How Motive’s AI Is Stopping Fleet Fraud Before It Happens

Motive: Leading AI-Powered Fraud Prevention in Fleet Management

In 2024, Motive successfully prevented over 80,000 fraudulent transactions, solidifying its position as a leader in fleet management fraud prevention. Recognized with the 2025 FreightWaves Fraud Fighter Award, Motive combines fleet and spend management into a single platform, offering businesses a powerful defense against fleet-related fraud.

The Cost of Fraud in Fleet Operations

Fraud and theft represent a significant financial drain in physical operations. Research shows that 19% of current fleet spend is lost to fraud or theft, costing companies in trucking, logistics, construction, oil and gas, and other sectors nearly $1 million annually on average. For example, a 500-vehicle fleet can lose over $250,000 a year through unauthorized transactions caused by fuel theft, skimming, and out-of-policy spending.

The speed and sophistication of fleet card fraud continue to rise. Global card fraud losses are expected to exceed $43 billion next year, with U.S. businesses projected to lose $12.5 billion in 2025. This growing threat demands smarter, more integrated fraud prevention solutions.

What Sets Motive Apart?

Motive’s platform uniquely integrates vehicle telematics with payment data from the Motive Card, allowing its AI system to automatically decline suspicious transactions with 90% accuracy. This integration guards against fuel siphoning, skimming, and other common fraud schemes by analyzing both vehicle location and transaction data in real time.

• Fleet proximity auto-decline: Transactions are rejected when the vehicle isn't near the fueling station, preventing unauthorized purchases.
• Fuel tank threshold auto-decline (upcoming): This feature will block fuel purchases if the tank is already full, stopping side-fueling and waste.
• Customizable spend controls: Businesses can set limits based on time, amount, merchant category, or location, with future updates set to automatically decline expensive merchants when cheaper options are nearby.

This approach eliminates the need for fleet managers to spend hours manually identifying fraud or disputing charges after the fact.

Confidence Backed by Guarantees

Motive offers the industry's highest fraud protection guarantee, covering up to $250,000 in losses annually when customers enable AI fraud controls on the Motive Card. This commitment reflects the company’s confidence in its technology and its focus on delivering real savings to customers.

Real Results from Real Customers

Scott Hodson, fleet manager at Damian’s Wholesale Ice Cream, shared: “Our old card provider didn’t protect us from fraud or buddy-fueling. Since switching to the Motive Card, we haven’t experienced fraud. It’s given us the visibility and control needed to optimize fuel spend.”

Similarly, Alex Amort, VP of Compliance at Cascade Environmental, said: “Managing fleet expenses from one dashboard lets us stop fraud before it happens and coach drivers on fueling policies. Motive has delivered true, documented savings to our bottom line.”

Logistics company Southwind auto-declined over 2,000 suspicious transactions worth $1.1 million in 2024, representing 3% of their total transactions. KLX Energy, managing more than 2,000 vehicles, turned to Motive after a major fraud event in 2018 involving millions in unauthorized fuel charges. Since implementing Motive, KLX Energy has saved about $170,000 and cut unidentified drivers by 50% almost immediately.

How Motive’s AI Improves Fraud Prevention

Initially, Motive focused on setting rules and alerts to flag suspicious activity. Today, its AI models analyze transaction patterns in real time, reducing false positives and eliminating unnecessary alerts. This accuracy helps fleet managers focus on genuine risks without being overwhelmed.

Motive’s unified platform ensures fleet cards, telematics, and driver tools communicate seamlessly. According to the company, managing operations on separate systems creates blind spots that fraudsters exploit. A single platform provides complete visibility and better protection.

Key Takeaways for Fleet Management Professionals

• Fraud in fleet operations can cost millions annually; proactive prevention is critical.
• Integrated AI systems combining telematics and payment data detect suspicious activity with high accuracy.
• Automatic transaction declines based on vehicle proximity and fuel tank levels reduce unauthorized spending.
• Customizable spend controls allow fine-tuning of fleet expenses and fraud prevention policies.
• A unified management platform enhances visibility and reduces fraud risk.
• Fraud protection guarantees provide financial confidence when adopting new systems.

For managers looking to improve fleet security and reduce losses, exploring AI-driven solutions like Motive’s platform can deliver measurable benefits. Effective fraud prevention not only saves money but also frees up time to focus on core business priorities.

To learn more about leveraging AI in fleet and spend management, consider exploring relevant courses and training at Complete AI Training.