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Alarming Surge in Global Fraud: Insights from the Latest Cybercrime Report

The 2026 Cybercrime Report released by LexisNexis Risk Solutions has unveiled a shocking 8% global increase in fraud incidents over the past year. This surge has largely been attributed to the rise of synthetic identities and sophisticated bots that mimic human behavior, significantly impacting industries like gaming, gambling, and ecommerce.

Overview of Fraud Trends

Derived from an analysis of over 116 billion online transactions monitored through the LexisNexis Digital Identity Network in 2025, the report indicates that one of the most pressing concerns continues to be first-party fraud, where customers commit fraud against organizations. For the second consecutive year, this form of fraud has constituted nearly 38.3% of all reported fraud cases worldwide.

However, regional disparities reveal that while over half (51.7%) of fraud incidents in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region involve first-party fraud, other areas, such as Latin America (LATAM), report a startling 48.3% prevalence of synthetic identity fraud.

Synthetic Fraud on the Rise

Perhaps the most alarming highlight of the report is the eight-fold increase in synthetic identity fraud, which now accounts for more than 11% of all fraud instances globally. This type of fraud marks a shift away from opportunistic crimes toward more strategic, long-term schemes. Fraudsters construct new identities using a mix of stolen identity attributes, allowing them to execute a variety of crimes without immediately alerting victims. The report emphasizes the attractiveness of synthetic fraud, particularly in LATAM, where it represents a significant portion of fraud incidents.

Proliferation of Agentic Bots

The report also noted a staggering 450% increase in agentic traffic over the course of 2025, primarily linked to credit card transactions and logins at gaming and gambling sites. While these bots do not inherently possess malicious intent, their increasing presence complicates fraud detection efforts, representing a new layer of challenge in distinguishing between legitimate human transactions and automated bot activity.

Other critical insights from the report reveal that malicious bots have become remarkably adept at impersonating human behavior, such as cursor movements during login attempts. This development reflects a 59% rise in malicious bot attacks over the previous year, highlighting an ongoing arms race between fraud detection and cybercriminal enterprises. Peaks in attack activity were notably observed during the early months and mid-year of 2025.

Targeted Sectors: Ecommerce and Gambling

Ecommerce platforms have witnessed increasing friction, with fraud attack rates escalating by 64% year-over-year. Additionally, attackers targeting online betting accounts have seen an unprecedented 216% rise in attempts to gain control over customer accounts. Gaming and gambling sites are among the most affected, facing a 76% increase in overall fraud attack rates in 2025.

Evolving Global Threat Patterns

Regionally, trends in fraud vary widely:

• - In North America, ecommerce fraud activity exhibited occasional spikes, maintaining an attack rate of around 2.2%. Login events are often the primary target.
• - EMEA has experienced a significant 27% rise in fraud attack rates, marking the first increase in several years, mainly due to account takeover attempts.
• - The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is also facing growing threats as digital transactions rise, with an attack rate reaching 1.7%. Desktop browser-based fraud attacks are on the rise as advanced automation tools become more prevalent.
• - Meanwhile, LATAM’s fraud patterns show diversity, with increasing concerns around synthetic identity fraud associated with a growing array of digital services and regulated online gaming platforms.

Conclusion

Stephen Topliss, vice president of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, provided insights into the implications of these developments: "As cybercriminals leverage the same technologies that are changing digital commerce, businesses must prepare for a landscape where both legitimate users and malicious actors employ automated agents for online interactions. To stay ahead, organizations must enhance their capabilities to differentiate human, bot, and agent transactions and assess intent effectively."

The report emphasizes the importance of collaboration between organizations in terms of shared risk intelligence, analytics advancements, and strategic partnerships. In the evolving digital economy, those who successfully identify and manage these risks will better protect consumers and foster trust in online environments.

For those interested, a comprehensive overview of the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Cybercrime Report is available for download, detailing these evolving threats in depth.