Confidence in digital spaces is crumbling under the weight of deepfakes, and consumers are sounding the alarm.
New research from identity verification firm Jumio reveals that 69% of global consumers now view AI-powered fraud as a greater threat than traditional identity theft. The 2025 Jumio Online Identity Study, based on responses from over 8,000 adults across the U.S., U.K., Mexico, and Singapore, outlines a growing crisis of trust in the digital world, driven by the rise of deepfakes, synthetic identities, and misinformation.
AI-generated scams aren’t just more frequent, but also harder to spot. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they found AI-driven fraud more difficult to detect than conventional methods. In Singapore, where awareness appears particularly acute, that figure climbs to 74%.
This perception shift is translating into a broader scepticism about digital life. Only 36% of people said they now trust online news more than they did last year. Belief in the authenticity of social media accounts is sliding, too, down to 37%.
Consumers are also growing wary of AI-generated digital IDs (76%), scam emails (75%), and manipulated video and voice content (74%). Social media is seen as a key threat vector, with 72% globally fearing they could be misled by AI-enhanced posts.
Big Tech to take responsibility
Despite the creeping distrust, most people still believe someone should be doing something — ideally, someone with real power. Forty-three percent said Big Tech should bear the greatest responsibility for protecting consumers from AI fraud. Yet when asked who they trust most, the answer was themselves. A full 93% of consumers say they rely primarily on their own vigilance to stay safe online, reflecting a dangerous confidence gap in institutions and platforms.
Jumio’s research points to a rapidly evolving “fraud-as-a-service” economy, where advanced toolkits are being sold on dark web marketplaces, enabling even low-skill actors to deploy deepfakes and hijack accounts with industrial efficiency.
This changing threat landscape is pushing businesses to rethink authentication. Consumers are increasingly willing to jump through extra hoops, particularly in high-stakes sectors like banking, government, and healthcare, if it means stronger protection. More than 75% of respondents said they’d accept more rigorous ID checks in exchange for peace of mind.