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Aft edited this page May 23, 2024 · 6 revisions

Detection & Alert of Abnormal Transactions

The Detection & Alert of Abnormal Transactions feature in smartMoney helps you identify unusual withdrawals and notify you promptly, ensuring better financial control and security.

Overview

This feature is designed to identify withdrawals exceeding the average amount from your expense/revenue accounts or categories. By monitoring and comparing transaction amounts to historical data, smartMoney can detect abnormalities and alert you when something unusual occurs.

How It Works

Process Flow:

  1. Data Collection:

    • smartMoney collects historical transaction data from your FireFly-III expense/revenue accounts and categories.

  2. Calculate Averages:

    • It calculates the average withdrawal amount for each account and category over a specified period.

  3. Monitor Transactions:

    • smartMoney continuously monitors new transactions (using FireFly-III Webhook).

  4. Detect Abnormalities:

    • When a withdrawal/deposit exceeds the calculated average amount by a predefined threshold, smartMoney flags it as abnormal.

  5. Send Alerts:

    • An alert is sent to you via your preferred notification method (e.g., email, push notification) informing you of the abnormal transaction.

Setting Up Abnormal Transaction Detection

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Enable Feature:
    • Ensure the Detection & Alert of Abnormal Transactions feature is enabled in your smartMoney settings. open .env and change:
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_ENABLED=true
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_ENABLED=true

# How many months to look back (to calculate the average)
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_MONTHS=6

# Calculate overall average of all transactions, only if total transactions are more than 50 transactions
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_ALL_MIN=50

# Calculate overall average of a destination, only if total transactions of the destination are more than 50 transactions
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_DESTINATION_MIN=50

# Calculate overall average of a source, only if total transactions of the source are more than 50 transactions
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_SOURCE_MIN=50

# Calculate overall average of a category, only if total transactions of the category are more than 50 transactions
CAL_AVERAGE_TRANSACTIONS_CATEGORY_MIN=50
  1. Configure Thresholds:
    • Set the threshold percentage or amount that defines what constitutes an abnormal transaction. For example, transactions exceeding the average by 10%. open .env and change:
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_ENABLED=true
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_ENABLED=true

ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_ALL_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_SOURCE_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_DESTINATION_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_CATEGORY_PERCENTAGE=10

# Define the order of detection and remove any type you are not interested to check.
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_WITHDRAWAL_ORDER=all,source,destination,category

ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_ALL_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_SOURCE_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_DESTINATION_PERCENTAGE=10
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_CATEGORY_PERCENTAGE=10

# Define the order of detection and remove any type you are not interested to check.
ALERT_ABNORMAL_TRANSACTIONS_DEPOSIT_ORDER=all,source,destination,category
  1. User:

Make sure "Alert abnormal transaction" is enabled for the user

After completing these steps, follow the instructions on the Setup Webhook page.

  1. Review Historical Data: smartMoney will automatically analyze your historical transaction data to establish baseline averages for your accounts and categories. you can view the data in Admin dashboard

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • False Positives:

    • If you receive alerts for transactions that are not truly abnormal, consider adjusting your threshold settings.

  • Missed Alerts:

    • Ensure your notification preferences are correctly configured and your contact information is accurate.

Solutions

  • Fine-Tuning Thresholds:
    • Experiment with different threshold settings to find the balance that works best for your financial situation.

By following these guidelines and utilizing the Detection & Alert of Abnormal Transactions feature, you can maintain greater control over your finances and swiftly address any unusual activity.

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