Regtech firm Sumsub released the latest edition of its Global Fraud Index, developed in collaboration with Statista, CryptoUK, Digital Assets Association, Vixio Regulatory Intelligence and MENA Fintech Association.
Timothy Owens, Tech and AI Industry Expert, and Senior Research Lead Technology and TeleCommunications at Statista shared that this year’s Global Fraud Index shows that fraud protection is not “about geography, it’s about governance.”
Owens added that fraudsters are “getting their hands on increasingly powerful AI tools. What was once a niche threat has become commonplace”
He also mentioned that for technology leaders, “the message is clear: treat fraud exposure like system uptime.”
Owens explained that it “requires constant monitoring.”
And that verification systems, information sharing between organisations, and robust incident response “aren’t optional anymore; they’re fundamental components of operating in today’s digital environment.”
Key highlights of the 2025 Global Fraud Index study include:
- The 15 countries most protected against digital fraud are: Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, New Zealand, Sweden, Austria, Singapore, Slovenia, Israel, Malta, Lithuania and Australia.
- The 15 countries least protected against digital fraud are: Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Brazil, Armenia, Kenya and Colombia.
- Singapore dropped from #1 in 2024 to #10 in 2025.
- The U.S. fell by 36 positions (from #55 to #91) and Malaysia declined 52 (from #34 to #86).
- Europe has the largest concentration of countries in the list of 15 most protected ones.
- Pakistan holds the last position in the Index for the second consecutive year.
- The U.S. has the highest government AI readiness index across the globe.
The report examines fraud risk across 112 countries “to assist regulatory bodies, governments and businesses in understanding and preventing fraud.”
The research reportedly combines Sumsub’s internal verification data with external sources like the World Bank, Transparency International, and Oxford Insights to provide a “comprehensive” view of fraud exposure.
Methodology of 2025 Global Fraud Index study
The Global Fraud Index uses both internal and external data.
Sumsub’s internal data is based “on volumes of over 1 million checks conducted daily on the platform.”
The majority of data is “from 2024-2025, with one indicator from 2023.”
External sources “include The World Bank, The Heritage Foundation, Oxford Insights, Transparency International, Numbeo and other databases.”
