The popularity of “Selfie spoofing” scams is on the rise

A recent report by Socure uncovered a rise in “selfie spoofing” scams, where fraudsters use a target’s selfie to authenticate a stolen identity and open fake accounts. The report revealed that 20% of identification document fraud in 2023 was attributed to selfie spoofing, ranking second behind tampered headshots (21%) and document image-of-image techniques (63%). This scam can be executed quickly and easily thanks to the abundance of personal photos on social media profiles, giving fraudsters a simple method to commit identity theft.

The most common victims of selfie spoofing scams are senior citizens aged 50 and above. Nearly half (49%) of selfie spoofing scams are aimed at this demographic, making them four times more likely to fall victim to this type of fraud. The report suggests that this trend may be due to the fact that senior citizens typically have more assets than younger individuals, making them attractive targets for fraudsters. Additionally, older adults may be less technologically savvy, increasing their susceptibility to such scams.