# Use Cases
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/use-cases/index.md

The Account Validation API can help validate name and account information provided by merchants and consumers in different scenarios, such as:

* **Prior to initiating a payment transfer to a card**   
  Protect against payment to a scammer who is pretending to be a different person.

* **Prior to initiating a funding transfer from a card**   
  Protect against use of a stolen card to load a digital wallet, and ensure funds are from the stated person in order to satisfy applicable regulation, such as gaming and gambling laws.

* **When a consumer profile and new card account are added to a funds transfer application or solution**   
  Verify the identity and card account of the person who's creating a new application profile.

* **When a consumer's profile or card account details are changed in a funds transfer application or solution**   
  Guard against account takeover by checking the new details.

See these example flows:

* [Protecting a Transaction](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/use-cases/protect-transaction/index.md)
* [Protecting a Consumer Profile](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/use-cases/protect-profile/index.md)