The State of Synthetic Fraud: Evolution, Trends, and How We Will Eradicate it By 2026

This report explains the evolution of synthetic identity fraud, analyzes methods being used to perpetrate it, identifies trends in synthetic identity activity including impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ultimately offers a 10-point strategy for combating this rapidly growing threat and eventually eradicating the plague of synthetic fraud.

Highlights of this report include:

• Common patterns that bad actors use to create synthetic identities, including birth months, locations, familiar names, and more
• Early definitions of synthetic fraud have broadened to include manipulated identities
• Synthetic fraud behavior has shifted over time from instant gratification to money movement through mules
• Research that shows how the global pandemic had a significant impact on synthetic identities infiltrating the DDA, lending, and investment sectors