Getting Fraud From Certain Countries

The Geographic Fraud Problem

Fraud isn’t evenly distributed. Certain regions have:

• Higher rates of payment fraud
• More sophisticated fraud operations
• Less legal recourse for merchants
• Payment verification challenges

If you don’t ship there anyway, why accept orders from there?

Identifying the Problem

Signs of Geographic Fraud

• Chargebacks clustered by country
• Failed payment attempts from same regions
• Orders where billing and shipping don’t match
• High-value orders from high-risk areas

Common High-Fraud Regions

While fraud can come from anywhere, merchants often see patterns:

• Certain Eastern European countries
• Some Southeast Asian regions
• Various African nations
• Specific areas within larger countries

Your data will show your specific patterns.

The Blocking Solution

Country Blocking

Block entire countries:

• Visitors see a block message
• Can’t browse or purchase
• Immediate fraud reduction

Region Blocking

More precise control:

• Block specific states/provinces
• Keep country access, restrict areas
• Useful for compliance too

VPN Blocking

Catch bypass attempts:

• Fraudsters use VPNs to appear elsewhere
• VPN detection identifies this
• Block or flag VPN traffic

Setting Up Geographic Blocking

Step 1: Analyze Your Data

Before blocking, understand:

• Which countries have highest fraud rates?
• Do you ship to those countries?
• Are there legitimate customers there?
• What’s the cost-benefit?

Step 2: Configure Blocking

In SecurEcommerce:

1. Go to Blocking settings
2. Select Country Blocking
3. Choose countries to block
4. Set your block message
5. Enable VPN blocking too

Step 3: Monitor Results

After enabling:

• Track fraud rates
• Monitor blocked traffic
• Adjust as needed

Balancing Security and Access

Don’t Over-Block

Blocking too broadly:

• May block legitimate customers
• Reduces your addressable market
• Can’t be undone retroactively

Start Conservative

• Block obvious problem regions first
• Monitor impact
• Add more blocks as data supports

Consider VPN Impact

• Some legitimate customers use VPNs
• Decide based on your specific situation
• Use “warn” mode before hard blocking

What Blocked Users See

Create helpful messages:

Example:

“We’re unable to process orders from your region at this time. If you believe this is an error, please contact support@yourstore.com”

Don’t be hostile - some blocked visitors may be legitimate.

Common Questions

”Won’t they just use a VPN?”

Yes, some will. That’s why you should:

• Enable VPN blocking too
• Use multiple layers of protection
• Accept that no solution is 100%

“What if I block legitimate customers?”

• Provide a customer service contact
• Consider allowlisting authenticated customers
• Review and adjust blocks regularly

”How do I know which countries to block?”

• Review your chargeback data
• Look for patterns in failed orders
• Consider shipping limitations
• Start with regions you don’t serve

Additional Protection Layers

Geographic blocking works best with:

Payment Verification

• Address verification (AVS)
• CVV requirements
• 3D Secure

Order Review

• Manual review for high-risk orders
• Velocity checks
• Shipping/billing match requirements

VPN Detection

• Block or flag VPN users
• Reduces bypass attempts

The Business Case

Calculate your fraud cost:

• Chargeback fees ($15-100+ each)
• Lost merchandise
• Review time
• Processor penalty fees

Compare to blocking impact:

• Lost legitimate sales (likely minimal if you don’t ship there)
• Customer complaints (few if messaging is good)

For most merchants, blocking high-fraud regions they don’t serve is clearly beneficial.

Getting Started

1. Install SecurEcommerce
2. Review your fraud data
3. Identify high-risk regions
4. Configure country blocking
5. Enable VPN blocking
6. Monitor and adjust

Don’t let geographic fraud drain your profits.