As soon as the payments industry develops systems, processes and tools for thwarting one type of payments fraud, a new scheme emerges.
The rapid evolution of cybercrime puts banks and other institutions in a constant trend of catching up, particularly as fraudsters exploit emerging technology to create increasingly sophisticated approaches
The Fraudscape 2026 analysis of filings by members of Cifas (Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System) to the UK National Fraud Database (NFD) reveals the rising trend of fraud. A total of 444,000 cases were recorded in 2025, the highest number of cases in a single year and a 6% increase on 2024. One example is misuse of facility, a tactic that has seen a 43% increase compared to 2024.
This long-play con works by tricking or coercing a banking customer into initiating a series of small, legitimate looking payments over time. In the process, traditional fraud models are taught to recognise transactions as customary, allowing later fraud to pass through undetected. However, criminals are developing more than patience in their game of fraud.