Account takeover fraud is not loud. It starts quiet. One old leaked password. One reused login. One small device changed. That is enough.
Why does this threat keep growing?
At its root the attacker’s playbook is simple and effective. They exploit reused credentials. They exploit weak multi-factor authentication or reliance on SMS codes. They exploit device changes that pass undetected. They blend in. By the time the breach is visible the attacker may already have moved funds or changed settings.
This guide shows why the threat keeps growing. It explains how attackers move quietly and what signs most teams miss.
What Is Account Takeover Fraud (ATO)?
Account takeover fraud is when someone gains access to an account that is not theirs and starts using it like the real owner. You usually do not notice at first because the attacker tries to act normal.
You only see the damage when something clear appears. It is common across banking, ecommerce and social platforms where account takeover attacks are rising every year.
These points explain the main ways an attacker first enters an account and starts the takeover process.
- Stolen Credentials. Attackers often use passwords that were exposed in old data leaks. Many people repeat the same password across accounts so one leak opens many doors. If multi factor authentication is weak or missing the account becomes easy to control.
- Phishing Entry. Here the attacker tricks you into entering your login details on a fake page that looks real. Once they have your details they sign in instantly and may change your recovery phone or email to keep control.
- Device Takeover. Sometimes malware runs on your device and captures keystrokes or session cookies. This gives the attacker your access even without knowing the password. The attacker acts slowly and blends in so detection becomes hard without strong monitoring.
- Behavior Change. After entering the account the attacker often starts small. Maybe a new address added or silent forwarding of messages. These steps help them stay hidden. The real damage usually comes later. Watching for small account changes helps you detect trouble before anything larger happens.
How Account Takeover Affects Organizations
Account takeover attacks affect organizations in ways that are not always visible at first. When an attacker controls a user account the system still sees a “legitimate” login. Trust breaks. Customer support costs rise. The recovery process is usually longer and more expensive than prevention.
- Financial Loss. When attackers access accounts they may transfer funds, redeem rewards or exploit internal credits. Even if the organization refunds the customer the cost still hits the business. Chargebacks increase and payment processors may raise fees.
- Reputation Damage. One visible breach can spread fast across social platforms and news sites and public confidence falls quickly. Research shows that 75 percent of consumers stop using a brand after a cybersecurity issue.
- Support Overload. After a takeover incident customer support volume spikes. People call to reset credentials, check transactions and restore access. This slows down operations and increases labor cost.
- Compliance Risk. If personal or protected data is accessed during a takeover event regulations like GDPR or HIPAA apply. Investigations and audits follow. Mandatory disclosure takes time and demands legal coordination and clear documentation.
Key Account Takeover Fraud Statistics
Account takeover is not happening loudly. It usually starts quietly with one reused password or one old data leak. Most companies still think it is an isolated incident until they see a pattern.
These statistics show that ATO is now widespread and growing every year.
- Security Priority. More than 67.4 percent of security leaders now see account takeover as a top threat. The numbers back it up too since 83 percent of organizations faced at least one takeover last year and 65 percent of those breached accounts already had MFA turned on which shows attackers are getting past basic defenses.
- Stolen Accounts for Sale. Nearly 2.5 million stolen accounts were listed for sale in early 2025. Attackers do not need to hack anything new when credentials are already available.
- High Incident Growth. Account takeover cases increased by 76% in the UK in 2024 alone. Organizations sometimes only discover a breach when customers start reporting unusual activity.
- Widespread Targeting. In 2024 , 99 percent of monitored organizations saw attackers try to get into their accounts and 62 percent actually had a takeover succeed. It shows that almost every business with online users is already facing this threat.
Most Targeted Industries by ATO
Account takeover happens where accounts hold value. Sometimes money. Sometimes points. Sometimes identity access. Attackers move where activity is high and checks are slow and this makes account takeover identity theft more likely. These are the industries that face the most pressure.
- Banking and FinTech. These accounts connect to real money. The attacker starts small. Maybe a tiny transfer or a small profile change. If no one reacts they keep going. Account takeover-related fraud in commercial banks rose by 36 % in 2024 according to recent filings.
- Ecommerce and Retail. These accounts hold card details points and past orders and attackers quietly change delivery info or redeem value. Nearly 61 percent of all takeover attacks target ecommerce so their moves blend into normal activity.
- Telecom and Mobile Services. A phone number becomes an easy doorway for attackers because once they control it they can reset passwords everywhere. In 2024 SIM swap fraud jumped by 1055 percent and almost half of all takeover cases involved mobile phone accounts.
- SaaS and Cloud Access. These accounts link to company tools and data and attackers do not rush. They act like regular users. About 68 percent of organizations say cloud account takeovers present a significant security risk.
Common Attack Vectors Behind ATO
Account takeover does not always start with hacking. Most of the time the attacker simply uses what is already leaked available or easy to trick. These are the paths attackers use most often to step inside an account without making noise.
