The analysis by Accertify, a provider of fraud prevention and digital identity solutions, also reveals improvements in the United States and Asia Pacific. However, it is also underscoring that targeted risks persist.
Based on the analysis of millions of airline transactions across major carriers, Accertify found that global fraud rates dropped 30% year-over-year to 0.25%, or one fraud attempt in every 400 bookings. European routes now account for just 12% of all attempted fraud worldwide, down from 24% in the first half of 2024.
Overall fraud pressure on departures from the Asia Pacific region declined 6% year-over-year, yet it remains one of the relatively higher-risk departure regions worldwide.
Among major airports with over one million bookings, the lowest fraud attempt rates were recorded at Auckland Airport and Haneda Airport, Tokyo, with Haneda achieving a 72% year-over-year drop. However, certain airports including Auckland (+50%), saw notable increases. Cairns increased 230% and Perth, 136%. Overall, fraud pressure for Australian departures rose 21.4% compared to the first half of 2024.
In the United States, fraud rates on domestic and international travel dropped 38% to one fraud attempt in every 556 bookings (0.18%).
‘While we’re seeing positive trends in fraud reduction across many regions, our data shows that fraudsters are highly adaptive and constantly evolving their tactics,’ says Mark Michelon, president of Accertify. ‘Even as overall fraud pressure decreases, they’re testing for new vulnerabilities and shifting their focus to exploit specific routes and gaps in security. This makes robust fraud detection more critical than ever.’
Airline fraud includes using compromised payment data for ticket purchases, account takeovers to steal loyalty miles, and coupon fraud. Other schemes involve fake travel agencies, bogus booking websites, and in-flight or point-of-sale fraud using stolen card information, as well as employee fraud and refund fraud. accertify.com
