Fraud detection starts on the front line: how AlphaCredit invests in the expertise of credit brokers

Fraud is becoming increasingly difficult to detect. Thanks to new technologies, documents and supporting evidence can now be forged faster and more convincingly than ever before. For organisations that assess credit applications on a daily basis, detecting fraud as early as possible is therefore essential.

With this in mind, AlphaCredit took the initiative to develop, together with Febelfin Academy, a series of in-company training courses on fraud for its network of credit brokers. The objective: to equip participants with practical knowledge, detection techniques and concrete tools to identify fraud cases more quickly. Through these training courses, AlphaCredit aimed to provide its partners with even stronger support in their role as the first line of defence against identity and document fraud.

A growing network requires continuous expertise

As a lender, AlphaCredit places great importance on responsible lending. That is why the organisation has been investing in the training and support of its credit intermediaries for many years.

“Our network of independent credit brokers continues to grow strongly year after year,” explains Lorenzo Everaert, Head of Broker Business at AlphaCredit. “As a result of this growth and our prominent position in the market, we regularly encounter cases of fraud. Although we already support our brokers in terms of prevention and detection, fraud remains a highly relevant and complex issue. Moreover, the demand for specific, practical training largely came from the brokers themselves.”

This demand was perfectly aligned with AlphaCredit’s ambition to further professionalise its partners and support them in their crucial role as the first line of control.

Practical training with immediate application

The training courses were prompted not only by the increasing complexity of fraud, but also by rapid technological developments.

“Today, it is much easier than it was a few years ago to forge documents and supporting evidence,” says Lorenzo. “Credit brokers are closest to the customer and therefore play a crucial role as the first line of control. It is essential that they have the right techniques and best practices to effectively prevent fraud.”

In doing so, they not only protect the credit sector but, in many cases, consumers themselves, as fraud is not always committed by the person submitting the credit application.

For this reason, a strongly practice-oriented approach was deliberately chosen. During the training courses, participants worked directly with a variety of documents and realistic cases.

According to Lorenzo, this was precisely the aspect participants appreciated most.

“The brokers particularly appreciated the practical part. Working in groups, they were able to investigate where fraud had occurred and identify the warning signs. These training courses were also an ideal opportunity to exchange practical experiences and strengthen each other as professionals.”

Greater vigilance, greater efficiency

The impact of such training goes beyond simply recognising suspicious documents.

Alongside other measures, strong first-line controls by credit brokers contribute to better-prepared and higher-quality credit applications. This makes the process more efficient while also contributing to safer lending practices.

“We have noticed that brokers are now much more likely to report potential cases of fraud themselves,” Lorenzo explains. “When doing so, they explicitly refer to elements that were covered during the training.”

For AlphaCredit, this means that employees and partners are better equipped to detect risks at an early stage, allowing the organisation to focus even more effectively on its core responsibility: making well-informed credit decisions.

Keeping pace with new fraud techniques

The fight against fraud never stands still. That is why AlphaCredit and Febelfin Academy are currently exploring new regional training courses that will focus even more closely on the employees of credit brokers and their day-to-day work.

“The training series we launched in 2025 focused on providing in-depth theoretical and practical training. With the new regional training courses, we want to specifically target the employees of our credit brokers. The focus will be even more strongly on practical exercises and interaction with customers.”

This ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and building expertise remains essential in an environment where fraud techniques are evolving rapidly.

The more sophisticated fraud becomes, the more important it is for professionals to have the right knowledge to identify risks at an early stage and protect both consumers and the sector.

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