Sky targets £4.6m bad debt savings with No Intent to Pay strategy
New fraud strategy built with Synectics, Sagacity and FICO sets a benchmark for tackling hard-to-detect NITP risk.
Overview
1. The Ambition
To cut bad debt losses tied to No Intent to Pay fraud — a major but often misclassified risk - without adding friction or disrupting mobile onboarding.
2. The Solution
Fraud intelligence, credit risk data and scoring software were united to detect NITP risk early and apply the the right controls at point of application.
3. The Results
Sky forecasts £4.6m in annual bad debt savings. Within weeks, missed payments and early defaults dropped, with the project setting new benchmarks for fraud control.
Company
Sky Mobile
Industry
Finance & Lending
Location
United Kingdom
The Ambition
No Intent to Pay (NITP) fraud was inflating bad debt and undermining financial performance for Sky - frequently written off as credit risk and escaping early detection.
As a major UK telecoms provider with high application volumes, Sky needed faster, more accurate identification of hard-to-spot NITP fraud. Existing fraud reviews were regular and robust, but a specific strategy for NITP fraud promised greater savings and clarity.
To address the challenge, Sky brought together the strongest industry specialists. Sagacity, Sky’s credit risk consultancy; FICO, credit analytics experts; and Synectics, market leaders in risk intelligence and fraud prevention. The shared goal was clear: spot more NITP fraud without adding friction for genuine customers.
“Working with Synectics has been remarkable. We’re forecasting £4.6m in annual bad debt savings and have tighter control over a major fraud losses.”
- Sky Mobile
The Solution
Sky began with a Proof of Concept to test Synectics’ risk intelligence and the SIRA decisioning platform. Results were strong, prompting a full rollout led by Sagacity, Sky’s credit risk partner.
The project combined Synectics’ fraud controls, Sagacity’s credit strategy, and FICO’s scoring to connect fraud detection with credit decisioning - giving Sky clearer control of NITP risk at the point of application. Sagacity led impact assessments, stakeholder engagement, and the tri-party integration of SIRA into Sky Mobile’s fraud workflows.
The Results
Forecasts show £4.6m in annual bad debt savings - losses that would otherwise be written off to NITP fraud. Within weeks, missed first payments dropped by 1.7%. The results exceeded expectations and gave Sky stronger control over fraud-related financial loss.
Sky also observed the number of new customers defaulting on their loan within the first 4 months dropped by 1%. The project’s early success set a new benchmark for tackling one of the industry’s most persistent fraud types.
About our client
Sky Mobile is the award-winning phone network from Sky, one of the UK’s largest telecoms providers.
With a forward-looking ethos and fair treatment at the heart of its brand, Sky has grown into a well-loved household name and powerful commercial force.
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