A global survey of 1,200 fraud professionals shows that financial impacts are growing, and organizations see stronger fraud prevention as essential to long-term security.
New York, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veriff, a global AI-native identity platform, today released its annual Fraud Industry Pulse Survey 2026, revealing that online fraud is increasing in scale and sophistication as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a more powerful tool for criminals, and a critical line of defense for businesses.
Based on responses from 1,200 fraud and compliance decision-makers from the US and UK, the survey found that 74% of respondents have experienced an increase in online fraud over the past 12 months. 85% say fraud has had a negative financial impact on their business, with a substantial minority (16%) reporting a revenue reduction of up to 20%.
"Every year, the fraud threat grows more intense with AI offering criminals more affordable, yet powerful new weapons. No matter the type of fraud that's deployed, the damage to revenue and reputation can be severe," said Ira Bondar-Mucci, Fraud Platform Lead at Veriff. "But technology also provides new advanced AI tools to fight back, and businesses are increasingly adopting AI-powered identity verification and fraud prevention tools to protect their customers, employees, and platforms."
Key findings:
- Online fraud is worsening: 74% of respondents reported an increase in it over the past year.
- Fraud is hurting the bottom line: 85% said fraud had a negative impact on revenue.
- AI-driven fraud is not only growing, but evolving: 75% reported more AI fraud attacks, and 78% expect the threat to grow in 2026. Respondents ranked AI fraud among their top concerns for the year ahead, second only to impersonation fraud.
- AI is helping stop fraud: 80% of organizations use AI or machine learning for fraud prevention, and around 80% say it has already helped prevent attacks.
- Customers expect stronger protection: 77% of respondents said customer demand for robust fraud prevention capabilities is rising.
- Leadership attention still lags: Only about one-third of respondents strongly agreed that fraud prevention receives the appropriate level of attention or budget from the C-suite.
Veriff's research also found widespread use of identity verification (IDV) and biometric technologies, with 83% of respondents already using them in their fraud prevention strategies and 84% expect to increase reliance on them over the next year. However, nearly 70% of respondents cited the constantly evolving nature of fraud as the biggest challenge in fraud prevention, alongside solution costs and the need to balance security with customer experience.
The survey also found that the most common types of fraud encountered by businesses over the past year included malware (46%), impersonation fraud (43%), authorized fraud (43%), and document fraud. Looking ahead, respondents identified impersonation fraud, AI-powered fraud, malware, and authorized fraud as the fraud threats they fear most in 2026.
Read the full Fraud Industry Pulse Survey 2026 here.
About Veriff
Veriff is a global AI-native identity platform that helps organizations build trust online. Leading companies across financial services, marketplaces, mobility, gig economy, and other digital sectors rely on Veriff's technology to stay compliant, prevent fraud, protect users, and scale globally.
Veriff's trust infrastructure supports the full customer journey, from verification to ongoing authentication and fraud prevention, with the least friction for honest people. Built for global scale, Veriff helps businesses expand across borders without the complexity of managing identity verification, compliance, and fraud in multiple markets - creating a single source of truth for trusted identities.
Veriff press@veriff.com
