Case Study
Galeries Lafayette
How Oneytrust reduced return fraud and secured a premium retail leader.
The challenge
As a major European reference in fashion and accessible luxury, Galeries Lafayette has naturally become a prime target for return and refund fraud. Since 2019, the issue has escalated sharply – with opportunistic newcomers, organized fraud rings, and even social-media how-to guides fueling the trend — resulting in significant financial losses and operational disruption.
Key issues identified
Significant financial losses linked to refunds, logistics, inspections, and product reconditioning.
Highly diverse fraud profiles: 45% were first-time customers, ranging from opportunistic individuals to organized networks.
A delicate balance between strengthening fraud controls and preserving a seamless customer experience.
Manual workflows under pressure, unable to keep with the rising volume of return requests
Oneytrust’s Solution
In 2023, faced with a steep increase in return and refund requests, Galeries Lafayette initiated a Proof of Concept followed by a dedicated pilot powered by the D-Risk Commerce suite.
Advanced detection & prevention
Leveraging identity data, machine learning, dynamic scoring and Darknet monitoring, Oneytrust enabled Galeries Lafayette to:
- Detect 78% of fraudulent cases during the pilot.
- Disrupt organized fraud networks specifically targeting the brand.
- Automate return-check operations to deliver faster, more reliable decisions.
Industrialized process
Oneytrust transformed a manual, time-consuming workflow into a scalable, industrial-grade process capable of absorbing activity peaks.
- More return requests handled, with higher precision and consistency.
Proactive monitoring
Regular checkpoints and continuous updates allowed:
- Optimization of fraud-detection rules,
- ongoing monitoring of emerging fraud patterns,
- a sustained drop in fraudulent attempts. A standout result: the name “Galeries Lafayette” no longer appears on Darknet forums.
Preserving customer satisfaction
Expert recommendations helped the Customer Service teams:
- resolve disputes more quickly,
- significantly reduce complaint volumes,
- maintain a smooth and trusted journey for legitimate customers
Our Methodology
Every merchant’s return process is unique.
Every fraud pattern is different. We adapt.
Phase 1
Audit & detailed analysis of fraud typologies.
Phase 2
Data and network analysis to uncover dispute ratios and fraud patterns
Phase 3
Development of a custom return-fraud scoring model
Phase 4
Implementation of risk thresholds that flag fraudsters while protecting genuine customers.
Make the process harder for fraudsters…
and they simply move elsewhere.
Key impacts
The Oneytrust pilot enabled Galeries Lafayette to dramatically reduce return fraud, protect its brand reputation, and establish a scalable long-term prevention strategy to support future growth. This marks the beginning of a strong partnership that continues to evolve.
80%
detection on
baskets above €400
78%
fraud-detection rate on consumer fraud (by value)
€59,800
in fraud prevented by September 3
€160,000
in fraud avoided in 2024
Brand name removed from Darknet forums
See the Oneytrust platform in action
Talk to one of our team to see how you can start to work with Only Trusted Customers
