Identifying synthetic identity fraud is important, but being able to go to a deeper level to know what type of fraud you’re dealing with is key. Manipulated synthetic identity fraud uses real personally identifiable information (PII) elements with slight tweaks to create a new identity. Fabricated synthetic identities are completely new identities with no real elements of PII.
Understanding the difference between manipulated and fabricated identity fraud – which both display different behavior and motivations – is key to fighting back against bad actors.