Fraud

What is account takeover (ATO)?

A form of identity theft where a bad actor gains unauthorized access to an existing user’s account by stealing credentials through phishing, credential stuffing, social engineering, or malware. Once inside, the attacker may change account settings, exfiltrate data, or initiate fraudulent transactions. ATO is one of the fastest-growing fraud vectors in digital financial services.

How it works

Example: A cybercriminal uses leaked credentials from a data breach to log into a customer’s banking app, changes the email and phone number on file, and transfers $15,000 to a mule account.