A recent report by LexisNexis Risk Solutions found synthetic identity fraud is on the rise.
According to its latest Cybercrime Report based on more than 100 billion online transactions in 2025, LexisNexis said 11% of frauds now involve a synthetic identity, representing an eight-fold global increase over 2024.
“While organizations are strengthening defenses across channels, cybercriminal networks are scaling automation, shifting tactics and probing for any available weaknesses across the digital customer journey. Increasingly, attackers rely on advanced bots and AI-driven tools to mimic human behavior and test defenses with unprecedented speed and accuracy,” said Stephen Topliss, vice president of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
Synthetic fraud represents a shift in tactics away from short-term opportunism by fraudsters since it takes months…
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.