The Rise of Identity Fraud: What Every Enterprise Needs to Know in 2025

Identity fraud surged 17% last year—and it's not just hitting banks. From synthetic IDs to SaaS logins, attackers are targeting the enterprise. Learn why identity is your new perimeter, and how to defend it.

Oskars Vientiess

Jun 11, 2025 — 2 min read

It’s getting harder to know who’s really logging in.

With deepfake tech on the rise and identity fraud accelerating across every region and industry, businesses with large workforces are facing a dangerous question:

What if the next person accessing your systems isn’t who you think they are?

According to the newly released 2024 Identity Fraud Report by Sumsub, identity fraud surged globally in 2023—with deepfakes nearly tripling year-over-year and biometric bypasses rising fast.

This isn’t just a consumer problem. It’s a growing enterprise security gap.

Identity Fraud Is Growing—Fast

Here are the key numbers from the 2024 report:

17% increase in global identity fraud in 2023, up from 16.2% in 2022 to 17.4% now
Deepfake-related fraud tripled, with face swap attempts growing 704%
The highest fraud rates? Fintech, crypto, and online gaming, but corporate platforms weren’t far behind
The U.S., U.K., Germany, and Spain all experienced notable year-over-year fraud growth, with Latin America showing a sharp regional spike

For companies managing hundreds or thousands of employees, that means more risk at every login, every onboarding session, and every third-party connection.

Why It’s a Business Problem—Not Just a Consumer One

Enterprises tend to assume identity fraud is something banks and crypto exchanges have to deal with.

But the reality is far more serious:

Remote workers are now targets: Fraudsters use synthetic identities to get hired, then gain access to sensitive systems.
Onboarding is exploited: 25% of fraud attempts happen at the onboarding stage—before MFA or other security layers kick in.
BYO-Identity is a real threat: Employees use unauthorized SaaS tools, share accounts, or reuse credentials that have already been compromised.

And with AI-powered deception—like fake documents, voice cloning, and deepfaked faces—it’s getting harder for traditional ID checks or HR systems to keep up.

How Identity Fraud Works in 2024

Fraudsters aren’t just guessing passwords anymore. They’re building whole digital personas using:

Synthetic identities (real SSN + fake face)
AI-generated documents (passports, IDs, diplomas)
Face swap apps that hijack biometrics
Geolocation spoofing to bypass region-based checks

These fake identities also contribute to identity sprawl, making it harder to manage who actually has access to what.

The Sumsub report also shows that many fraudsters now combine techniques—deepfake + document forgery + IP masking—making detection harder unless companies track users continuously, not just at login.

4 Things Large Organizations Should Do Today

Don’t just verify identity once—monitor continuouslyPattern-of-life monitoring is your best defense. Track behavioral anomalies, impossible travel, new device fingerprints, and deviations in login habits over time.
Rethink onboardingAdd friction where it matters. Use biometric liveness checks, document authenticity tools, and location-aware validation for high-privilege roles or sensitive departments.
Audit service accounts and shared accessAttackers love shared logins and unmonitored service accounts. Audit them quarterly. Kill what’s unused. Apply least privilege.
Integrate fraud intelligence into your IAM strategyLeverage threat feeds and fraud indicators from tools like Sumsub, but embed them into your SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) layer—where real work happens.