How Route deflected 40% of suspicious claims

The Challenge

Route required suspicious claims to include physical notarizations or police reports — creating friction for legitimate customers without effectively deterring fraud. Meanwhile, rising fraudulent claims increased costs and manual verification work for the claims team.

The Solution

Route partnered with OneNotary to implement an online notarization process. Suspicious or high-value claims now require customers to complete a quick online notarization session, including live video verification and ID authentication. This approach ensured a seamless process for honest customers—while dramatically increasing the friction for fraudulent actors.

Why This Approach Works

Friendly, or Customer fraud,  is becoming an increasingly costly challenge for ecommerce businesses. According to a 2026 Bloomberg Businessweek report, American consumers filed 158 million transaction disputes in 2025—up 29% from 2021. As dispute volumes continue to rise, businesses need validation methods that deter fraudulent claims while maintaining a seamless experience for their honest customers.

A 2021 study by Cohn, Gesche and Maréchal, “Honesty in the Digital Age,” in Management Science (University of Zurich and University of Michigan) found people cheat about three times more when dealing with a machine than with a person, and that dishonest people actively prefer the machine when given the choice. By adding a live human step without requiring an in-person meeting, Route introduced just enough friction to discourage fraud while keeping the experience simple for legitimate customers.