ReBound Returns’ analysis reveals £29m losses from retail returns fraud

The data, collected by omnichannel returns management firm ReBound Returns, is drawn from one million returned orders processed on behalf of its retail clients between July 2025 and May 2026.

The findings highlight a growing challenge for retailers as return rates for online sales approach 20%, with the value in the US market alone nearing $850bn.

ReBound Returns has published these results in its new report, The Returns Fraud Playbook. The research indicates that as more consumers return online purchases, cases of fraud and abuse are rising.

According to the Merchant Risk Council, 'refund and returns policy abuse' is currently considered the most common type of fraud faced by merchants. This trend continues despite the widespread use of identity verification, authentication procedures, and risk-scoring systems designed to prevent fraud during the initial purchase.

The report identifies a key issue in that many retailers refund customers before physically inspecting returned goods.

Data relating to returns is often fragmented, being kept separately across multiple platforms, including e-commerce sites, physical stores, and external marketplaces.

This lack of consolidated info

Fuente original: Yahoo Finance (https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/rebound-returns-analysis-reveals-29m-105104046.html)