Absa Group Limited, one of South Africa’s “big 5” banks, has dramatically improved debt collection strategies and fraud protection using customer communications technology from global analytics software leader FICO. By using WhatsApp to instantly confirm suspected fraud transactions with customers, Absa improved self-solve cases by 47% for digital and card fraud and prevented significantly more fraud. Furthermore, Absa improved fraud investigation customer communication by 121%, leading to improved fraud customer experience throughout the investigation stages. For its results in both fraud management and debt collection, Absa has won a 2026 FICO® Decision Award, chosen by an independent panel of judges.

“These initiatives powered by FICO have transformed how Absa engages with customers during moments of financial stress and fraud risk." - Moremi Mabe, Head of Collections (Absa Home Loans)

“Absa serves 13 million customers across Africa, and therefore recognized the critical need for constant adaptation and innovation in fraud prevention strategies. Absa operates within a dynamic banking environment shaped by rising fraud risks, customer vulnerabilities, and mounting regulatory pressures. To protect our customers and support them when they need us most, we needed smarter, faster ways to communicate," said Ally Mafunzwaini, Executive of Absa Fraud Solutions.

Against a backdrop of high inflation, interest rate increases and mounting pressure on South African households in recent years, Absa took proactive steps to help customers remain on track with their credit commitments and protect themselves against elevated fraud attempts. Absa collaborated with FICO to improve both fraud prevention and debt collection strategies through deploying FICO® Customer Communication Services (CCS) in both areas.

Working with FICO, Absa became the first bank among South Africa's “big 5” and the only pan-African bank to use WhatsApp for fraud prevention and customer communication throughout the fraud case journey. Absa integrated FICO CCS with its fraud detection infrastructure, specifically FICO® Falcon® Fraud Manager, to deliver real-time, two-way fraud verification via WhatsApp.

When suspicious activity is detected, CCS initiates an interactive message to the customer via WhatsApp conversation within milliseconds, or a recorded voice note or SMS if the customer does not have a smartphone. Customers can instantly confirm whether the transaction is legitimate or fraudulent. If it’s fraudulent, CCS automatically brings a fraud representative into the conversation.

Similarly, Absa deployed FICO CCS to improve communications with customers in collections. The bank currently uses both voice and WhatsApp channels to communicate with customers in distress. FICO optimization is used to segment customers by risk profile with greater granularity. This helps Absa to design differentiated treatment paths, from low-cost digital nudges to high-touch restructures.