A deepfake fraud surge is accelerating faster than most organizations can defend against it, according to a global survey by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and SAS. Only 7% of anti-fraud professionals report their organizations are more than moderately prepared to detect or prevent AI-fueled fraud, according to the 2026 Anti-Fraud Technology Benchmarking Report released April 22, 2026.

The survey of 713 fraud fighters across eight regions worldwide found that criminals are weaponizing inexpensive and widely available artificial intelligence tools to drive social engineering schemes, digital forgery, and consumer scams to record levels. Deepfake social engineering saw the sharpest surge, with 77% of respondents reporting a slight-to-significant increase over the past two years.

Fraudsters Winning the AI Race

Every AI-powered fraud modality examined in the study has risen over the past two years. Consumer fraud and scams increased 75%, followed closely by generative AI document fraud and forgery at 75%, and deepfake digital injection at 72%. Looking ahead, 55% of respondents expect deepfake social engineering and generative AI document fraud to increase significantly over the next 24 months.

“The data paints a worrisome picture: fraud is evolving faster than most organizations can defend against it. AI-powered threats aren’t on the horizon – they’re already here, and they’re accelerating quickly.”

John Gill, J.D., CFE, President of the ACFE

AI and Machine Learning Adoption Accelerating but Insufficient

One-quarter of organizations (25%) now use AI and machine learning in their anti-fraud programs, up from 18% in 2024. Another 28% expect to adopt these technologies by 2028. However, governance remains dangerously behind adoption rates. Nearly nine in 10 organizations (86%) rate accuracy of results as important when adopting generative AI, yet less than one in five (18%) test AI models for bias or fairness.

Explainability presents another critical gap. While 82% say explainability is important, just 6% feel completely confident explaining how their AI and machine learning models make anti-fraud decisions. For regulated entities like banks and insurers, deploying AI without adequate governance risks regulatory consequences, legal liability, and reputational damage.

Budget Growth Meets Implementation Barriers

More than half of respondents (55%) expect their organizations to increase anti-fraud technology budgets over the next two years. Despite this growth, budgetary and financial restrictions remain the leading barrier to implementation, cited as a major or moderate challenge by 84% of respondents. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, however, are uniquely positioned to lead the next generation of fraud prevention through strong regulatory alignment and government-led digital transformation.

“Few regions combine high growth with such strong regulatory leadership. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are not constrained by legacy in the same way as many mature markets.”

Abed Hamandi, Senior Director, EMEA Consulting, Fraud and Security Intelligence Practice, SAS

Emerging Technologies Reshape Fraud Prevention

Generative AI is moving from aspiration to application. Although only 16% of respondents currently use generative AI as an anti-fraud tool, 58% plan to in the future. Top applications include phishing and scam detection (49%), risk identification and assessment (46%), and report writing (45%).

Agentic AI adoption is accelerating faster than other emerging technologies. Nearly one in 10 organizations (8%) currently use agentic AI for fraud fighting, and nearly one-third (31%) expect to deploy it by 2028. Physical biometrics remains the most widely adopted emerging technology, used by 45% of organizations surveyed, up from 34% in 2022.

Quantum computing’s impact is closer than expected. Most respondents (62%) expect quantum computing and quantum AI to materially impact fraud detection and prevention by 2030, with 11% reporting it already is. Cloud-native fraud detection platforms and automation remain significantly underutilized, used by only 10% and 29% of organizations respectively.

“Cybercriminals don’t have governance committees, and they don’t wait for budget cycles or regulatory clarity – they just act. Every quarter business leaders spend evaluating a technology is another quarter lawbreakers get to weaponize it.”

Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Risk, Fraud and Compliance Solutions, SAS

Industries at Crossroads

Survey respondents represent more than a dozen industries, most prominently government and public sector (26%) and banking and financial services (23%), alongside meaningful participation from professional services, manufacturing, insurance, technology, education, energy, and healthcare. The convergence of AI-powered threats across all sectors underscores the urgency for organizations to strengthen defenses with appropriate data, technology, speed, scale, and governance to combat modern fraud risks.