Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fourth quarter revenues increased by 15% year-over-year, reaching a record $5,936,000 compared to $5,176,000 in Q4 2023 [31] - SaaS revenues for Q4 grew 17% quarter-over-quarter, totaling $5,900,000, while full-year SaaS revenues increased by 7% to $19,800,000 [8][32] - Adjusted EBITDA for the full year improved to a positive $520,000 compared to a loss of $377,000 in 2023 [39] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The automotive vertical saw significant growth, with volumes increasing by 2,500% year-over-year, while title insurance grew by 54% [9] - The company achieved a gross profit margin of 91% for both Q4 and the full year, down from 95% and 93% respectively in the prior year [33][37] - Operating expenses increased by 21% in Q4, totaling $4,928,000, primarily due to higher R&D costs [34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Retail still represents approximately 75% of the company's scan volume, although transaction volumes in retail were down about 2.5% year-over-year [29][49] - The company is diversifying away from retail, focusing on verticals such as automotive and title insurance, which have higher transaction values [11][80] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on vertical channel diversification and enhancing ID validation services, with a strong emphasis on technology solutions that outperform competitors [5][6] - Ongoing investments in IT initiatives, including a migration from Azure to AWS, are expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs [19][20] - The company aims to leverage marketing and customer service capabilities to enhance customer experience and drive growth [21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about growth in the second half of 2025, driven by rollout schedules and proof of concepts [44][45] - The company is cautious about the retail environment, noting that consumer confidence and spending have declined, impacting transaction volumes [29][54] - Management anticipates continued improvements in adjusted EBITDA and gross margins, with a focus on maintaining operating expenses below revenue growth [41][60] Other Important Information - The company reported a GAAP loss of $918,000 for the full year, an improvement from a loss of $1,980,000 in 2023 [38] - The company has a $2,000,000 revolving credit facility with Citibank, which was not utilized during 2024 [39] Q&A Session Summary Question: Visibility on stronger back half of the year - Management indicated that visibility is based on rollout schedules and proof of concepts, with some delays due to IT integration [44][45] Question: Impact of macroeconomic conditions on sales - Management noted that sales conversations have not been disrupted, as fraud remains a consistent issue across industries [47][48] Question: Clarification on Q4 revenue strength and Q1 expectations - Management explained that Q4 strength was driven by non-retail sectors, while Q1 is expected to see a decline in retail transaction volumes [53][54] Question: Update on large social media customer - Management stated that procurement processes are ongoing, with testing completed and positive feedback received [58][59] Question: Future EBITDA expectations - Management expects continued improvement in EBITDA for 2025, with a focus on maintaining positive growth [60] Question: Sales team structure and focus - Management highlighted the addition of three new sales associates, emphasizing a consultative selling approach across various verticals [62][63] Question: Top priorities for 2025 - Management identified sales growth and enhancing customer success as top priorities for the year [64][66]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - The report highlights the evolving fraud landscape post-pandemic, emphasizing the need for businesses to adapt to new fraud techniques and consumer behavior shifts [3][7] - Fraud continues to escalate across various channels, particularly in digital and automated transactions, indicating a growing threat to ecommerce and retail sectors [15][48] - The financial and operational impacts of fraud extend beyond direct losses, affecting customer retention and increasing compliance burdens [16][68] Summary by Sections Section 1: Customer Experience - Managing customer friction is critical for fraud prevention success, as excessive measures can lead to increased customer churn [14][25] - 62% of U.S. ecommerce businesses and 53% of Canadian ecommerce businesses report increased customer churn due to fraud prevention measures [25][32] - Improving customer trust and loyalty through seamless experiences is a top priority for U.S. ecommerce (28%) and Canadian retail (43%) [27][42] Section 2: Fraud Attacks - Synthetic identity fraud is a growing concern, accounting for around 30% of fraud losses in U.S. businesses during new account creation [48][55] - Purchase transactions are the primary target for fraud, with identity-related fraud accounting for 45% of cases in U.S. ecommerce [49][51] - Malicious bot activity is on the rise, with over one-third of businesses reporting increased attacks in the past year [50][62] Section 3: Merchant Losses - The LexisNexis Fraud Multiplier indicates that every dollar lost to fraud costs U.S. merchants $4.61 and Canadian merchants $4.52, highlighting the extensive impact of fraud [73][68] - Fraud costs are concentrated in purchase transactions, with U.S. ecommerce reporting the highest percentage at 49% [69][70] - Mobile transactions contribute significantly to fraud costs, with U.S. ecommerce seeing a combined 30% share [80][83] Section 4: Obstacles - Identity verification remains a top challenge across all key stages, with businesses struggling to authenticate legitimate users while preventing fraud [92][96] - Many businesses express optimism about future fraud detection improvements, but this may overlook evolving fraud tactics [103][105] - Organizations are cautious about increasing fraud prevention budgets, with many expecting to maintain current levels [107][108]