SentiLink Releases Fraud Benchmarking Report for 1H 2025, Analyzing Over 236 Million Financial Applications

New comprehensive analysis reveals volatile fraud landscape with targeted attacks driving industry spikes and emerging deepfake-enabled fraud schemes

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SentiLink, the leading provider of identity verification and fraud detection solutions, today released its second SentiLink Fraud Report: Identity Fraud Rates & Trends covering the first half 2025, a comprehensive benchmark analysis of more than 236 million account applications across credit cards, auto lending, consumer lending, deposit accounts (DDAs), and telecommunications.

The report reveals a volatile fraud landscape characterized by large-scale, targeted attacks and the emergence of sophisticated new fraud tactics, including deepfake-enabled identity theft and organized fraud rings exploiting vulnerable populations.

Key findings include:

• Identity theft rates spiked in both credit card and auto lending sectors late in 1H 2025, driven by coordinated attacks targeting major lenders;
• Synthetic fraud rates fluctuated during the first half of 2025, rising to cross the 1% threshold before dropping back to around 70 basis points;
• Telecom companies experienced significantly higher fraud rates than other industries, with identity theft averaging 10.15% and synthetic fraud at 2.9%;
• DDA identity theft rates remained elevated at nearly 800 basis points, continuing the trend from late 2024;
• Fraud peaks in early morning hours, with both identity theft and synthetic fraud rates highest between midnight and dawn;
• Phone and email manipulation emerged as the strongest signals of identity theft across all industries.

The report also highlights disturbing new fraud trends, including a coordinated fraud ring that stole identities from Texas death row inmates, the rise of deepfake technology to bypass video verification systems, and fraudsters exploiting human trafficking victim protections to illegally "wash" their credit histories.

"What makes this report unique is the breadth and depth of SentiLink's data combined with our deep understanding of fraud and identity," said Naftali Harris, co-founder and CEO of SentiLink. "Because we work with hundreds of institutions across financial services, telecommunication and beyond, we have an expansive view of what's actually happening in the market. And because deep understanding of fraud and identity is embedded in our culture, we start our analysis already excited about some of the fraud taxonomies and trends to look for. We are proud to present our Fraud Report for H1 2025!"

Geographic and Trends and Insights

The analysis revealed significant geographic patterns in synthetic fraud, with traditional hotspots in Southern California, Florida, and the New York metro area continuing to show elevated activity. The report also documented the ongoing impact of the Miami auto bust-out ring, which SentiLink estimates has resulted in more than 700 stolen vehicles and at least $40 million in losses across multiple lenders.

Industry-Specific Findings

• Credit Cards: Mean identity theft rate of 2.68% with synthetic fraud at 0.37%;
• Auto Lending: Mean identity theft rate of 3.28% with synthetic fraud at 0.8%;
• Other Consumer Lending: Lowest fraud rates at 0.77% identity theft and 0.14% synthetic fraud;
• Demand Deposit Accounts: High identity theft rate at 7.85% with synthetic fraud at 1.17%;
• Telecommunications: Highest overall fraud rates at 10.15% identity theft and 2.9% synthetic fraud.

The comprehensive report includes detailed methodology, geographic heat maps, fraud signal analysis, and case studies designed to inform fraud, risk and compliance professionals, as well as policymakers and financial institutions working to combat identity fraud.

The SentiLink Fraud Report: Identity Fraud Rates & Trends, 1H 2025 is available now.

Download the full report here.

About SentiLink

SentiLink, the leading provider of innovative identity verification and fraud prevention solutions, empowers organizations to accurately identify customers and detect synthetic fraud, identity theft, and hard-to-detect forms of first party fraud. Its best-in-class solutions leverage a deep understanding of identity and risk informed by machine learning models and insights from a team of the industry's best risk analysts.

SentiLink proudly serves 400+ partners including:

• 11 of the top 15 U.S. banks
• 6 of the top 10 credit unions
• 2 of the top 3 U.S. telecoms
• Plus government, tax prep, education, utilities, and more organizations

Headquartered in San Francisco, the company was founded in 2017 by Naftali Harris and Max Blumenfeld and has raised $85M to date from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Craft Ventures, and NYCA Partners, among others. Every day, SentiLink verifies 3M+ identities and flags 60k+ high-risk applications to help partners reduce fraud losses and verify more legitimate customers.

Media Contact: 

Jason Kratovil
[email protected]

SOURCE SentiLink