Trust is hard-won and yet easily lost. For online platforms, years of careful brand-building can unravel in minutes if a scam or fraud incident slips through the cracks. This is because today’s users aren’t just consuming content or buying products; they’re entrusting platforms with their personal data, financial information, and even exposing social connections. 

Alexandra Popken, SVP of Trust & Safety and AI Services at WebPurify, an IntouchCX company, has spent years working at the forefront of trust & safety and customer experience. Here she explains why safety must be embedded into every aspect of the user journey and why protecting your customers ultimately protects your brand.

Trust at risk: why incidents hit harder than harmful content

While harmful content such as hate speech or misinformation can harm a user’s perception of a platform, fraud incidents cut deeper. As Alex explains, “A scam or fraud incident will immediately erode trust in a platform. Being exposed to harmful content is one thing, but imagine a fraudster stealing your credit card information or manipulating you into a romance scam. These attacks are personal and high-stakes.”

And the numbers show that after such incidents, these users – and many others – don’t come back. Research has found that 64% of global consumers report that fraud incidents have a negative effect on their perception of a brand. And in the US, 38% of fraud victims say they completely cut ties with brands after a security breach or scam, 33% will discourage others from engaging with those brands, and 20% take their complaints to social media. 

These types of ripple effects can devastate brand loyalty in no time at all. A clear example came after the large Target data breach in 2013, when consumer confidence plummeted, reducing store visits and online transactions. The fallout lasted long after the incident itself and ultimately cost the company more than $200 million.

Even in the aftermath of much smaller incidents than the Target breach, users are more likely to churn, often permanently. And once that trust is lost, the reputational damage can ripple through entire communities, undermining your brand value at scale.

Responding to incidents: transparency is everything

No platform, however well-prepared, can prevent every bad actor. The real differentiator is how companies respond when incidents occur. “Bad actors are constantly finding new ways to avoid detection,” Alex points out. “However, once an incident does occur and a user reports it, a best practice is for the company to respond quickly and transparently.”

That means avoiding the worst-case scenario: users left in limbo with no answers after their account has been hacked. The companies that restore trust fastest are those that have built thoughtful reporting flows, use intelligent automation to triage issues, and back this up with robust, well-trained support teams. Transparency and responsiveness turn potential churn into a renewed commitment from the user.

Scott Miller, VP of Global Fraud Prevention at IntouchCX, reinforces this point with his team’s approach to such incidents. He explains that when fraud does slip through, IntouchCX doesn’t just resolve the case; his teams analyze how the fraudster succeeded. This adversarial analysis helps identify the fraudster’s methods, uncover gaps that allowed the incident to happen, and then deliver broad policy or system changes to prevent repeat occurrences.

Scott also stresses the importance of building a layered approach to authentication and fraud prevention, where protections are stacked in the background so that safety doesn’t come at the cost of user experience. By collecting and leveraging multiple data points, such as device information, login behavior, and transaction history, platforms can detect anomalies in real time without overburdening users. 

“There are hundreds of different data points you can call out,” he says. “Even within a single device, there are a couple hundred metadata attributes you can leverage. 

“With this data, we don’t need to ask for a password every time if we already know it’s the same device, the same carrier, the same app version. By layering these checks, we can keep the journey seamless while still spotting when something feels off.” 

This layered defense not only increases detection accuracy but also gives companies flexibility to introduce step-up authentication only when suspicious patterns arise, balancing security with user experience.

Online safety is customer experience

Too often, Trust & Safety (T&S) is seen as a back-office function, separate from customer experience (CX), but Alex challenges that siloed view.

“Trust & Safety, at its core, is about the experience a customer is having on a site, and ideally it’s a positive one”, she says.

When CX and T&S operate in isolation, users slip through the cracks. Signals about fraud or abuse may never reach the right team in time. The most effective approach is an integrated one where safety and customer support work hand in hand, sharing insights and signals to create a seamless, protective user journey. This is where IntouchCX and WebPurify align by treating online safety as a central CX issue, not an afterthought.

“The best vendor partners will be well-equipped in both domains – CX and T&S – and able to share signals across customer intake channels,” Alex adds. “An ineffective support set-up is one in which CX and T&S are heavily siloed with no system or signal-sharing.”

Safety by design: showing users you take protection seriously

One way to demonstrate commitment to users is through what Alex calls “Safety by Design,” which is the principle that safety should be embedded into a platform from day one, not bolted on later. “When this is done right, users will be guided through an onboarding flow that has safety measures in mind, as well as transparent disclosures and user prompts,” Alex says.

Scott adds that onboarding is a critical moment for building trust. His teams often work with clients to identify the right data points and third-party sources that can verify new users effectively. By embedding these layered authentication checks at sign-up, such as device metadata or step-up verification when anomalies arise, platforms can stop fraud before it takes root while still giving users a smooth experience.

And contrary to the belief that safety measures always create friction, users often respond positively. Alex points to LinkedIn as an example, which has shown that members who verify their profiles see 60% more profile views and 50% more interaction with their posts.

“Here, a small safety step translates into a more fruitful user experience overall,” she says. “I believe that users are open to a reasonable amount of friction if it means a safer experience, and potentially even more engagement.”

Safety as a business imperative

Strong user protection is also fundamental to the sustainability and profitability of any digital business. “Preventing abuse at scale absolutely promotes long-term business value with your customers, employees, shareholders, and even regulators,” Alex says. “I always say that Trust & Safety is a revenue imperative.”

This is because prioritizing safety reduces churn, boosts retention, strengthens brand equity, and even shields companies from regulatory scrutiny. It supports customer advocacy and minimizes the reputational and financial damage caused by breaches or scams. In regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and marketplaces, a weak safety record can also bring legal exposure and loss of licences to operate.

And beyond defensive value, strong safety practices can create a competitive advantage. Brands that lead with trust are more likely to attract new users, enjoy higher engagement, and differentiate themselves in crowded markets. Internally, safety also protects employees from the burden of repeated crisis management and enables leaders to focus on innovation instead of damage control.

Platforms should recognize that strong safety policies are a strong growth strategy, a brand differentiator, and a business necessity in 2025. With IntouchCX and WebPurify, brands have the opportunity to integrate safety seamlessly into their customer experience, protecting users today and safeguarding long-term value tomorrow.