A new study by IDology captures the impact of increasing fraud complexity and changing consumer behavior in new research comparing data among a representative sample of online American adults collected in March 2020 and July 2020.

Key findings include:

Historical levels of digital adoption: 

• 84 million Americans signed up or applied for online services that were previously carried out in person. 75% expect to continue using all or most of these new online services.
• Higher smartphone usage: 105 million Americans are using their smartphones to sign up for new services.
• Rapid rise in fraud: Fraud is growing at a faster rate. 32 million Americans (14%) have been victims of new account fraud in only four months compared to (19%) in the 12 months leading up to COVID-19.  
• Pervasive phishing attempts: 84 million Americans reported experiencing a phishing attack attempt in the months following the pandemic's start, with an average of four per person (one per month) between March and June.
• Evolving identity verification methods: Americans are adopting newer forms of identity verification at a faster rate. Of those who were required to provide further proof of identity, 62% did so by mobile ID document scan between March and early July, compared to 57 percent in the 12 months leading up to COVID-19.
• 120 million Americans have taken stronger action to improve new online account and login credentials and interestingly, have more confidence that companies are protecting their personal information.