WASHINGTON — Global fraud rates rose 8% in 2025, driven by a surge in synthetic identities, bot-driven attacks and account takeovers, according to a new report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
The report, based on analysis of more than 116 billion online transactions, found that first-party fraud — in which consumers defraud organizations — remained the most common type of fraud for the second consecutive year, accounting for 38.3% of reported cases.
However, the fastest-growing category was synthetic identity fraud, which now represents 11% of global fraud and increased eightfold year over year. The report said fraudsters are increasingly creating new identities by combining stolen personal data, allowing them to operate longer without detection.
“Fraud continues to evolve at pace with digital innovation,” Stephen Topliss, vice president of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said in a statement.
Sharp Increase
The report also highlighted a sharp increase in automated activity. So-called “agentic” traffic — automated interactions that may not always be malicious — rose 450% between January and December 2025, particularly in credit card payments and gaming logins. Meanwhile, malicious bot attacks climbed 59% as cybercriminals deployed more sophisticated tools capable of mimicking human behavior.
Ecommerce and online betting platforms were among the most targeted sectors. Ecommerce fraud attack rates rose 64% year over year, while attacks at login points surged 216%, reflecting increased efforts to take over customer accounts. Gaming and gambling sites saw a 76% increase in attack rates globally.
Trends by Region
Regional trends varied. North America’s overall fraud rate held steady at about 2.2%, though spikes in ecommerce attacks were reported. Europe, the Middle East and Africa saw a 27% increase in fraud, largely tied to account takeover attempts. Asia-Pacific experienced rising fraud alongside growth in digital transactions, while Latin America reported high levels of synthetic identity fraud, accounting for nearly half of cases in the region.
The report said the findings underscore a shift toward more complex, technology-driven fraud schemes, with cybercriminals increasingly using automation and artificial intelligence to scale attacks.
Topliss said organizations will need to better distinguish between human users, bots and automated agents as digital interactions continue to evolve.
