GITNUXREPORT 2025

Account Takeover Statistics

Account takeover incidents increased 164% as fraud costs soar, urgent security needed.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Account takeover incidents increased by 164% between 2019 and 2022

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80% of organizations experienced an account takeover attack in 2022

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The average cost of an account takeover attack is $3.2 million per incident

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55% of consumers have experienced account fraud at least once

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65% of account takeovers involve stolen credentials harvested from data breaches

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Phishing emails are responsible for 45% of account takeover incidents

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Over 60% of account takeovers use stolen or leaked passwords obtained from prior breaches

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The majority of account takeover attacks are automated bots, accounting for 70% of incidents

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The average lifespan of an account after an attacker gains access is 37 days

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Small businesses face a 50% higher risk of account takeover due to weaker security measures

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Nearly 30% of users have fallen victim to account takeover with social media accounts

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The rise in API-based attacks has contributed to a 25% increase in account takeovers in 2023

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Identity Theft Resource Center reports a 30% increase in identity-related account takeovers year-over-year

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85% of account takeovers involve some form of credential stuffing attack

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Email compromise accounts for 60% of all account takeover attempts

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Attackers use account takeover as a gateway to larger breaches, with 40% of organizations experiencing secondary breaches after initial account compromises

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About 20% of account takeovers involve the use of purchased stolen identities

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67% of online fraud reports in 2023 involved some form of account breach

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Over 50,000 new datasets containing breached credentials are published monthly on underground forums

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The healthcare sector experienced a 35% rise in account takeovers in 2023, mainly due to ransomware and credential theft

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58% of financial institutions have suffered a breach due to credential stuffing or account takeover in the past year

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70% of organizations lack comprehensive account security policies, increasing vulnerability to takedowns

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Some industries, like e-commerce, experience up to 3.5 times more account takeover attempts during holiday seasons

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Fake or compromised accounts are used as part of botnets in 40% of account takeover frauds

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45% of account takeover attacks are initiated through brute-force attacks

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The average time to detect an account takeover is approximately 28 days

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Many attackers now use synthetic identities to bypass traditional security measures in 20% of account takeovers

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In 2023, over 45% of account takeovers were carried out using stolen OAuth tokens

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60% of account takeover attacks involve multi-vector methods, combining techniques like credential stuffing and social engineering

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The healthcare industry faces an average of 15,000 account breaches annually, with an estimated 8 million patient records compromised

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Nearly 50% of all data breaches in 2023 involved compromised credentials, often leading to account takeovers

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Financial services sector accounts for 55% of all account takeover attacks

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The financial sector faces the highest financial loss per breach, averaging $289,000, due to account takeovers

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According to Cybersecurity Ventures, account takeover losses are projected to reach $6 trillion annually by 2025

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The financial industry experiences an annual average loss of $289,000 per breach caused by account takeover

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Multi-factor authentication reduces account takeover risk by 99.9%

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The use of AI and machine learning in detection has improved detection rates of suspicious activities by 25%

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The use of behavioral biometrics can reduce account takeover attempts by 85%

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The use of CAPTCHA challenges has reduced automated account takeover attempts by 35%

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User awareness training can reduce successful account takeover attempts by 70%

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40% of consumers reuse passwords across multiple sites, increasing risk of account takeover

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75% of account takeover victims did not have multi-factor authentication enabled

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52% of online banking users use the same password across multiple platforms, increasing the risk of account takeovers

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62% of consumers are unaware of the risks associated with weak passwords

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Ransomware gangs increasingly target accounts for initial access, with 30% of ransomware attacks involving account compromises

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72% of consumers do not change passwords regularly, increasing vulnerability

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65% of organizations do not have multi-factor authentication enabled for all online accounts, leaving many vulnerable

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Sources

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Key Highlights

Account takeover incidents increased by 164% between 2019 and 2022
80% of organizations experienced an account takeover attack in 2022
The average cost of an account takeover attack is $3.2 million per incident
55% of consumers have experienced account fraud at least once
65% of account takeovers involve stolen credentials harvested from data breaches
Multi-factor authentication reduces account takeover risk by 99.9%
Phishing emails are responsible for 45% of account takeover incidents
Over 60% of account takeovers use stolen or leaked passwords obtained from prior breaches
The majority of account takeover attacks are automated bots, accounting for 70% of incidents
User awareness training can reduce successful account takeover attempts by 70%
40% of consumers reuse passwords across multiple sites, increasing risk of account takeover
The average lifespan of an account after an attacker gains access is 37 days
Small businesses face a 50% higher risk of account takeover due to weaker security measures

As account takeover incidents have surged by a staggering 164% since 2019, organizations across all sectors are racing against time to bolster security measures, given that 80% experienced an attack in 2022 and the average breach now costs a staggering $3.2 million—highlighting the urgent need for stronger defenses like multi-factor authentication and user awareness training.

