By The LiquidTrust team
LiquidTrust is a payments innovation company serving FIs, B2B platforms, and SMBs globally.

Fraud Awareness Week reminds us: most fraud isn’t about deception—it’s about design flaws. In B2B commerce, the real vulnerability lies in payment systems that assume trust where none exists.

At LiquidTrust™, we believe fraud prevention should be structural, not reactive. Our patent-pending Micro Escrow™ technology builds trust into each transaction—before funds ever move—so businesses can grow confidently, not cautiously.

Why Traditional Fraud Defenses Fail

Even the most advanced fraud tools work after the risk has already occurred. For B2B marketplaces, procurement hubs, or banks facilitating trade, the weak point isn’t detection—it’s assumption.

• 80% of all businesses were targeted by payment fraud last year.

• Over 92% of SMBs cite payment loss as a top concern.

• One-third of SMBs have experienced failed or delayed cross-border payments.

These failures stem from one root cause: traditional payment infrastructure wasn’t built for untrusted counterparties.

What Is Protected Pay?

Protected Pay, powered by patent-pending Micro Escrow™ technology, embeds escrow-like protection directly into digital payments. Funds are securely held until predefined conditions—delivery, inspection, or documentation—are met. This approach eliminates the classic “trust gap” that fraudsters exploit.

• Buyers no longer risk paying for undelivered goods.

• Sellers no longer wait indefinitely for funds.

• Platforms offload compliance and regulatory exposure through LiquidTrust’s verified, SOC 2–certified infrastructure powered by J.P. Morgan’s rails.

Protected Pay powered by Micro Escrow™ first transformed how businesses transact securely. We later extended those same safeguards to B2B marketplaces, as detailed in our Marketplace Payment Launch announcement, where we shared how embedded escrow enables marketplaces to scale trust and compliance globally.

Structural Trust vs. Reactive Protection

Reputation systems, KYC checks, and fraud scoring tools only reduce the probability of fraud. Structural trust—built into every transaction—reduces the possibility of fraud.

By holding funds securely until both sides fulfill their obligations, Protected Pay prevents fraudulent payments before they happen. This isn’t just safer—it’s scalable.

Fraud Prevention as a Growth Engine

Fraud control shouldn’t slow commerce. With embedded escrow:

• Marketplaces enable larger average transaction values safely.

• Banks retain SMB clients with modern payment protection.

• SMBs expand globally with confidence instead of caution.

Fraud prevention becomes not a cost center, but a competitive advantage.

A Call to Action for Fraud Awareness Week

Awareness is the first step—but awareness alone doesn’t close the trust gap. As trade and technology evolve, prevention must move from policy to infrastructure.

Learn more about how LiquidTrust helps B2B marketplaces build payment trust.