Javelin Identity Fraud Report

A new report by Javelin Strategy & Research, Real-time Defenses: Fraud Prevention in a Blended Threat Era, sponsored by Mitek, reveals how financial institutions are facing a surge in complex and overlapping fraud threats, including synthetic identity fraud, account takeover, and check fraud. The paper explores why these threats are escalating and how real-time defenses are becoming essential in stopping them.

Understanding the rising threat of identity fraud and how to stop it

Identity fraud is evolving fast, and so are the risks. Today’s fraudsters blend old-school tactics with advanced tools like generative AI to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks. From account takeovers to synthetic identity fraud, these threats are hitting financial institutions and consumers harder than ever.

Sponsored by Mitek and based on insights from the 2025 Identity Fraud Study: Breaking Barriers to Innovation by Javelin Strategy & Research, this report outlines the growing need for real-time, AI-powered fraud detection. It makes the case for modern identity verification solutions that can spot and stop fraud across both digital and traditional channels before it causes financial loss or erodes customer trust.

Real-time defenses are essential for preventing fraud in today’s era of blended threats

Today’s fraud landscape is defined by complexity as criminals blend legacy tactics with emerging technologies to launch harder-to-detect attacks. Financial institutions are grappling with more sophisticated identity fraud schemes that move quickly and quietly across channels. In this environment, outdated or delayed fraud detection simply isn't enough. Real-time AI-powered defenses are now essential to keeping pace with the speed and scale of modern fraud.

• Account takeover fraud accounted for $16 billion of the $27 billion+ in identity fraud losses in 2024
• 73% of Financial Institutions report a rise in synthetic identity

• 32% of flagged new accounts shared PII attributes with known synthetic profiles

This paper explains how identity fraud is built, how it’s detected, and why your fraud strategy must evolve now.

Quick access to the full Javelin identity fraud report

"Partner with organizations that already use AI and real-time fraud detection technologies."

- Jennifer Pitt, Javelin Strategy and Research

Meet the Author of the report

Jennifer Pitt - Senior Analyst, Fraud & Security: Jennifer is a senior analyst in Javelin’s Fraud & Security practice. She analyzes data and trends and provides recommendations to financial professionals regarding best practices for fraud prevention and cybersecurity.