who primarily bank on mobile phones. In response, financial firms in Singapore are enacting push notifications to account holders and daily transaction limits. India’s digital biometric ID system, Aadhaar, boasts 1.3 billion citizens enrolled (99% of Indian adults), serving as a global template for other countries, including Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In Australia, the digital identity validation offered by ConnectID and myGovID is steadily replacing traditional credentials. China has seen explosive adoption of an alternative digital payments ecosystem delivered via social media giant WeChat, and QR codes dominate digital payments.Europe – In the United Kingdom, open banking continues to drive digital innovation, and the Bank of England is considering a central bank digital currency. France marked permanent changes in consumers’ digital purchasing and payment habits, along with the introduction of a national identity program for smartphones. Even as political and environmental strife challenged Italy’s financial sector, more than 30 million citizens adopted its Public Digital Identity System. Meanwhile, organized crime prompted a nationwide money mule awareness campaign by Europol.North America – Embedded lending and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing are growing worldwide, but particularly in the United States, where more than two-thirds of consumers report they are “likely” or “very likely” to tap BNPL again after first use. Ballooning BNPL fraud haunts regulators, merchants and payment platforms. The Federal Reserve’s FedNow instant payment service is poised to launch in mid-2023, promising safer payments and greater interoperability. Canada’s national identity program is helping create infrastructure for citizens to frictionlessly access government, financial and health care services. In Mexico, prepaid debit cards continue to boom, while advanced digital payment options fuel thriving e-commerce.South America – Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment culture is flourishing in Brazil via its PIX system, and fintech investment for the unbanked has reached record highs. Still, prolific data breaches, scams and malware attacks threaten the enormous potential of the country’s digital growth, demanding robust fraud and enterprise security safeguards.

Digitally inclusive fraud strategies light the way – eight expert strategies
Among the report’s eight spotlight recommendations for combatting fraud in the digital age: multifactor authentication and account-based alerts should be considered essential, not nice-to-haves. Also paramount in the guidance is the consolidation of monitoring solutions on a single, powerful AI-driven platform.

“A carefully layered deployment of machine learning models, biometrics and contextual, supplementary tools can help financial service firms make faster, more accurate decisions that scale across all verticals,” said Krista Tedder, Head of Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research. “Solutions must be interwoven – and underpinned by shared data streams – to effectively combat the increasingly sophisticated tools and strategies we see being employed by criminals worldwide.”

“US consumers alone lost $8.8 billion to scams last year – a more than 30% jump from 2021 to 2022 – according to the Federal Trade Commission,” said Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Fraud & Security Intelligence at SAS. “Consumer trust in the expanding global digital payment ecosystem is an imperative – and that trust is predicated on firms making effective use of advanced customer authentication and anti-fraud technologies, including AI, machine learning and biometrics, to detect and prevent fraud across channels.”

Download the report and access the three regional webinars on-demand at SAS.com/scameconomy.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2023 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contacts:

Julia Norton

Danielle Bates

julia.norton@sas.com 

danielle.bates@sas.com

+1 919-531-4661

+1 919-531-1959

sas.com/news

 

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Football Tournament Season Sparks Global Social Connection Surge as 3Fun Reports Growth Across Key Markets

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the World Cup enters its final stage and fans celebrate across the globe, new data from 3Fun, the leading dating app for open-minded singles and partners, reveals that the World Cup’s impact extends far beyond the stadium. The tournament has ignited a massive surge in global social activity, with users increasingly turning to the platform to translate sporting euphoria into personal connections.

The “Celebratory Intimacy” Effect: Why Winning Drives Matching

Psychological research has long suggested that major sports victories do more than just boost national pride; they influence human biology and intimacy. Studies indicate that watching a favorite team win can temporarily elevate testosterone levels in fans, leading to a surge in sexual desire and “celebratory intimacy”. This theory is vividly reflected in 3Fun’s latest performance metrics.

Compared with the previous 20-day period, 3Fun saw a 6.13% increase in Daily Active Users (DAU) during the peak of the World Cup season (June 23 – July 12), adding more than 275,000 active participants. The platform’s “heat” was further evidenced by an additional 446,491 messages sent, while the user match rate jumped by 5.71%, resulting in nearly 50,000 new connections.

Spain and Argentina Lead the “Lust for Victory”

The data shows a direct correlation between success on the pitch and activity on 3Fun. Nations with deep football cultures and strong tournament performances saw the highest growth:

Spain: Witnessed a staggering 37.56% surge in new users.Argentina: Followed with a 26.62% increase.France & Mexico: Saw growth rates of 25.44% and 21.42% respectively.

In the U.S., cities like Houston (+8.98%) and New York (+7.45%) led the way. This trend aligns with a broader cultural shift: recent 3Fun data reveals that 69% of Americans report a growing interest in non-traditional relationships, with 77% of seekers preferring dating apps to find compatible partners.

Digital Jet-Setting: 3Fun’s “Roaming” Feature Becomes a Fan Favorite

While millions traveled for the games, many more “traveled” virtually. 3Fun’s new Roaming feature, currently in gray-scale testing, allows users to explore connections beyond their current location by virtually discovering communities in other cities.

The top 10 “Roaming” destinations during the Football Tournament  season reveal where the world’s social interest was concentrated:

Sao Paulo, Brazil (17.35% of total roaming volume)New York, USA (14.82%)Las Vegas, USA (11.37%)Los Angeles, USA (11.19%)London, UK (9.89%)Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (7.40%)Houston, USA (7.36%)Dallas, USA (7.18%)Miami, USA (6.85%)Chicago, USA (6.60%).

The dominance of Brazilian cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro highlights a “digital pilgrimage” to the spiritual home of football, where users sought to connect with the local energy and like-minded fans.

3Fun Insight: Connection Beyond the Game

“Major global events like the World Cup bring people together far beyond the borders of the pitch,” said Daniel Morgan, 3Fun’s Director of Social Trends. “Our data shows that users aren’t just looking for scores; they are looking for meaningful, shared experiences. Whether through virtual roaming or local matching, these events create unique windows for people to explore their desires in a safe, celebratory, and inclusive community”.

Daniel further noted, “With 72% of users noticing growing acceptance of diverse relationship styles, global sports events such as the World Cup represent a moment when people feel more open to meeting others and exploring new forms of connection”.

About 3Fun: With over 10 million downloads and 3 million verified active users worldwide, 3Fun is the leading dating app for open-minded singles and partners to meet like-minded people. The platform provides a safe and inclusive space to explore ethical open relationships and polyamory, fostering community and connection without judgment. 

Disclaimer: 3Fun is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FIFA, the World Cup, or any official World Cup organizing body. All references to the tournament are descriptive or for informational and topical context only.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/football-tournament-season-sparks-global-social-connection-surge-as-3fun-reports-growth-across-key-markets-302828995.html

SOURCE 3Fun

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Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Technology

Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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