Worked case · Reference condition · 12 figures

New-payee intervention

Protect the payee change

Figure 01 / 12

The evaluated population

The evaluated population — New-payee intervention. Count; one closed observation cohort. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Count; one closed observation cohort

The cohort contains 14,000 new-payee transfers, of which 112 have the defined synthetic outcome: Synthetic harmful payee transfer. The outcome is known by construction here. In production, label uncertainty and selection must be recorded separately.

Figure data and text version
OutcomeCount
Synthetic harmful payee transfer112
Other labeled outcomes13,888

The customer adds a destination and immediately sends a large transfer. The useful control must act before value becomes difficult to recover.

The reference case starts with the stated population and a functioning evidence path. The owner is risk operations.

All amounts, rates, capacity limits, and outcomes in this case are synthetic. The three conditions are separate assumptions for comparison. A better result in the response condition is not measured proof that the proposed control causes that improvement. The figures expose the calculation and its limits; a real deployment needs its own evidence.

Read the result

The rule flags 298 of 14,000 new-payee transfers. Of those flags, 90 meet the synthetic target, giving 30.2% precision. It misses 22 target events. Under the stated cost assumptions, residual loss and operating friction total $29,256. The important result is the connection between the population, action, capacity, and outcome—not one isolated score.

Model inputs and calculated values

Inputs below are the case-specific values. Each figure states the condition-specific assumptions and units used in its calculation. Calculated values are rounded for display.

InputValue
population14,000
prevalence0.008
severity1,200
margin8
Calculated valueResult
population14,000
positive112
negative13,888
tp90
fp208
fn22
tn13,680
loss26,400
severity1,200
precision30.2
recall80.36
Figure 02 / 12

Four outcomes of the rule

Four outcomes of the rule — New-payee intervention. Counts; rows are actual labels, columns are actions. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Counts; rows are actual labels, columns are actions

The rule flags 90 synthetic positives and 208 negatives. It misses 22 positives. A flagged item is a decision to intervene; it is not proof of fraud, a legal prohibition, or any other real-world conclusion.

Figure data and text version
Known outcomeFlaggedNot flagged
Synthetic harmful payee transfer9022
Other outcome20813,680
Figure 03 / 12

Three rates with different denominators

Three rates with different denominators — New-payee intervention. Rates within this cohort. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Rates within this cohort

Precision is 30.2%, recall is 80.36%, and the false-positive rate is 1.5%. Changing the denominator changes the meaning. This record keeps each numerator attached to the population from which it came.

Figure data and text version
MetricNumeratorDenominatorResult
Precision9029830.2%
Recall9011280.36%
False-positive rate20813,8881.5%
Figure 04 / 12

Precision changes with prevalence

Precision changes with prevalence — New-payee intervention. Percent; fixed conditional detection rates. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Percent; fixed conditional detection rates

This sensitivity plot holds recall at 80% and false-positive rate at 1.5%, then changes prevalence. It is an algebraic comparison, not a forecast. Even unchanged detection quality can produce a very different review queue when the base rate changes. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.

Figure data and text version
Assumed prevalencePrecision %
0.1%5.07
0.5%21.14
1%35.01
2%52.12
5%73.73
10%85.56
Figure 05 / 12

The threshold trade-off

The threshold trade-off — New-payee intervention. Count in the same cohort. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Count in the same cohort

Six illustrative score bands use a stated pair of detection rates. Lower sensitivity can reduce false alarms but miss more target events. These points do not come from a trained model and do not establish the best operating threshold. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.

Figure data and text version
Score bandTrue positivesFalse positives
Band 11102,083
Band 21051,111
Band 396486
Band 481167
Band 55656
Band 62814
Figure 06 / 12

A transparent loss-and-friction calculation

A transparent loss-and-friction calculation — New-payee intervention. Illustrative USD; expected cost under stated intervention assumptions. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Illustrative USD; expected cost under stated intervention assumptions

At $1200 severity per missed synthetic positive, residual loss is $26,400. Review costs $1,192; lost contribution on false alarms is $1,664. The calculation assumes intervention prevents all flagged-positive loss and each false alarm loses the stated contribution. Relax those assumptions before applying it to a real policy.

