Retail fraud poses a significant challenge for businesses globally, costing the industry an estimated $100 billion annually. For large retailers like Pets at Home, managing fraudulent activities, ranging from return scams to credit card misuse, is a constant concern. However, Pets at Home is proactively addressing this issue by embracing innovative technology to empower their team and enhance fraud detection capabilities.
Kay Birkby, Senior Fraud Manager at Pets at Home, highlights the diverse nature of fraud attempts they encounter. One common tactic involves the repeated use of the same damaged package photo by different individuals to claim refunds or redeliveries. The sheer volume of cases made identifying these patterns manually a daunting task.
To combat this, Pets at Home has piloted bespoke tools using Microsoft Copilot Studio. This technology enables their fraud team to efficiently analyze vast datasets and swiftly identify anomalies. The Copilot agent excels at detecting patterns, such as the repeated use of the same image across multiple claims, which would be nearly impossible to spot manually at scale.
Birkby explains that leveraging Copilot Studio significantly enhances their team’s analytical capabilities. It allows for quicker, data-driven decisions on potential fraud cases. Beyond fraud detection, Pets at Home is discovering additional benefits. The system’s ability to track customer complaints is proving valuable in identifying potential product-related issues.
“We’re finding those anomalies and patterns of behavior… also to identify cases where this customer experienced an issue that we need to look into further,” Birkby notes. “Is there an issue with this product, for example, that we need to take internally?”
By integrating AI-powered solutions like Copilot Studio, Pets at Home is not only strengthening its defenses against retail fraud but also gaining deeper insights into customer experiences and product quality, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to retail management.
