ICC launches global policy paper on preventing online and ICT-enabled fraud

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has published a new global policy paper on preventing online and ICT-enabled fraud, highlighting the growing scale of the threat and the urgent need for coordinated international action.

As digital technologies continue to transform economies and business models, fraud has evolved in parallel. What were once isolated scams have developed into highly organised, industrial-scale operations run by transnational criminal networks. These groups exploit global connectivity, regulatory fragmentation and increasingly sophisticated technologies, including artificial intelligence, to operate across borders at speed and scale.

The consequences extend far beyond financial losses. Online fraud undermines trust in digital services, disrupts legitimate business activity and weakens confidence in cross-border trade and innovation.

A systemic and cross-sector challenge

The policy paper highlights that online and ICT-enabled fraud is no longer confined to a single sector or type of activity. It spans financial services, telecommunications, digital platforms, e-commerce and cybersecurity, often combining elements of cybercrime, financial fraud and social engineering.

At the same time, legitimate businesses are investing heavily in prevention, detection and disruption measures, including advanced authentication tools, AI-driven fraud detection and cross-sector intelligence sharing. However, the report makes clear that no single company, sector or government can address the challenge alone.

Structural constraints continue to limit effective action. These include fragmented regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions, operational barriers to cross-border enforcement, unclear or misaligned accountability structures, and the rapid pace of technological change, which is outpacing existing policy approaches.

From fragmented responses to coordinated action

A central message of the ICC paper is the need to move from fragmented, reactive responses to a more coordinated and proactive global approach.

Encouragingly, the paper identifies a growing number of successful initiatives, including cross-industry intelligence-sharing platforms, anti-scam taskforces and technical solutions enabling companies to share fraud indicators such as malicious domains, phone numbers or digital identities. These examples demonstrate the value of collaboration in improving detection and disruption capabilities.

However, scaling these efforts requires stronger alignment between governments, industry and law enforcement.

Key recommendations for governments and industry

The policy paper sets out four priority areas to strengthen the global response:

• Strengthen cross-border cooperation: Fraud is inherently transnational, requiring more effective international legal frameworks, streamlined data access and joint enforcement efforts targeting organised criminal networks.

• Invest in prevention: Governments should elevate fraud prevention as a strategic priority, supported by dedicated resources, improved data capabilities and specialised expertise.

• Reduce regulatory fragmentation: Greater alignment and interoperability across legal frameworks, including consumer protection, cybersecurity and data governance, are essential to enable effective cooperation and reduce uncertainty.

• Operationalise public–private partnerships: Moving beyond dialogue towards real-time collaboration, including shared intelligence platforms, coordinated operations and joint awareness campaigns.

  
  

Protecting trust in the digital economy

The launch of this policy paper comes at a time when digitalisation is accelerating across all sectors of the economy. Ensuring that digital markets remain secure and trustworthy is therefore not only a matter of enforcement, but also a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth.

For businesses, the implications are clear: fraud is no longer a peripheral risk, but a strategic challenge that directly affects operations, reputation and customer trust.

ICC’s work in this area aims to ensure that business perspectives are reflected in global policy discussions and that solutions remain practical, scalable and internationally aligned.

Ultimately, tackling online and ICT-enabled fraud will require sustained cooperation across borders and sectors, with a shared focus on preventing fraud at its source and strengthening trust in the digital economy.