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Be On the Lookout for These Business Fraud Trends in 2025

David Anderson is principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that provides a full range of fraud investigation, forensic accounting, and marital dissolution services in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley.

Each year, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) publishes its list of the top fraud trends for the upcoming year. This year’s list includes the following:

  • A decrease in “Pig Butchering” Schemes – This type of fraud which arises from the loneliness of its victims (particularly seniors who have lost long time spouses/partners) and is a type of romance scam wherein the victim is persuaded to invest in sham cryptocurrency or sham digital assets.
    • Although, action by law enforcement as well as news reporting and awareness campaigns have helped reduce the number and duration of such scams. However, as long as lonely people seek solace through the Internet, criminals will continue to evolve their tactics for victimizing these people.
  • Other cyber-scams will continue to grow – Even though Pig Butchering is likely to decline, criminal organizations will continue to develop cyber-scams. Many of these scams will be aided by generative AI for such schemes as phishing, business e-mail compromises, account takeovers, impersonations, etc.
    • As with Pig Butchering, such scams will continue to use cryptocurrency and digital assets as an easy way to make money without leaving an auditable trail.
  • Synthetic identity fraud will increase – Various AI tools will continue to be used to create deepfakes as well as image, document and text generation of fraudulent persons or organizations. From such scams as the phone call from a relative claiming to have been arrested and needing money to post bail to companies receiving e-mails purportedly from a traveling executive requesting the immediate wiring of funds, criminals will continue to perpetuate frauds using synthetic identities.
    • These synthetic identities will also be used to fraudulently create new bank and financial accounts, take out loans, obtain government benefits and persuade companies to pay fraudulent invoices.
  • Financial institutions, money service businesses and telecommunications companies can expect increased blame – With the continuing increase in frauds, people are looking to point fingers at someone, and frequently they are pointed at those whose businesses have been involved to some extent as part of the frauds.
    • This means that financial institutions whose accounts have been used to facilitate funds transfers as well as telecommunications companies whose e-mails, chats, calls and messages have been used to target victims can expect to face increased pressure from governments, regulators, and victims to help prevent these frauds.
    • This tendency has been aided by the number of significant data breaches which have been publicized in the last few years. The result of this is that these companies will have to spend additional money on fraud prevention.

These fraud trends will require companies and professionals to develop a better understanding of how AI is being used as well as to develop new tools and technology to fight these frauds.

If you would like assistance fighting these and other types of business fraud, or if you require the services of a Certified Valuation Analyst, or business valuation expert in Philadelphia, or any other forensic accounting services in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, please contact the Philadelphia forensic accounting firm of David Anderson & Associates by calling David Anderson at 267-207-3597 or emailing him at david@davidandersonassociates.com.

About David Anderson & Associates

David Anderson & Associates is a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that provides a full range of forensic accounting services in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. The experienced professionals at David Anderson & Associates provide forensic accounting, business valuation, fraud investigation, litigation support, economic damage analysis, business consulting and outsourced CFO services. Company principal David Anderson has more than 30 years of experience in financial and operational leadership positions and is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Valuation Analyst, and a business valuation expert in Philadelphia.