- Credential Stuffing. Attackers use old leaked passwords on many accounts and one leak opens many doors. Around 76 percent of leaked password logins succeed and 48 percent are driven by bots.
- Phishing Pages. The attacker builds a fake login page causing you to hand over your credentials. About 80 percent of phishing campaigns now target cloud or SaaS access which fuels account takeover.
- Malware on Device. Malware records keystrokes or session tokens. The attacker does not even need your password. They use your active session. Everything looks clean to you.
- SIM Swap. The attacker takes control of your phone number and once they have it they reset your email and banking accounts with ease. Reported SIM swap cases passed 3000 in a single year which shows how powerful this method has become.
Financial and other impacts of Account Takeover
Account takeover looks silent in the beginning. The impact appears slowly when money moves or access spreads. The damage is not only about funds. It touches trust operations and long term customer relationships.
- Direct Financial Loss. Money leaves the account through transfers, refunds or points and even when the customer is repaid the business absorbs the hit. Recent reports show account takeover losses reaching 15 billion dollars in a year which turns small incidents into heavy costs.
- Customer Trust Damage. When customers lose control of an account they feel exposed and often stop using the site. About 80 percent of consumers say they would stop shopping on a site after an account takeover.
- Operational Load. Support teams face more calls, messages and identity checks and every task slows down. Many organisations need close to 240 days to spot and contain an account takeover which puts pressure on all workflows.
- Regulatory Pressure. If customer data identity details or communication history is accessed, auditing may be required. Any mistake in response increases legal and compliance risk. A recent survey found that 63 % of executives experienced compliance issues because of account takeover attacks.
Global Trends in Account Takeover Attacks
Account takeover is not slowing down. Instead of breaking systems they reuse leaked data and act like real users. The trend is shifting from fast attacks to slow controlled presence. These patterns are appearing across regions, industries and platforms.
- Slow and Silent Movement. Attackers avoid big actions and start with small steps like profile edits or new devices. Takeover attempts rose 24 percent in a single year which shows how attackers rely on quiet moves.
- Automation at Scale. Attackers use tools that test thousands of login pairs in seconds. About 0.1-2 percent of these massive attempts succeed but when scaled across millions they translate into thousands of compromised accounts.
- Targeting Stored Value. It is not always about money. Loyalty points gift balances promo credits and in-app coins also carry value. Over 52 percent of loyalty program fraud comes from account takeovers of those stored value accounts.
- Cross Account Chains. One account leads to many others. Email access leads to cloud access. Telecom access leads to social and banking resets. Attackers build a chain.
Detection and Response Metrics
Detection of account takeover is never instant because attackers enter with valid credentials. Modern teams rely on behavior-based signals and continuous checks instead of password success. The goal is to catch the shift in user identity before the attacker moves deeper.
- Time to Detect. Security teams track unusual patterns like new devices' slow profile edits and location mismatch. Industry reports show that early signals almost always come from behavior not from failed logins. The faster the system adapts to these signals the earlier the takeover is stopped.
- Time to Respond. Once a takeover alert is confirmed teams lock the session, restore access and validate the real user. Fast response depends on clear playbooks, automated steps and identity tools that support adaptive mfa and passwordless login features to shut out the attacker without slowing genuine users.
- False Positive Control. Over alerting makes teams ignore warnings and low alerting lets attacks slip through. Modern detection uses continuous risk scoring so the system understands normal user movement and only highlights actions that break real patterns.
- User Recovery Experience. Recovery must feel simple, guided and transparent. Security teams focus on smooth identity checks, secure re-authentication and clean session resets. A strong recovery process rebuilds trust after a takeover attempt and keeps users confident in the platform.
Preventing Account Takeover: Modern IAM & Security Strategies
Preventing account takeover starts with modern IAM that you can actually use. With Infisign UniFed and the IAM Suite you get one place for workforce and customer identity.
You use passwordless login, adaptive MFA and single sign on with AI access assist. You also get lifecycle automation, privileged access and zero knowledge proofs. This mix blocks credential attacks and keeps access fast for real users.
Infisign Passwordless Authentication
Attackers try to slip into accounts by acting like real users. They move slowly and change small details to stay hidden. Infisign’s passwordless authentication breaks this pattern by focusing on true user identity and by making every sign in depend on real presence. The goal is to stop the attacker before any change or movement begins.
How does Infisign’s passwordless feature help?
- No passwords to steal. Infisign removes passwords fully so leaked or reused details cannot open any account.
- Sign in tied to the trusted device. Only the real user can unlock the device and prove identity so stolen info leads nowhere.
- Private key stays local. The secure key never leaves the device so fake pages and phishing tricks fail before they start.
How Infisign delivers strong and simple access
- Login that fits real work. Users verify through fingerprint, face scan, iris, passkey, push approval, QR code, or magic link based on device and need.
