About SafeCypher
Built to eliminate fraud. Not manage it.
SafeCypher was founded on a single conviction: card-not-present fraud is a solvable problem. We build the technology that eliminates it — permanently, not probabilistically.
Our Mission
Zero fraud. Not reduced. Eliminated.
Every payment fraud solution on the market sets out to reduce fraud — to push the number lower, to improve the ratio, to optimise the loss. We built SafeCypher because we believed that framing was wrong. Reduction is not the goal. Elimination is.
The card-not-present fraud problem is not a probability problem. It is a data problem. The static CVV that sits on every card in every wallet is the vulnerability. Dynamic, time-rotating credentials that are worthless the moment they are intercepted change the equation entirely — there is nothing to steal because what was stolen is already expired.
In 2025, SafeCypher was recognised as the Winner, Best Financial Crime Prevention Initiative — Irish Fintech Awards 2025. It was validation of a thesis we had held for years: eliminating fraud is not only possible, it is the only standard worth building to.
What We Believe
Five beliefs that shape everything we build.
01
Don't reduce. Eliminate.
02
Dynamic data. Applied intelligence.
03
Nothing there. Nothing to steal.
04
Not probability, but certainty.
05
Easier for users. Impossible for fraudsters.
The Human Cost
This is why we exist.
The fraud industry publishes statistics. We publish them too — because numbers communicate scale. But the scale is not the problem. The problem is that behind every data point is a person who trusted a system and was let down by it.
£1.2 billion
lost to card-not-present fraud in the UK alone in 2023 — nearly half of all payment fraud losses. Behind that number: millions of individual acts of theft against ordinary people.
Elderly cardholders are disproportionately targeted. Research consistently shows that older victims face greater psychological impact — lasting anxiety, withdrawal from online services, and a loss of financial independence they never recover. For many, the money is secondary to the violation of trust.
Families lose savings set aside for school fees, for home deposits, for medical treatment. Small business owners face chargebacks that arrive months later — after goods have been shipped, after cash flow has been committed elsewhere. The fraud ecosystem is designed to extract value before victims even know they have been targeted.
These are not edge cases. They are the default outcome of a payments infrastructure built on static credentials that have not changed in fifty years.
60%
of CNP fraud victims report significant emotional distress following the incident — beyond the financial loss, the psychological damage is long-lasting and frequently underreported
We built SafeCypher because we believe the people responsible for infrastructure that touches millions of cardholders have an obligation to eliminate fraud — not to optimise it, not to manage it, not to absorb it as a cost of doing business.
The Team
The people behind the mission.
Mark Phillips
CEO
Mark brings decades of senior marketing and digital leadership across global brands — from adidas and Beats Music to iFIT — alongside eight years as VP Digital and CMO at McKinsey. As CEO of SafeCypher, he combines deep go-to-market expertise with a passion for technology that helps people live, move, and transact safely in an AI-powered world.
Andy Perry
CTPO
Andy brings deep technical and commercial expertise from senior leadership roles at Global Payments and TSYS, where he led infrastructure and business services operations spanning global processor and issuer networks. As CTPO, he applies that hands-on understanding of the payments technology landscape to architect the solutions that make card-not-present fraud obsolete.
Ben Jordan
Head of Product & Innovation
Ben brings extensive experience from senior leadership roles in payments services and fraud prevention, including work at the forefront of tackling card fraud with Europol. As Head of Product & Innovation, he channels that front-line expertise into the product strategy that makes card-not-present fraud a solved problem.
Jeff Slawsky
MD - US Operations
One of the bankcard industry's true pioneers, Jeff developed and launched the first-ever frequent flyer credit card and the first chip-based loyalty card, and has held senior leadership roles at HSBC, Bank One, and Bank of Boston. As MD of US Operations, he brings decades of strategic, operational, and regulatory expertise across the Americas, Europe, and Asia to drive SafeCypher's growth in the US market.
Missi Smith
Chief Customer Officer
Missi brings over 25 years of payments expertise from TSYS — now Global Payments — where she rose to Senior Vice President of Issuer Implementations, overseeing business delivery of new portfolio and product implementations across the industry. As Chief Customer Officer, she applies that deep operational knowledge to ensure every SafeCypher customer achieves a seamless deployment and lasting results.
Bruce Bacon
Chief US Market Strategist
Bruce built an impressive track record in strategic planning and market development during a long career at TSYS, leading international expansions into Europe, China, and Brazil before serving as Group Executive for North American growth across Canada, Mexico, and the US. As Chief US Market Strategist, he brings that depth of payments expertise and commercial insight to drive SafeCypher's expansion across North America.
Richard Pickard
Project Management & Administration Manager
Richard brings over 15 years of IT project delivery experience across the UK and Europe, with a track record spanning vehicle fleet management, emissions reporting, and digital fuel card applications. At SafeCypher, he ensures every customer deployment is executed with precision and delivered to the highest standard.
Ready to eliminate CNP fraud?
See the financial impact for your portfolio, or talk to the team directly.