Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

Consumers expect e-commerce experiences to be seamless and secure but, as fraud threats evolve, merchants are struggling to keep pace — and consumers are losing trust in merchants. Drawing on this year’s U.S. identity and fraud insights, this report explores the key factors contributing to the e-commerce trust gap. 

You’ll learn:

• What’s driving consumer concerns in e-commerce.
• Consumers’ preferred security methods for seamless, safe transactions
• Actionable recommendations to enhance merchants’ fraud stacks

The scale of global cyberattacks continues to rise, and 2026 is poised to be the year of AI in cybersecurity.

In our 13th annual Data Breach Industry Forecast, we share our top predictions for the year ahead, including:

• The rise of synthetic identities built from stolen data
• AI overtaking human error as the top cause of breaches
• The growing risk of AI and quantum computing cyberattacks
• Emerging threats like mutating malware, brain hacking and a shrinking gender gap among hackers

Gain insight into the trends shaping the future of data security. Download the full forecast to prepare for what’s ahead.

Fraud doesn’t happen in silos — and neither should your defense. 

Watch this product demo to see how Experian’s connected fraud prevention solution brings behavioral analytics, identity verification and digital intelligence together to: 

• Detect and block suspicious behavior early 
• Validate identities in real time 
• Assess device, phone and email integrity 
• Unify fraud signals across the customer journey 

Consumers expect convenience online, but fraud concerns continue to challenge retailers’ ability to deliver frictionless experiences. In this on-demand webinar, you’ll learn:

• How fraud trends are evolving and what they mean for retailers
• Areas of focus for retailers to build trust with concerned consumers
• Proven strategies to stop fraud without slowing down transactions

Home equity lending is shifting fast and hidden risks could be costing you.

• Fraud is rising: Identity theft and misrepresentation are becoming more common, increasing losses and slowing approvals.
• Workflows are outdated: Manual processes and legacy systems are creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Profitability is impacted: Many lenders underestimate how these issues affect their bottom line.

Learn how background screeners can modernize employment verifications and improve outcomes:

• Reduce manual intervention with digital response channels
• Maintain compliance while strengthening data accuracy
• Boost efficiency and client confidence with best practices

First-party fraud is notoriously difficult to separate from credit risk — but first-payment default (FPD) can be the key to earlier, more accurate fraud detection.

Key insights:

• What makes first-party fraud and credit risk so difficult to separate (and so costly to misclassify).
• Why FPD is the strongest, most reliable indicator of first-party fraud.
• Actionable takeaways for businesses to combat first-party fraud.

Rental fraud is surging, driven by generative AI (GenAI) and automation, overwhelming leasing systems and increasing financial risk. Experian helps rental companies detect fraud early, protect revenue, and maintain seamless leasing experiences.

• 93% of rental companies reported fraud in the past year 
• Evictions cost over $3,500 each due to misrepresentation 
• 84% of companies saw falsified income documentation

First-party fraud and credit risk are often indiscernible at origination, resulting in misclassified losses. Learn how to separate the two — and why the easiest way to do so may be hiding in plain sight. 

Key insights:

• Why first-party fraud and credit risk are so difficult to differentiate
• The financial and strategic costs of misclassified losses
• How first-payment default can unveil fraud early