Actimize Insights Network: how shared intelligence is transforming real-time fraud detection

Joe Bristow of NICE Actimize explains how the Actimize Insights Network uses real-time, shared intelligence to detect fraud earlier and reduce friction.

In a recent conversation with Joe Bristow, Product Director and Fraud Subject Matter Expert at NICE Actimize, the discussion centred on how the Actimize Insights Network is reshaping fraud prevention through shared, real-time intelligence.

At its core, the network addresses a growing blind spot in modern fraud detection: the lack of visibility into the ‘other side’ of a transaction. Traditionally, fraud systems have focused on analysing customer behaviour such as spending patterns, devices, or login habits. However, as scams evolve, fraudsters increasingly manipulate users into willingly sending money, bypassing many of these behavioural controls. This shift has made understanding the recipient of funds just as critical as understanding the sender.

The Actimize Insights Network tackles this challenge by enabling financial institutions to collaboratively assess payee risk. Instead of relying solely on internal data, institutions can access aggregated intelligence across a broader network. This includes indicators such as how often a specific account has been paid, whether fraud has previously been associated with it, or whether it appears to be newly created. The goal is not just to detect risk, but also to identify trusted payees, allowing banks to reduce unnecessary friction for legitimate transactions.

In practice, this network-driven approach enhances real-time decision-making. When a payment is initiated, institutions can simultaneously evaluate their internal models and enrich them with external network signals. This happens within milliseconds, supporting instant payment environments where decisions must be both fast and accurate. The result is a more balanced approach to fraud prevention, one that strengthens detection while preserving customer experience.

A key aspect of the network is its privacy-preserving design. Rather than sharing sensitive or identifiable data, the system relies on anonymised and aggregated signals. In simple terms, institutions do not need to know the exact details of an account held elsewhere. They only need to recognise that it is the same entity appearing across multiple transactions, enabling risk patterns to emerge without compromising data protection requirements. This approach aligns with evolving regulatory expectations, particularly in Europe, where collaboration in fraud prevention is increasingly encouraged.

Beyond fraud, the network also delivers immediate value for anti-money laundering teams. As financial institutions move toward closer alignment between fraud and AML functions, shared intelligence becomes a powerful tool across both domains. Signals about suspicious payees can inform transaction monitoring, helping institutions detect not only outbound fraud risks but also inbound exposure to illicit funds.

Early results from the network highlight its potential impact. According to Bristow, one institution observed a 68% improvement in detecting previously unidentified fraud. In addition, suspicious accounts could have been flagged up to 70 days earlier by leveraging network insights. In financial terms, this translated into an estimated USD 6.3 million in additional annual fraud detection. These figures illustrate the tangible value of moving from isolated detection models to collaborative intelligence.

From an implementation perspective, the network is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructures. Institutions can access it via API, embedding the data directly into their fraud and AML systems.

For existing Actimize clients, integration is even more straightforward, requiring minimal adjustments to current workflows. This flexibility supports adoption across a wide range of institutions, regardless of their technological maturity.

Looking ahead, Joe sees this as just the beginning. While the current focus is on payee intelligence, the broader vision involves expanding the range of shared signals and use cases. As fraudsters continue to operate in coordinated networks, he argues that only a similarly collaborative approach among financial institutions can effectively counter them.

Ultimately, the Actimize Insights Network reflects a broader industry shift: from siloed defence mechanisms to collective, intelligence-driven ecosystems.

 

About author

Joe Bristow is a Product Director & Fraud SME at NICE Actimize. Joe has over a decade of experience, holding a variety of Authentication & Fraud Prevention roles in financial institutions.

With a passion for problem solving and helping people, extensive domain knowledge of identity, authentication, fraud detection and prevention, Joe has lead multiples teams designing, implementing and running innovative solutions at two of the biggest brands in Financial Services. 

 

About NICE Actimize

 

NICE Actimize is the largest and broadest provider of financial crime, risk, and compliance solutions for regional and global financial institutions, as well as government regulators. Consistently ranked as number one in the space, NICE Actimize experts apply innovative technology to protect institutions and safeguard consumers’ and investors’ assets by identifying financial crime, preventing fraud, and providing regulatory compliance. The company provides real-time, cross-channel fraud prevention, anti-money laundering detection, and trading surveillance solutions that address such concerns as payment fraud, cybercrime, sanctions monitoring, market abuse, customer due diligence, and insider trading. Find us at www.niceactimize.com, @NICE_Actimize, or Nasdaq: NICE.