- AI-related documents are replacing traditional forgeries and bypassing verification
- Synthetic Identity Fraud has increased globally by 195%, the most difficult hit with Europe and North America
- Most fraud now occurs after onboarding, using tricks such as credential stuffing and device spoofing
Synthetic identity document fraud is now spreading globally at a dangerous speed, almost completely inspired by the abuse of generative AI, warning by experts.
Sumsub’s new data has claimed the creation of fake documents using AI that there has been a 195% increase worldwide between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.
The most dramatic spike was recorded in Europe, where synthetic ID fraud increased by 378%, followed by North America (311%) and MNA region (258%).
Traditional forgery declines
This trend seems to be gaining land on traditional documents forgery, which has declined rapidly in most areas, 82% in Africa and 50% decline in North America – with the exception of Europe, where traditional forearm has increased by 33%.
This change suggests that scammers are moving for AI-generated identity from traditional techniques, which can now be produced in seconds using large-scale irregular devices.
The most affected industries with this trend include crypto, trading, transportation, fintech and gambling, all sectors that often rely on rapid onboarding processes and may not yet have adequate safety measures to detect synthetic documents before the loss.
Compounding this vulnerability is higher than three quarters (76%) fraud, which now occurs after the onboarding stage, using methods such as device fingerprint spoofing, credentials stuffing and so -called “Money Maling”.
“The rise of AI-Janit fraud is exposing important flaws in traditional verification systems, and this data shows that sophisticated fake documents are becoming an important tool in the fraudster’s arsenal,” said AI/ML chief Pavel Goldman-Kalayadin in Sumsb.
“We hope that companies like Openai will strengthen the safety measures that control the use of their programs to generate passports, IDs and other individual documents.”
Parallel to this trend, there is a dramatic growth in deepfac-related fraud, where North America saw an increase of 1,100% in cases in which Europe was after 900%.
Nations such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany saw the highest personal growth, which enhances concerns about the future role of visual media manipulated in identity fraud schemes.
For individuals and organizations, trying to protect themselves, only relying on the traditional KYC protocol can no longer be enough. Businesses are advised to use multiple verification systems for identification management software and strong security.
Consumers should also consider top-rated ID theft security solutions, especially those who monitor those who monitor the use of synthetic identity. Using the discovery tools of reputed people while confirming unknown contacts or when confirming the validity of someone can add an additional layer of safety.