- Safe on device storage. The private key stays on the trusted device and keeps credentials protected from phishing and reuse.
- Smooth reach across all apps. Legacy and modern systems connect through the Infisign integration layer so users get clean access and attackers lose their usual entry point.
Infisign Smart Multi Factor Authentication
Infisign Smart MFA gives you strong protection without slowing people down. It adapts to how and where your employees work across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. Sign-ins stay fast and familiar, while phishing and unauthorized access are quietly blocked in the background.
With Infisign, authentication feels secure but never heavy.
Why Infisign Adaptive MFA Works
- Infisign adjusts authentication checks based on location, device health, user role, and real-time risk signals
- Infisign works with existing authenticator apps and identity tools already in use
- Infisign extends SSO and MFA to legacy and on-premises applications that older identity systems cannot protect
- Infisign enables biometric authentication through face or fingerprint and device-bound passkeys that cannot be shared or stolen
- Infisign delivers a passwordless experience through biometrics, passkeys, OTPs, or QR-based approvals
Supported Authentication Methods
- Biometric verification (face or fingerprint) on trusted devices
- FIDO2 and WebAuthn hardware keys for passwordless, phishing-resistant access
- Time-based one-time passcodes from authenticator apps
- Push approvals on known devices for instant confirmation
- Email or SMS codes used only as a controlled fallback
- NAG and MPWA support to bring biometric login to legacy and on-premises apps that lack modern MFA
Managed Password Web Authentication (MPWA)
Infisign’s MPWA automates credential management for web-based and legacy applications by storing passwords in a secure vault enforcing rotation and integrating with IAM systems for seamless and secure authentication.
Infisign Zero Trust Security
Infisign follows the Zero Trust model where no device or network is trusted by default. Every access request is verified in real time before it reaches any resource. The system checks user identity, device health, and context before allowing a session to begin. This constant validation limits exposure and keeps threats contained even if one account is compromised.
Infisign Privileged Access Management
Infisign’s PAM grants admin rights only when needed and removes them when the task is done. Access rotates on schedule and expires automatically. Every action is tracked in real time for full visibility. Infisign follows the principle of least privilege and uses just in time elevation so no one holds permanent admin power. Attackers cannot hide behind stale tokens or unused accounts.
Infisign Non Human Identity Management
Infisign protects service accounts, bots and APIs with the same strength used for human users. Passwords are removed and each key or token follows strict policy. Access rules define what every non-human identity can reach.
Conditional Access Policies
Infisign uses conditional access policies to check user identity, device health, location, and real-time risk before allowing entry. These policies make sure only trusted users reach sensitive resources while keeping access smooth and safe during normal, low-risk activity.
Monitor Login and Session Behavior
Infisign observes every login and active session in real time and evaluates user behavior to detect silent shifts early. It triggers immediate risk signals and stops suspicious activity before attackers gain control or move deeper into the environment.
Infisign Universal Single Sign On
Infisign Universal SSO lets users sign in once and reach every approved app without extra steps. Infisign setup completes in 4 hours. Infisign social login comes built in so users can access through Google, Facebook or other providers without creating new passwords.
Infisign Network Access Gateway
Infisign Network Access Gateway connects users to on-premise and internal applications through secure encrypted tunnels. Each session runs under TLS to keep data protected in transit. It gives session-level visibility and enforces least-privilege access across both legacy and modern systems.
Infisign Automated User and Access Management
Infisign automates user and access management from start to finish. New users get the right access on day one and inactive accounts close the moment roles change or employment ends. All provisioning and deprovisioning runs in real time across every connected app.
Infisign Identity Governance and Administration
Infisign Identity Governance and Administration gives full clarity of access across the system and enforces least privilege through automated reviews and clean roles. Extra permissions are removed on time and every change stays logged and audit ready.
Decentralized Identity and Reusable ID.
Users hold portable credentials that prove who they are without sharing raw data. Zero knowledge style checks keep secrets safe. You reduce the blast radius of any leak. The same credential works across apps. You get trust without storing piles of sensitive details.
6000+ Integrations and Open APIs.
You plug into thousands of apps instantly. Old systems and new stacks both connect. This reach removes the weak links where ATO often slips in.
Stop account takeover before it starts. See how Infisign detects threats in minutes, not days. Experience passwordless security that protects trust and speed together. Book your live demo now.
FAQs
What are the red flags for account takeover?
Unusual login, location device or time, sudden profile change, password resets, new payment methods, small transfers, support messages you did not send, missing account alerts, unfamiliar activity, notifications disabled, security settings, new linked devices.
What is the #1 most common form of identity theft?
The most common form is credit and account fraud where someone uses your personal or financial details to access accounts, open loans or make purchases while pretending to be you.
What 90% of all cyber incidents begin?
About 90 percent of cyber incidents begin with phishing where attackers trick someone into sharing login details, clicking infected links or approving access that looks normal but gives control to the attacker.
