"In response to the alarming rise in cyber fraud incidents in India, the demand for robust digital security solutions is increasingly pressing. SHIELD, a prominent player in the Indian IT industry, empowers organizations with advanced tools to prevent and detect fraud. In an exclusive interview with Rajeev Ranjan, Editor of Digital Terminal, Gautam Sehgal, Director, SHIELD, delves into their innovative strategies and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in India.
Rajeev: Give us an overview of the cyber fraud ecosystem in India.
Gautam: Indian organizations are rapidly undergoing digital transformation by adopting new technologies to enhance efficiencies, streamline operations, and introduce innovative products and services to the world’s second-largest internet population. This vast market has consequently become a prime target for fraudsters. For instance, India experienced a fivefold increase in digital payment fraud over the past year, reaching 14.57 billion rupees ($175 million) according to the RBI’s recent annual report.
Fraud has become significantly more complex and organized, with fraud syndicates now incorporating AI into their attacks. A common factor across industries and markets is that nearly all types of fraud involve fake accounts. Fraudsters avoid using their personal accounts or details to limit exposure and evade legal consequences. Fake accounts offer a simple and cost-effective way for fraudsters to scale their operations, as tools like AI, app cloners, and emulators enable the rapid creation of numerous fake accounts.
I'll provide a few examples. E-commerce platforms usually display user reviews for products and merchants, but these can now be mass-produced using fake accounts. Such accounts are employed to spread false content and information on social media platforms or to carry out sophisticated social engineering scams. Dishonest drivers on ride-hailing services use fake accounts to falsify demand spikes, thereby manipulating algorithm-based ride prices. Additionally, fraudsters use numerous fake accounts on gaming platforms to increase their chances of winning, giving them an unfair edge over legitimate players.
Fake accounts are pervasive—according to SHIELD’s proprietary data, we estimate that at least 20 percent of all accounts on Indian tech platforms are fake. Users and stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of this rampant threat, eroding trust in businesses that do not implement sufficient safeguards against fraud. It’s also no longer sufficient to allow fraud to happen and reactively take action—businesses need to proactively stop fraudsters before they can impact users or the wider platform.
Rajeev: Can you explain what SHIELD is and what its core mission entails?
Gautam: SHIELD is the device-first risk AI platform helping digital businesses worldwide eliminate fake accounts, stop all fraudulent activity, build trust, and drive growth. We identify the root of fraud with the global standard for device identification, the SHIELD Device ID, as well as actionable risk intelligence.
By leveraging our technology, businesses can stay ahead of evolving fraud threats. Ultimately, SHIELD’s mission is to eliminate unfairness to enable trust for the world.
Rajeev: Can you tell us more about SHIELD’s geographical presence?
Gautam: SHIELD has offices around the globe, including San Francisco, London, Berlin, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bengaluru, Beijing, and Singapore. It is trusted by industry leaders like Mobile Premier League (MPL), one of the world's largest mobile and skill gaming platforms; inDrive, the second most downloaded mobility app globally; TrueMoney, Southeast Asia’s leading fintech brand; Maya, the #1 digital bank app in the Philippines; Astro, Indonesia's fastest-growing quick commerce company, and many more.
Rajeev: What are the primary solutions offered by SHIELD?
Gautam: As I previously mentioned, fraud often stems from the use of fake accounts. To create and manage these accounts, fraudsters need to use devices. However, acquiring thousands of devices for this purpose is neither practical nor cost-effective for them. So instead, they use tools to spoof devices from a single physical device, creating the illusion that they are genuine users; they can also scale this process with AI. That's where we come in. SHIELD's Device Intelligence solution consists of two components: SHIELD Device ID and SHIELD Risk Intelligence.
The SHIELD Device ID is the global standard for device identification, accurately and persistently identifying every physical device on a business's platform as well as the accounts associated with each device.
SHIELD Risk Intelligence continuously profiles device sessions, identifying malicious tools and techniques as well as providing real-time actionable risk signals for comprehensive insights into user activity. Additionally, SHIELD’s Risk Intelligence helps online platforms stay ahead of new and emerging fraud attacks with our Global Intelligence Network, a continuously updating fraud library.
Through our device-first risk AI platform, we empower companies to stop fraud attacks such as account takeovers, promo abuse, collusion, and more at the root. Our device-first risk AI platform operates without the need for any personally identifiable information and is fully GDPR compliant, ensuring the highest levels of security without compromising user privacy.
Rajeev: How is SHIELD enabling Swiggy in enhancing its fraud prevention and detection capabilities?
Gautam: Swiggy is strengthening its fraud prevention and detection framework efforts by utilizing SHIELD’s Device Intelligence solution. Our collaboration empowers Swiggy to dissuade promo abuse and reduce fraudulent activities within its Delivery Partner network.
Promo abuse, which involves exploiting platform discounts, sign-up incentives, referral bonuses, and monopolizing limited-time deals, is widespread across online businesses worldwide. Fraud syndicates execute promo abuse by using app cloners and tampered apps to generate large numbers of fake accounts. This practice negatively impacts the return on businesses’ investments in user acquisition and disadvantages genuine users who miss out on these benefits.
Additionally, delivery partners may utilize may resort to using malicious tools and techniques to falsify their location, allowing them to meet targets and unfairly collect unearned incentives. This behavior affects delivery partners' perception of the platform's fairness, thereby impacting their overall experience with the platform.
SHIELD's device-first risk AI platform boosts the Swiggy Trust & Safety team's ability to proactively identify fraud and abuse on the Swiggy platform. It accurately detects fraudulent devices as well as malicious tools and techniques, helping the Swiggy team optimize their fraud prevention processes and focus on improving the customer experience. Operating seamlessly in the background, SHIELD’s Device Intelligence allows Swiggy to distinguish between genuine users and fraudsters in real time.
Our technology enables Swiggy to identify and prevent fraudulent users and delivery partners from engaging in promo abuse, monopolizing limited-time promotions, and incentive abuse. By setting the standard for trust, fairness and convenience in delivery, Swiggy is ensuring a smooth pathway for the growth of its platform.
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