81% of Suspected Digital Fraud Attacks Target Existing Customer Relationships, TransUnion Finds
Key Highlights
- ➤81% of suspected digital fraud occurred during existing-customer interactions in H1 2026
- ➤Business leaders estimate fraud losses reached nearly 7% of annual revenue
- ➤U.S. scam and authorized fraud accounted for 35% of fraud losses
- ➤U.S. lenders faced $2.4 billion synthetic-identity exposure as of June 30, 2026
- ➤67% expect synthetic identity fraud to increase over the next two years
Expert Statements
Brian Killeen, Vice President of Global Identity Solutions at TransUnion
“As fraudsters increasingly exploit trusted relationships beyond onboarding, organizations need to move to a more connected understanding of trust”
Brian Killeen, Vice President of Global Identity Solutions at TransUnion
“Harnessing intelligence across the customer lifecycle and applying context to each interaction is critical to identifying emerging threats and enabling trusted interactions”
Clint Lowry, Vice President of Global Fraud Strategy at TransUnion
“Fraud risk is shaped by context. Across industries, these findings show how threats evolve throughout the customer journey, revealing where organizations are most exposed and why effective fraud prevention must adapt to the specific interaction and threat”
Brian Killeen, Vice President of Global Identity Solutions at TransUnion
“AI is accelerating the pace at which fraudsters develop, scale and adapt their attacks. To keep pace, organizations must shorten the time between detecting emerging threats, learning from them and adapting their defenses, turning intelligence into action before vulnerabilities can be exploited.”
CHICAGO, Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New findings from TransUnion’s (NYSE: TRU) latest global Top Fraud Trends Report show that fraudsters are increasingly exploiting the trust associated with legitimate identities and brands rather than creating fake ones. As the threat evolves, organizations face growing financial consequences, with business leaders estimating fraud losses equivalent to nearly 7% of annual revenue in the past year. Meanwhile, advances in AI and automation are helping criminals open fraudulent accounts, infiltrate existing ones and undermine customer relationships at greater scale.
TransUnion’s report, Fraud in the Age of Continuous Trust, found that 81% of suspected digital fraud globally in H1 2026 occurred during interactions with existing customers, as fraudsters exploit trusted relationships and established accounts.
Get started
Create a free account to read the full story.