Figure data and text version
Cost componentUSD
Missed-positive loss26,400
Review cost1,192
False-alarm contribution1,664
Figure 07 / 12

Observed outcomes mature over time

Observed outcomes mature over time — New-payee intervention. Count; final outcome fixed. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Count; final outcome fixed

The final synthetic positive count is 112. Earlier observations reveal only a stated fraction. Comparing a day-1 cohort with a day-30 cohort would confuse label age with control quality. This curve models observation delay only; it does not change the final outcome. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.

Figure data and text version
Days after eventObserved positives
120
339
767
1492
30112
Figure 08 / 12

Review demand and available capacity

Review demand and available capacity — New-payee intervention. Items in the cohort window. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Items in the cohort window

The flag count is 298. The comparison capacity is an illustrative 560 reviews per cohort window. A mathematical rule can be coherent while its resulting workload exceeds the operating team’s capacity. Capacity is not permission to ignore an applicable mandatory control.

Figure data and text version
Queue measureItems
Flagged for review298
Available capacity560
Excess demand0
Figure 09 / 12

A feature is an observation with provenance

A feature is an observation with provenance — New-payee intervention. Illustrative data contract. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Illustrative data contract

This evidence contract supports protect the payee change. A value needs its event time, arrival time, scope, and source. Keeping unavailable evidence distinct from a measured zero prevents an outage from becoming a falsely reassuring feature.

Figure data and text version
FieldExampleMeaning
entity_refNew-payee interventionSubject of this case
event_time2026-09-18T09:00:00ZWhen the event occurred
received_time2026-09-18T09:00:02ZWhen the system learned it
signal_statusavailableEvidence quality, not an outcome
label_definitionSynthetic harmful payee transferThe target used in these calculations
Figure 10 / 12

Missing evidence changes the observed population

Missing evidence changes the observed population — New-payee intervention. Count; each row is the same cohort. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Count; each row is the same cohort

The cells show an explicitly constructed completeness profile for three signal groups. The stress condition removes more history and device evidence. Missingness does not prove the target outcome; it changes what the decision process knows.

Figure data and text version
Signal groupAvailableMissing
Identity evidence13,860140
Activity history13,720280
Context signal13,300700
Figure 11 / 12

Evidence, score, and action remain separate

Evidence, score, and action remain separate — New-payee intervention. Decision lifecycle. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Decision lifecycle

The policy can use protect the payee change only within its approved scope. The action record must retain which evidence was available, which model or rule ran, and which action was actually applied. The final action can differ from the score recommendation when a separate constraint applies.

Figure data and text version
StageRecord
ObserveNew-payee intervention: evidence as of the decision time
EvaluateRule flags 298 of 14,000 new-payee transfers
ApplyRecord action, reason, owner, and expiry
ReconcileJoin the action to later outcomes without overwriting history
Figure 12 / 12

What the result cannot establish

What the result cannot establish — New-payee intervention. Interpretation boundary. Exact values are in the figure data below.
Interpretation boundary

Observed classifications do not reveal every counterfactual. The synthetic labels make arithmetic possible, but production decline data is selected by prior policy. Keep measured outcomes, assumed prevention, and unknown alternatives separate when reporting impact.

Figure data and text version
ClaimEvidence in this caseLimit
Detected target90 known synthetic positives flaggedProduction labels may be delayed or wrong
Prevented lossAssumed 108,000 USDRequires an intervention-effect assumption
Customer impact208 synthetic negatives flaggedNot every flag causes abandonment
Unobserved alternativeOutcome without the actionNeeds a valid evaluation design

Connect the result to the system

Bind evidence and customer confirmation to the actual destination and amount.

Check the population, evidence, permitted action, and actual effect together. A balanced calculation can still use the wrong population; a successful response can still leave an unknown financial outcome. The case’s numerical result applies only to its stated assumptions.

Sources and further reading

The chapter sources support the concepts and scope. They do not prescribe the synthetic model rates.

  1. Federal Reserve: payment systems
  2. Federal Reserve: Fedwire finality and settlement
  3. OFAC: A Framework for Compliance Commitments