Dark web 'fraud superstore' struggles with AI checks

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has published research describing the dark web as an increasingly organised marketplace for fraud tools and services. It also highlights areas where criminals say they struggle to defeat newer identity checks.

The study, Fraud for Sale: Untangling the Dark Web, is part of the company's Global State of Fraud 2026 work. It draws on a proprietary review of dark web activity commissioned in 2025 and focuses on how fraudsters obtain tools, instructions and access to compromised accounts.

Dark web markets now resemble "full-service" outlets offering products for different experience levels, the research says. Listings range from "fraud-for-beginners" tutorials to plug-and-play fraud kits, as well as bank accounts advertised as having identity checks already completed.

Fraud marketplaces

The research says the dark web lowers the barrier to entry for certain crimes by making tools and guidance easier to obtain. Regulators and law enforcement may shut down marketplaces, but replacements often appear quickly to meet ongoing demand.

It also describes the sale of services and assets designed to appear legitimate to financial institutions and online merchants. These include "KYC-ready" bank accounts-accounts presented as having met know-your-customer requirements-as well as established email accounts and devices advertised as able to pass basic fraud checks.

Some offerings are sold as packaged services rather than single items. The study's depiction of "fraud-as-a-service" points to a division of labour, with one group selling access or tools and another using them to commit fraud against individuals and businesses.

Kimberly Sutherland, Global Head of Fraud and Identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said the company's review of forums and listings sheds light on both criminal methods and points of failure.

"The hidden nature of the dark web has appealed to the criminal underworld for more than a decade, arming and sheltering fraudsters from detection," Sutherland said.

AI checks

A key theme in the research is the interplay between fraud techniques and newer defensive technology. It says dark web chat forums contain repeated discussions about attempts to bypass AI-driven identity checks and detection systems used by banks and other organisations.

Criminals appear to be struggling in particular with liveness checks and deepfake detection, the study says. It cites systems that scan for signals such as blood flow and micro muscle movements, and notes forum discussions about how difficult those measures are to defeat.

"Now we can shed new light, not only on what cybercriminals do on the dark web, but on the fraud controls they are least able to bypass. Fraudster feedback tells us exactly what interferes most with their criminal exploits to hamper their success: real-time liveness checks, account activity, phone and email analysis and device fingerprinting, to name a few."

The report also points to experimentation. It cites "imaginative attempts" discussed in the reviewed forums, including the use of latex masks to circumvent checks.

Deepfake tools remain available for purchase in dark web markets even as detection measures become more advanced, the report says. It describes a constant cycle of trial and error, with sellers and buyers seeking techniques that keep pace with controls implemented by banks, lenders and digital platforms.

Criminal risk

The study also highlights risks criminals face in illicit marketplaces. It describes "exit scams", where marketplace administrators abruptly stop trading and take users' funds. Such behaviour has prompted some markets to adopt measures meant to signal legitimacy, including banning some sellers or restricting the sale of items viewed as worthless.

Those dynamics also affect where criminal trading occurs. The research cites evidence that versions of dark web markets-or similar product listings-have appeared on mainstream social media platforms. It links that shift to convenience and accessibility, rather than any reduction in criminal intent.

Sutherland said the assessment portrays the dark web as a broad marketplace for wrongdoing, while arguing that modern defensive tools can blunt some attacks.

"Our research reveals the dark web to be a de-facto fraud superstore giving bad actors easy access to the knowledge and tools to conduct all manner of criminal acts. With these tools they can apply for bank accounts, overdrafts and credit, set up retail accounts and make purchases without fear of consequences.

"It's also worrying that many of the solicitations come complete with tutorial videos, showing 'newbie' scammers how it's done, thereby creating a new cottage industry of amateur fraudsters across the globe. The good news is that we are not powerless against cybercriminals. As quickly as they adopt new technology it is increasingly apparent how those same AI innovations can thwart their activities."