Fraud and risk management company Kount is putting potential victims into the shoes of global fraud networks to encourage awareness, through its new mobile game Fraud Tycoon.
Developed through a partnership between Kount and game-based storytelling company PonyWolf, it is designed to educate players about the tools and techniques used by fraudsters to commit crimes.
Don Bush, vice president of marketing at Kount, said: “Large criminal organisations are constantly looking for weaknesses in your payment systems.
“By putting users into the mindsets of these criminals, Fraud Tycoon provides a unique opportunity to create awareness of fraud through game-based storytelling. Our goal is to educate people about the evolving nature of fraud and what we battle every day to keep businesses and customers safe.”
Fraud Tycoon uses puzzle-based gameplay to take users behind the scenes of criminal organisations that prey on online companies with vulnerable security.
It asks players to step into the world of a criminal and compete for the fake “Bytecash” currency to purchase stolen credit cards and actual fraud-enabling tools to build their criminal enterprise.
Michael Wilson, PonyWolf president, added: “Delving into the world of online fraud was an eye-opening experience. Fraudsters experience many of the same emotional states as gamers by accumulating risk while looking for reward.
“The collection of tools, personal and financial information has a strong correlation to game mechanics found in popular mobile games. We wanted to show the hidden story of how a security breach is monetised without making it a training tool – and part of that is highlighting the addictive nature of risk and reward."
