Report: Most Fraud Attacks Target Existing Customer Relationships
KnowBe4, Monday, November 2nd, 2026
KnowBe4 reports a TransUnion finding that 81 percent of digital fraud attacks target existing customer relationships.
TransUnion's report finds most fraud exposure occurs after account creation, across logins and financial transactions, and that 51 percent of U.S. business leaders saw increased scam and authorized fraud over the past year.
Synthetic identity fraud, which combines exposed consumer data and AI to create fake personas, is the top concern, with 67 percent expecting it to increase and 53 percent saying they are least prepared for it.
U.S. lenders face an estimated $2.4 billion in exposure tied to synthetic identities.
TransUnion says AI has changed fraud economics by automating identity creation, content generation and victim targeting.