As AI-Driven Fraud Grows More Sophisticated, Advanced Digital Defense Becomes Essential

TransUnion report finds that even as suspected digital fraud rates decline, more advanced schemes are driving greater consumer losses

CHICAGO, April 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) analysis finds that identity-based schemes and stolen credit card and fraudulent charge attacks are driving the greatest financial losses for U.S. consumers. These losses are occurring as the digital fraud landscape grows more complex, partly due to increasingly sophisticated AI-driven fraud.

According to TransUnion’s H1 2026 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, one in six U.S. consumers said they lost money to digital fraud (email, online, phone call or text messaging scams) in the past year, with a median reported loss of $2,307. Generative AI (GenAI) has likely accelerated the scale and sophistication of criminal activity, allowing fraudsters to target both consumers and businesses with greater precision and speed.

Globally, 26% of consumers across 18 surveyed countries and regions said they lost money to digital fraud last year, with a median loss of $1,671. In contrast, U.S. data reveals a notable difference: Americans were disproportionately affected by stolen credit card and fraudulent charge schemes. One-third of U.S. consumers who lost money to digital fraud cited these attacks as the cause—the highest-reported category in the country and significantly higher than the global rate of 19%.

“Criminals are weaponizing both consumer trust and emerging technologies,” said Naureen Ali, U.S. head of fraud at TransUnion. “As GenAI accelerates the sophistication and scale of criminal operations, the threat landscape is evolving faster than ever for U.S. consumers and businesses. Addressing this requires a new generation of identity-centric defenses that combine advanced analytics, adaptive authentication and multilayered fraud detection. Organizations must match fraudsters’ technological innovation to stay ahead of rapidly changing schemes.”

Stolen credit card information—compromised through phishing, website skimming, account takeover or other criminal methods—remains the leading driver of U.S. consumer fraud losses. Consumers also cited elevated rates of identity theft (29%), account takeover (27%) and third-party seller scams on legitimate ecommerce sites (24%) among the leading causes of financial loss. While these patterns largely reflect global fraud trends, their impact is more pronounced in the U.S., given the country’s high volume of digital transactions.

U.S. Stolen Credit Card or Fraudulent Charge Losses Nearly Double Rest of Globe 
Percentage reporting losing money to these schemes among consumers who said they lost funds from digital fraud in the last year

^{Source: TransUnion consumer survey}

Globally, Gen Z consumers were the most likely to report financial losses, with 39% saying they lost money to digital fraud in the past year. U.S. Gen Z consumers showed a similar pattern, with 38% reporting losses—the highest rate among U.S. generations. This elevated exposure may be influenced by Gen Z’s frequent use of gaming platforms, cryptocurrency exchanges and social apps, which are commonly targeted by fraudsters.

Suspected Digital Fraud Rates Decline in the U.S., but Risk Persists Across Key Sectors

Even as suspected digital fraud declined, consumer losses rose. The suspected digital fraud rate* for attempted transactions involving U.S. consumers declined among TransUnion’s business customers, a trend also seen globally. Nevertheless, this decrease does not necessarily indicate reduced criminal activity; rather, it may reflect a shift toward tactics designed to maximize ROI through the use of AI.

During account creation, 8.3% of attempted transactions globally in 2025 were suspected to be digital fraud, representing an 18% increase year over year.

“Fraudsters are moving upstream,” continued Ali. “Instead of bypassing controls during account use, they increasingly exploit vulnerabilities at account creation, concealing identity manipulation until losses mount. These methods enable criminals to evade rules-based systems built for a different threat environment. To keep pace, businesses need intelligence-driven, proactive solutions like TransUnion Fraud Solutions to detect sophisticated identity risks at onboarding.”

Industries Facing the Highest Digital Fraud Risk in the U.S.

TransUnion’s industry analysis shows that sectors centered on consumer interaction, social connection and entertainment faced the highest digital fraud pressure in 2025 for attempted transactions involving U.S. consumers.

While many U.S. industries saw a year-over-year decline in fraud volume, risk remains elevated in several areas. The communities sector, including online dating and forums, experienced a 7% increase in suspected digital fraud attempts, underscoring rising exposure in trust-based environments. Gaming also continues to face significant risk, with nearly one in 10 U.S. transactions flagged as suspected digital fraud.

Despite a Broader Decline, Communities Have Seen an Uptick in Scams Over the Last Year

^{Source: TransUnion global intelligence network}

“As criminals increasingly weaponize new technologies to carry out sophisticated scams, it’s more important than ever for consumers to safeguard their personal information,” said Margaret Poe, head of consumer credit education at TransUnion. “Regularly reviewing credit reports is a foundational step, and those who believe they’ve been targeted or victimized by fraud should also consider placing a freeze on their credit files with the major credit bureaus.”

TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud and data breaches based on intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions. To learn more about how TransUnion fraud prevention solutions can help businesses avoid fraud and prevent fraud losses, click here.

Specific country and regional data in the report includes the United States, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H1 2026 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.

^{* The rate or percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion business customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation — compared to all transactions assessed. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represent every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.}

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.

http://www.transunion.com/business

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