Asia-Pacific Emerges as Global Hotspot for High-Tech Identity Fraud
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Sophisticated fraud cases involving advanced technology, social engineering, and artificial intelligence surged 180% globally in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a new report, as criminals increasingly deploy high-tech methods to bypass security systems.
The Asia-Pacific region has emerged as the fastest-growing area for these risks, witnessing a sharp transformation in criminal tactics toward complex identity theft rather than simple opportunistic scams, the report said.
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- Sophisticated fraud cases using advanced technology and AI rose 180% globally in 2025, with Asia-Pacific as the fastest-growing region.
- 84% of analyzed fraud cases involved stolen accounts, mainly targeting social media (69%) and government portals (15%), with a major shift toward identity and account takeover.
- Fraud activity surged in Malaysia (197%), Myanmar (112%), Sri Lanka (79%), Laos (74%), and Pakistan (37%) in 2025.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Sumsub
- Sumsub, an international verification platform, released its 'Identity Fraud Report 2025-2026' on January 20, 2026. The report highlights a 180% global surge in sophisticated fraud cases in 2025, with Asia-Pacific experiencing rapid growth in complex identity theft. Sumsub's Vice President for the APAC region, Penny Chai, noted a shift from immediate financial theft to long-term identity seizure.
- inDrive
- inDrive is a ride-hailing platform. Jovanny Huerta, a safety project specialist at inDrive, predicts that by 2026, the rapid development of AI will be the primary factor shaping the fraud landscape, enabling even low-skilled criminals to launch sophisticated attacks.
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What Happened When
- 2025：
- Sophisticated fraud cases involving advanced technology, social engineering, and AI surged 180% globally compared to 2024.
- 2025：
- The frequency of repeated identity verification submissions jumped 388% year-on-year.
- 2025：
- Other nations in the Asia-Pacific region (except China) witnessed explosive growth in fraud activity.
- 2025：
- Malaysia led the surge with a 197% year-on-year increase in cases, followed by Myanmar (112%), Sri Lanka (79%), Laos (74%), and Pakistan (37%).
- January 20, 2026：
- The ‘Identity Fraud Report 2025-2026’ was released by Sumsub.
- As of 2026：
- For individual users in the Asia-Pacific region, the primary consequence of fraud is account takeover.
- By 2026：
- Jovanny Huerta predicted the rapid development of AI will become the primary factor shaping the fraud landscape.
- 2026：
- Approximately 84% of fraud cases analyzed involved stolen accounts, with social media platforms accounting for 69% and government portals for 15%.
- 2026：
- 34% of respondents experienced direct financial losses.
- 2026：
- Synthetic profiles can pass initial verification checks and may remain dormant for months before being used for fraudulent activities.
- 2026：
- Fraud-as-a-Service will lower barriers to entry, enabling even low-skilled criminals to launch sophisticated attacks using deepfakes and voice cloning.
- 2026：
- China remains a low-risk area due to stringent regulatory constraints.
AI generated, for reference only
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