Visa has launched a powerful new AI-driven fraud detection platform, marking another milestone in its long-standing commitment to innovation and financial security. The system, called ARIC Risk Hub, is designed to detect suspicious transactions in real time using adaptive AI. It doesn’t just scan for red flags. It learns, adapts, and profiles customer behaviour dynamically to uncover subtle signs of fraud.
Built by Featurespace, a company Visa recently acquired. The platform represents a shift from static fraud detection rules to an intelligent system that evolves with every transaction. Originally spun out of a machine learning project at the University of Cambridge. Featurespace has focused its expertise solely on the financial services sector. What makes ARIC Risk Hub especially powerful is its open architecture. This allows banks and institutions to apply the technology across their entire payment ecosystem—not just within Visa’s network. That means mobile banking apps, online banking, and card payments can all benefit from one integrated layer of AI-powered protection.
Traditional fraud detection tools rely on pre-set rules that need constant manual updates. But adaptive AI changes the game. It continuously refines its model by learning from real-world behaviours. Identifying even the most complex and evolving fraud patterns without needing human intervention. As more data flows through the system, its accuracy and speed improve—making it harder for criminals to stay ahead.
Early signs of the platform’s impact are already clear. In Norway, the Eika Group—a network of 46 regional banks. Has implemented the ARIC Risk Hub and reported a remarkable 90% drop in phishing-related losses between 2023 and 2024. Phishing scams, especially those targeting older customers, had become a growing problem in the region. Legacy fraud systems couldn’t keep up, and the burden of manual reviews was overwhelming staff. Featurespace’s adaptive AI provided a way to automate this process while also reducing errors and alert fatigue.
Jon Hagen, Chief Architect at Eika, explained how the technology works. The system creates a unique behavioural profile for every user, which allows it to detect deviations in real time. Whether the transaction is taking place through online banking or a mobile app, it’s analysed immediately. If the activity appears suspicious, the system flags it or blocks it outright. “As fraud patterns evolve, we will need to add more rules and maybe adjust some of the old ones,” Hagen said. “Adjustment of the rules is easy, given the powerful support of the Featurespace system.”
This personalised, real-time monitoring reduces false positives—where legitimate transactions are incorrectly flagged. While also improving detection of complex schemes like social engineering and phishing. For banks, that means fewer frustrated customers and lower operational costs.
Visa’s decision to roll out the ARIC Risk Hub globally reflects the growing importance of real-time behavioural analysis in financial security. The company sees this platform as part of a broader expansion of its value-added services. Helping institutions stay ahead in a digital-first world. Antony Cahill, Visa’s President of Value-Added Services, explained that fraud prevention is no longer just a backend function—it’s central to business success. “Accepting a payment is a fundamental need of any business,” he said. “Leveraging new technology to accept payments more efficiently and securely can be what sets a business apart in today’s rapidly digitalising world.”
The rollout is designed to serve financial institutions of all sizes. Whether a small regional bank or a global enterprise, organisations can deploy the ARIC Risk Hub to guard against phishing, social engineering attacks, and other emerging fraud threats. Its flexibility ensures smooth integration across different banking systems and platforms.
Tareq Muhmood, Head of Value-Added Services for Europe at Visa, echoed the company’s long-standing focus on AI in fighting fraud. “We are thrilled to be integrating ARIC Risk Hub into our offer to businesses and financial institutions,” he said. “We’ve been using AI for over 30 years, and now with behavioural data and ARIC’s cutting-edge tech, we’re taking the next big step in helping our clients stay ahead.”
Visa’s latest move highlights a wider trend in the financial world—where security is no longer based on rigid rules and manual reviews but on intelligent, adaptive systems that understand behaviour as it happens. As fraud grows more sophisticated, Visa’s real-time AI signals a future where protection is proactive, not reactive—and trust in digital transactions can be rebuilt through smarter, faster detection.
