Colombia sees fraud and identity theft rise

A DataCrédito Experian study on digital fraud and identity in Colombia found that 71% of Colombians faced at least one fraud attempt in the last year, while 95% believe these crimes happen frequently in the country. Local reporting also tied the problem to banking activity, noting that 80% of fraud cases reported in Colombia during 2024 occurred online, with claims totaling 679,000 million pesos.

What did local coverage report about fraud in Colombia?

El Extra Medios said Colombia is dealing with 997 financial data thefts a day, 63 identity theft cases a day and 94 cyberattacks per second against banking institutions, all figures attributed to the so-called Financial Agenda 2026. It also said the problem is especially visible in online channels and digital banking.

According to that coverage, the rise in fraud is pushing institutions to strengthen continuous identity verification. The measures mentioned include facial recognition, advanced biometrics, liveness checks, and detection of deepfakes and manipulated documents, especially during onboarding and authentication.

What does the DataCrédito Experian study show?

The latest DataCrédito Experian study on digital fraud and identity in Colombia showed broad awareness of risk among users. The survey found that 71% of Colombians received at least one fraud attempt in the last year, and 95% believe these crimes happen often in the country.

The data points to a threat that is no longer confined to strictly digital banking. The mix of fraud attempts, identity theft and financial claims suggests broad exposure across online channels, with growing pressure on the validation systems institutions use to verify customers.