Cybersecurity Threats and Incidents

Account takeover incidents increased by 164% between 2019 and 2022
80% of organizations experienced an account takeover attack in 2022
The average cost of an account takeover attack is $3.2 million per incident
55% of consumers have experienced account fraud at least once
65% of account takeovers involve stolen credentials harvested from data breaches
Phishing emails are responsible for 45% of account takeover incidents
Over 60% of account takeovers use stolen or leaked passwords obtained from prior breaches
The majority of account takeover attacks are automated bots, accounting for 70% of incidents
The average lifespan of an account after an attacker gains access is 37 days
Small businesses face a 50% higher risk of account takeover due to weaker security measures
Nearly 30% of users have fallen victim to account takeover with social media accounts
The rise in API-based attacks has contributed to a 25% increase in account takeovers in 2023
Identity Theft Resource Center reports a 30% increase in identity-related account takeovers year-over-year
85% of account takeovers involve some form of credential stuffing attack
Email compromise accounts for 60% of all account takeover attempts
Attackers use account takeover as a gateway to larger breaches, with 40% of organizations experiencing secondary breaches after initial account compromises
About 20% of account takeovers involve the use of purchased stolen identities
67% of online fraud reports in 2023 involved some form of account breach
Over 50,000 new datasets containing breached credentials are published monthly on underground forums
The healthcare sector experienced a 35% rise in account takeovers in 2023, mainly due to ransomware and credential theft
58% of financial institutions have suffered a breach due to credential stuffing or account takeover in the past year
70% of organizations lack comprehensive account security policies, increasing vulnerability to takedowns
Some industries, like e-commerce, experience up to 3.5 times more account takeover attempts during holiday seasons
Fake or compromised accounts are used as part of botnets in 40% of account takeover frauds
45% of account takeover attacks are initiated through brute-force attacks
The average time to detect an account takeover is approximately 28 days
Many attackers now use synthetic identities to bypass traditional security measures in 20% of account takeovers
In 2023, over 45% of account takeovers were carried out using stolen OAuth tokens
60% of account takeover attacks involve multi-vector methods, combining techniques like credential stuffing and social engineering
The healthcare industry faces an average of 15,000 account breaches annually, with an estimated 8 million patient records compromised
Nearly 50% of all data breaches in 2023 involved compromised credentials, often leading to account takeovers

Cybersecurity Threats and Incidents Interpretation

With account takeovers soaring by 164% since 2019—costing organizations millions, exposing consumers' sensitive data, and predominantly orchestrated by automated bots using stolen credentials—it's clear that without robust security policies and proactive defenses, both businesses and individuals face an increasingly perilous digital landscape fraught with identity theft, financial loss, and breach after breach.

Financial Sector Risks and Data Breaches

Financial services sector accounts for 55% of all account takeover attacks
The financial sector faces the highest financial loss per breach, averaging $289,000, due to account takeovers
According to Cybersecurity Ventures, account takeover losses are projected to reach $6 trillion annually by 2025
The financial industry experiences an annual average loss of $289,000 per breach caused by account takeover

Financial Sector Risks and Data Breaches Interpretation

With over half of all account takeover attacks targeting the financial sector and annual losses projected to hit a staggering $6 trillion by 2025, it's clear that in the realm of cybercrime, the financial industry is both the prime target and the most heavily drained piggy bank.

Technological Countermeasures and Solutions

Multi-factor authentication reduces account takeover risk by 99.9%
The use of AI and machine learning in detection has improved detection rates of suspicious activities by 25%
The use of behavioral biometrics can reduce account takeover attempts by 85%
The use of CAPTCHA challenges has reduced automated account takeover attempts by 35%

Technological Countermeasures and Solutions Interpretation

These statistics collectively underscore that while multi-factor authentication remains the gold standard in thwarting account takeovers, integrating AI-driven detection, behavioral biometrics, and CAPTCHA challenges creates a formidable, multilayered defense—shifting the odds dramatically in favor of cybersecurity resilience.

User Behavior and Awareness

User awareness training can reduce successful account takeover attempts by 70%
40% of consumers reuse passwords across multiple sites, increasing risk of account takeover
75% of account takeover victims did not have multi-factor authentication enabled
52% of online banking users use the same password across multiple platforms, increasing the risk of account takeovers
62% of consumers are unaware of the risks associated with weak passwords
Ransomware gangs increasingly target accounts for initial access, with 30% of ransomware attacks involving account compromises
72% of consumers do not change passwords regularly, increasing vulnerability
65% of organizations do not have multi-factor authentication enabled for all online accounts, leaving many vulnerable

User Behavior and Awareness Interpretation

Despite widespread complacency, implementing user awareness training and multi-factor authentication could slash account takeover success rates by over two-thirds, highlighting that most breaches are preventable if users break free from password reuse and ignorance.