Attempted banking scams rose 35% globally over the past 12 months, with nine in 10 scam sessions now originating from a mobile device, according to new data published by BioCatch.
The findings are based on data from more than 370 financial institutions across 21 countries, which collectively serve more than 760 million users, BioCatch said.
The report also found purchase scams remained the most common, accounting for 33% of all attempted scams. Employment scams recorded the sharpest growth, with reported victims increasing 258% year-on-year, while investment scams were the most costly, with an average attempted loss of US$6,600—five times the average across all scam types.
BioCatch said the 35% increase is slower than the 65% growth reported in last year’s edition of the report, which it attributed to wider use of behavioural intelligence by banks to detect signs of manipulation and intervene before money is transferred.
“Social engineering scams have not suddenly become less prevalent or sophisticated,” BioCatch Director of Global Fraud Intelligence Thomas Peacock said. “If anything, artificial intelligence has lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring scammers, allowing more bad actors to create more convincing scams at a scale we’ve never seen before. In response, many banks have realised behavioral intelligence enables them to recognise signs of manipulation and coercion before an accountholder ever authorises a transaction.”
BioCatch said its 2026 Global Scams report includes a case study outlining behavioural and device indicators—such as an active phone call during a session, remote access software on the device and how a user adds a new beneficiary—that it says can help banks identify potential scam scenarios.
Romance scam attempts increased by 23%, which BioCatch said was lower than the growth it reported in 2025.
BioCatch reported that the reliance on mobile channels is more pronounced in scams than in traditional unauthorised fraud, stating that 90% of scam sessions now originate on mobile compared with 75% for unauthorised fraud.
You can read the full report here.
