Entrust Report Reveals Surge in Deepfake and Biometric Fraud

The latest report from Entrust highlights a concerning rise in deepfake and biometric fraud, revealing that these tactics are becoming more sophisticated and prevalent. The seventh annual Identity Fraud Report indicates that in 2025, deepfakes accounted for one in five biometric fraud attempts, with incidents of deepfaked selfies increasing by 58 percent compared to the previous year. Furthermore, injection attacks surged by 40 percent year-on-year, signaling a significant escalation in the methods employed by fraudsters.

Entrust Senior Fraud Specialist Simon Horswell emphasizes the evolving nature of these threats. He states, “As detection improves, fraud techniques evolve, becoming faster, more organized, and commercially driven.” The report underscores that identity has become a critical frontier in this battle, necessitating trusted and verified identity solutions throughout the customer lifecycle to counter these adaptive threats.

Growing Threat Landscape

The report presents alarming statistics that illustrate the scale of the problem. Sophisticated digital forgeries now account for 35 percent of document fraud, a rise from a 29 percent average in 2024. National ID cards are increasingly targeted, representing nearly half of all fraudulent document submissions globally, while driver’s licenses account for another quarter. The data reveals that fraud attempts tend to peak between 02:00 and 04:00 UTC, during hours when defenses are often less vigilant.

According to the report, the trend toward faster, more organized fraud is expected to continue through 2026. Onboarding and authentication processes are identified as especially vulnerable, with 82 percent of fraud attempts specifically targeting authentication. Older systems, particularly those that still rely on paper documents, are particularly susceptible. In 2025, fraudsters notably targeted Bangladesh’s national ID cards more than any other document.

Fraudsters frequently recycle the same fake information across different fraudulent documents, using tactics that include deepfake technology to infiltrate financial services. The report notes that 60 percent of deepfake attacks are directed at financial institutions, making them prime targets for exploitation.

Strategies for Combatting Fraud

Entrust stresses the importance of implementing robust defenses against deepfakes and injection attacks. The report advocates for integrating liveness detection—both passive and active—into identity verification systems. This approach helps identify inconsistencies between genuine and fraudulent attempts by analyzing temporal data related to user interactions.

The challenges posed by injection attacks are amplified through Fraud as a Service (FaaS) networks. Effective countermeasures include monitoring for suspicious activity and employing real-time biometric capture coupled with dynamic interactions. Emerging industry standards are being developed to enhance the detection of injection attacks, reflecting a growing awareness of their significance in identity verification.

Despite advances in fraud prevention technology, human factors remain a critical vulnerability. As Horswell points out, “Fraud prevention systems are stronger than ever, but people remain the most vulnerable link in the chain.” Social engineering and coercion attacks are on the rise, complicating the verification process as victims may unwittingly use their own genuine documents under duress.

Entrust concludes with a vital takeaway: organizations must safeguard every layer of the identity ecosystem. With generative AI tools readily accessible and the sophistication of fraud rings increasing, comprehensive measures are essential. “The future of fraud prevention lies in identity-centric, AI-driven defense,” says Tony Ball, president of payments and identity at Entrust. “Those who protect every layer of identity—people, documents, biometrics, and systems—will be best equipped to adapt as fraudsters evolve their tactics.”

With over 1 billion identity verifications conducted across 195 countries and over 30 industries, Entrust’s extensive experience provides critical insights into the operational landscape of fraud and the strategies necessary for mitigation.