Consumer trust in digital life crumbling amid surge in AI-powered fraud and deepfakes

    May 22, 2025
    Jumio's annual Online Identity Survey findings demonstrate a global shift toward distrust and anxiety in digital spaces.
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    Jumio released the 2025 Jumio Online Identity Study, the fourth installment of its annual global consumer research. This year’s results paint a stark picture: trust in digital life is crumbling under the weight of deepfakes, misinformation, and cybercrime.

    The study examined the views of more than 8,000 adult consumers, split evenly across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Mexico. Sixty-nine percent of respondents say AI-powered fraud now poses a greater threat to personal security than traditional forms of identity theft, and confidence in online authenticity continues to erode amid growing fears of manipulated content and AI-driven deception.

    Digital Trust Impacted as Concerns About AI Escalate

    Seven out of 10 global consumers (69%) indicated they are more skeptical of the content they see online due to AI-generated fraud than they were last year. Just 37% of consumers said they more strongly believe that most social media accounts are authentic compared to last year, and only 36% claimed they were more trusting of news they encounter online, despite the possibility of encountering deepfakes or manipulated content.

    These are just a couple of findings that demonstrate a global shift toward distrust and anxiety in digital spaces.

    The majority of respondents also cited day-to-day worries around a number of AI-powered fraud tactics, including:

    • Fake digital IDs generated with AI (76%)
    • Scam emails using AI to trick people into giving away passwords or money (75%)
    • Video and voice deepfakes (74%)
    • Being fooled by manipulated social media content (72%)

    This indicates that consumers increasingly recognize the risks of conducting life and business online but may lack the tools or evidence needed to identify secure, authentic content.

    “As generative AI continues to lower the barrier for sophisticated scams, Jumio’s findings highlight an urgent need for businesses to rethink digital identity protection—not only to reduce fraud, but also to preserve customer trust and digital engagement itself,” explained Bala Kumar, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Jumio.

    As Consumers Prepare for Industrialized AI Fraud, They Look to Tech Companies for Leadership

    In the absence of strong regulatory protections, consumers are taking matters into their own hands. When asked who they trust most to protect their personal data from AI-powered fraud, 93% said themselves, far more than those who trust government agencies (85%) or Big Tech (88%). But self-reliance does not mean consumers want to go it alone. In fact, when asked who should be most responsible for stopping AI-powered fraud, 43% pointed to Big Tech, compared to just 18% who chose themselves.

    The 2025 Jumio Online Identity Study identifies this trust gap as symptomatic of a rapidly evolving threat landscape, where fraud-as-a-service (FaaS) ecosystems flourish across dark web marketplaces. These plug-and-play toolkits enable even novice fraudsters to launch sophisticated attacks using synthetic identities, deepfake videos, and botnet-driven account takeovers.

    This shift is forcing companies to modernize fraud defenses and rethink how they protect consumers in an AI-driven world. In parallel, Jumio’s research found that consumers are open to the additional steps this may require. Most respondents globally said they would be willing to spend more time completing comprehensive identity verification processes, especially in sectors where stakes are high, like banking and financial services (80%), government services (78%), and healthcare (76%).

    Looking Forward: Consumers Deserve Cutting-Edge Security and Transparency from Business

    As consumers continue to live, work, and play in digital spaces, enterprises must provide more sophisticated security to combat AI-powered fraud. Enterprises will have to adopt proactive strategies that blend cutting-edge verification, real-time monitoring, and a zero-trust approach to digital security from a technological standpoint. But strong technology alone isn’t enough. Businesses must also earn consumer trust in these protections.

    Find additional data and insights here.