Entrust, a global provider of identity-centric security solutions, has released its seventh annual Identity Fraud Report for 2026, detailing a significant increase in the volume and sophistication of identity fraud driven by generative AI, deepfakes, and injection attacks.
The report indicates that deepfakes now account for one in five biometric fraud attempts, with instances of deepfaked selfies rising by 58% in 2025. Other identified fraud tactics in biometric systems include the use of photos of screens, photos of printouts, 2D and 3D masks, and videos of videos or photos on screens.
This increase in deepfake usage is linked to a broader trend of more sophisticated attacks, particularly injection attacks, which saw a 40% year-over-year surge. Injection attacks enable fraudsters to bypass live capture processes by feeding manipulated images or videos directly into verification systems. When combined with deepfakes, these techniques can convincingly mimic users and live capture experiences, making detection challenging without robust, multi-layered fraud prevention.
The report also identifies variations in fraud across the customer lifecycle and by industry. Sectors offering sign-up bonuses, such as cryptocurrency, face the highest rates of onboarding fraud, accounting for 67% of attempts. Conversely, industries with valuable, long-standing accounts, including payments and digital-first banks, experience higher rates of account takeover (ATO) fraud, at 82% and 55% respectively, during the authentication process. ATO fraud involves hijacking existing user accounts through methods like stolen credentials, phishing, malware, or social engineering to misappropriate funds or sensitive data.
Beyond technical threats, the report highlights the growing use of psychological manipulation by fraudsters. Tactics such as phishing, impersonation, and coercion are employed to induce victims into using their genuine identity, surrendering sensitive data, or transferring funds.
Additional findings from the 2026 Identity Fraud Report include: digital forgeries constituted 35% of document fraud in 2025, up from an average of 29% between 2022 and 2024. While physical counterfeits are more numerous at 47%, the sophistication of digital forgeries is generally higher due to the availability of online AI tools. National ID cards were the most exploited document, representing 46% of fraudulent submissions globally. This trend is particularly prevalent in EMEA (45%) and APAC (60%), while the AMER region sees more fraudulent driver’s licenses (37%). Fraud attempts peak between 2:00 am and 4:00 am UTC, suggesting highly organized, global fraud operations. Furthermore, fraudsters frequently reuse fake details, such as names like Jon Doe, document numbers like A12345678, and birthdates including October 16, 1986, across multiple fraudulent identity documents.
Simon Horswell, Senior Fraud Specialist Manager at Entrust, commented, “As detection improves, fraud rings evolve, becoming faster, more organized, and commercially driven. Generative AI and shared tactics fuel volumes and sophistication, targeting people, credentials, and systems. Identity is now the front line, and protecting it with trusted, verified identity across the customer lifecycle is essential to staying ahead of adaptive threats.”
Tony Ball, President of Payments & Identity and Incoming CEO at Entrust, added, “With over 1 billion identity verifications conducted across 195 countries and more than 30 industries, Entrust offers unparalleled insights into how fraud operates and how to help mitigate it. Our global reach and deep fraud intelligence mean we’re uniquely placed to drive continuous innovation and share meaningful insights for customers. The future of digital trust lies in layered, identity-centric strategies powered by AI, delivering fraud prevention and seamless user experiences.”
The 2026 Identity Fraud Report is based on an analysis of data collected from September 2024 to September 2025 through Entrust’s identity verification solution, which processes millions of identity verifications annually across 195 countries. The data and trends presented reflect the verification space and may not always mirror wider market trends, with data normalized by client and industry distribution.
Entrust provides identity-centric security solutions designed to protect people, devices, and data by addressing fraud and cyber threats. The company’s solutions support every stage of the identity lifecycle, from initial identity verification to securing connections and preventing fraud in daily transactions. Entrust has a global partner network and serves customers in over 150 countries.
