$3 Million Vanished—AI Finds It OVERNIGHT

What do you call a fraud when it’s legal, high-tech, and happening right under our noses? When fraudsters can swipe millions with a click while our government obsesses over woke agendas, one company is using artificial intelligence to actually solve a problem—no thanks to bureaucrats, of course.

At a Glance

Riskified’s AI-powered Adaptive Checkout helped TickPick recover $3 million in previously rejected, legitimate ticket orders.
Traditional fraud systems relied on rigid rules, causing false declines and lost revenue for honest customers.
Adaptive Checkout uses real-time AI to assess risk, reducing fraud without sabotaging legitimate transactions.
Dozens of major merchants are now adopting this model, pressuring the rest of the industry to finally keep up.

Merchants Take Matters into Their Own Hands While Government Fiddles

While the government keeps blowing taxpayer money on useless studies and border “security” theater, private businesses are fighting real fraud battles every day. E-commerce fraud has always been a headache, especially as federal agencies keep letting criminals roam free and focus more on pronouns than prosecutions. For years, so-called “fraud prevention” meant overzealous systems blocking honest Americans from spending their own money, all in the name of “security.”

Merchants like TickPick, selling high-value event tickets, were hemorrhaging revenue as clunky, outdated systems turned away legitimate buyers. The moment a customer finally finds those Super Bowl seats, they get hit with a declined transaction—not because they’re criminals, but because the system can’t tell the difference. And let’s not forget: one in three customers never comes back after being falsely accused by these “intelligent” systems. That’s more than just bad business; it’s an own goal for the American economy.

Riskified’s Adaptive Checkout: AI Does the Job the Bureaucracy Won’t

Instead of waiting around for the feds to get their act together, Riskified’s data science team built Adaptive Checkout—a fraud detection system that actually adapts, using AI to separate the crooks from the customers in real time. No more one-size-fits-none rules. The system looks at shopping history, location, and a dozen other real factors, making sure only the real risks get flagged for extra checks. For honest Americans, checkout is quick and smooth, with no “prove you’re not a criminal” pop quizzes.

TickPick piloted this system in late 2024, and within three months, they clawed back $3 million in sales that would’ve been lost to false declines. That’s $3 million back in the hands of a business providing real value—not lining the pockets of hackers, scammers, or bureaucrats with pointless new regulations. This isn’t a one-off: over 50 merchants have jumped on board, and Riskified is running circles around the industry dinosaurs still stuck in the last decade.

AI: Fighting Fraud While Washington Prints Money and Ignores Real Threats

Let’s be honest: if the government ran fraud prevention the way it runs the border or the budget, every transaction would be flagged, and every honest shopper would be treated like a felon. What a world. Meanwhile, criminals and scammers innovate by the minute—using generative AI and every trick in the book—while regulators play catch-up, obsessed with “equity” audits and climate impact statements on e-commerce platforms.

This isn’t just about technology. It’s about priorities. Adaptive Checkout proves that with the right incentives—profit, customer loyalty, and common sense—American businesses can outsmart fraudsters and protect their customers without a single government handout. Merchants get more revenue, customers aren’t treated like suspects, and the bad guys have to work a lot harder. Imagine if our leaders applied that logic to, say, border security or government waste.

The Real-World Results: More Revenue, Less Hassle, and a Warning to the Rest of the Industry

The results speak for themselves. TickPick’s $3 million in recovered orders isn’t just a win for them—it’s a warning to every other merchant and fraud prevention vendor: adapt or get left behind. If you’re still relying on the same rigid, bureaucratic thinking that’s tanked everything from our border security to our federal budget, you’re on borrowed time. Customers expect better. Businesses need better. And the technology is here, whether Washington understands it or not.

Adaptive Checkout is quickly becoming the industry standard, pushing everyone else to finally get serious about fraud and customer experience. While politicians keep arguing about who gets which handout and who’s to blame for inflation, American businesses are quietly fixing problems, protecting customers, and making the economy work—no government intervention required.