COMMENTARY: While AI is accelerating innovation, it’s also fueling an autonomous era of fraud that’s faster, smarter and more sophisticated.In 2026, fraudsters are going to continue to hunt for and exploit vulnerabilities and use AI to adapt in real time, operating without human oversight and resource constraints. This scalability and industrialization changes everything about risk, trust, and accountability in digital interactions.[SC Media Perspectives columns are written by a trusted community of SC Media cybersecurity subject matter experts. Read more Perspectives here.]Just as fraudsters embrace agentic AI and other advanced tools, organizations must do the same to stay ahead. Proactive strategies are now essential in an environment where technology and fraud schemes and threat vectors evolve by the day.
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To help businesses anticipate what’s next, Experian has identified five key fraud trends that will redefine fraud risk management in 2026 and beyond.
- Machine-to-machine mayhem: As organizations race to leverage agentic AI, the sheer volume of players entering the space and net new use cases will make fraud attacks inevitable and impossible to ignore. With machine-to-machine interactions initiating transactions without clear ownership of liability, businesses will face growing uncertainty around agent ownership, intent and risk. Experian predicts fraud will reach a tipping point that will spark major conversations and decisions around liability, regulation and the role of agentic AI in shaping responsible digital commerce. Verified human-to-agent connection and trust will prove critical in underwriting the future of agentic commerce.
- Deepfakes outsmart HR: Employment fraud is set to escalate in the remote workforce as generative AI (GenAI) tools generate hyper-tailored resumes and deepfake candidates capable of passing interviews in real time. Experian forecasts that employers will unknowingly onboard individuals who aren’t who they say they are, giving bad actors access to sensitive systems. Deepfake detection in combination with synthetic identity risk assessments are critical components in candidate screening.
- Smarter homes, scarier threats: Smart homes are introducing new entry points for fraud. Devices like virtual assistants, smart locks, security systems, smart appliances and the coming use of humanoid robots will be exploited by bad actors to access personal data, monitor household activity and even take control of physical access points. Experian predicts that as the adoption of smart home devices continues to grow, so will the risk, with new forms of ransomware and opportunities for account hijacking, turning convenience into vulnerability for consumers.
- Website cloning will overwhelm fraud teams: Cloned websites are becoming easier to create through AI tools and harder to eliminate. Notably, even after takedown requests, spoofed domains continue to resurface. As companies are forced to play whack-a-mole to address these threats, they risk being distracted from broader fraud strategies, allowing other threats to escalate. Experian forecasts that cloned sites will continue to cause significant losses for online retailers and businesses by tricking consumers into sharing their credentials, fueling credit card fraud, accelerating identity theft and synthetic identities, and facilitating other forms of financial fraud.
- Bots will break hearts and bank accounts: Emotionally intelligent bots powered by GenAI will carry out complex scams, like romance fraud and relative-in-need scams, without a human behind the keyboard. These bots will respond convincingly, build trust over time, and manipulate victims with precision and emotion. As they become harder to distinguish from real people and good bots, Experian predicts fraud will scale faster and become more financially and psychologically damaging.
