Experian has released its Future of Fraud Forecast, which highlights five major fraud trends expected to pose the greatest risk to consumers and businesses in 2026, as fraudsters increasingly weaponize advanced technologies. The report paints a sobering picture: fraud attacks are becoming more autonomous, more scalable, and far harder to detect.
With U.S. consumers losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024 and nearly 60% of companies reporting higher fraud losses in 2025, Experian stresses that traditional defenses are no longer enough. Organizations will need multilayered, AI-powered strategies to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.
Experian North America Chief Innovation Officer Kathleen Peters said, “Technology is accelerating the evolution of fraud, making it more sophisticated and harder to detect. Businesses need actionable insights to stay ahead of these threats. By combining differentiated data with advanced analytics and cutting-edge technology, businesses can strengthen fraud defenses, safeguard consumers, and deliver secure, seamless experiences.”
Among the most concerning developments is the rise of machine-to-machine fraud, driven by agentic AI systems that can initiate transactions without clear accountability. This shift is expected to trigger major debates around liability, regulation, and responsible use of AI in digital commerce.
At the same time, employment fraud is set to surge as generative AI enables deepfake job candidates and hyper-customized resumes that can pass live interviews, granting bad actors access to sensitive systems.
Smart homes also introduce new vulnerabilities, with connected devices, from virtual assistants to smart locks, becoming potential gateways for data theft, ransomware, and account hijacking as adoption continues to grow.
The forecast also warns that AI-powered website cloning is expected to overwhelm fraud teams. Also, emotionally intelligent bots are expected to scale romance scams and “relative-in-need” fraud, inflicting both financial and psychological harm without direct human involvement.
In 2025 alone, Experian estimates its fraud prevention solutions helped clients avoid $19 billion in losses globally.
Access the report here.