AI-driven Fraud Surges 1,082% Amid Increased Tech Accessibility, Unico Warns at SXSW[

São Paulo, March 2026 – Unico, the world's largest identity verification network,is participating in SXSW 2026 in Austin, U.S., with the session “Authenticity vs. deepfake: Whovalidates what’s real?”, led by Davi Reis, Tech Advisor at the [1] company. The session addresses one of the centralquestions of the digital economy: who validates what is real in an environmentwhere Artificial Intelligence (AI) already replicates faces, voices, andbehaviors with a high degree of accuracy. The session will take place on March16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT), at the Hilton Austin Downtown, Room412, as part of the official SXSW program.

The debate comes amid exponential growth in syntheticcontent. According to Unico data, sophisticated fraud attacks grew by 1,082% in2025, compared to the previous year. The surge primarily impacts sectors suchas financial services, online retail, and betting platforms, where thefinancial and reputational impact is immediate.

“Online fraud is no longer a peripheral risk, it’s acore business challenge. In 2025, we watched fraudsters weaponize AI anddeepfakes to scale their operations, putting digital companies underunprecedented pressure. As these threats grow more sophisticated, organizationsmust fundamentally rethink how they safeguard trust, protect their users, andensure compliance”, warns Davi.

In this context, liveness detection technology servesas a critical layer of defense to ensure that a real human is present in theinteraction. This is the expertise Unico will share at SXSW, with a deep diveinto how fraudsters are acting to circumvent controls and systems. Thetechnology protects against increasingly sophisticated attacks throughmulti-layered analysis, combining factors such as biometrics, behavioralsignals, body temperature, and device data.

"Brazil’s financial sector digitized early and ata massive scale, creating a landscape that was as convenient as it was targetedby sophisticated fraudsters. Operating in this high-stakes environment isexactly why Unico was founded. Our journey at the global forefront of fraudprevention has uniquely prepared us to take the stage at SXSW, where we’llshare how governments and enterprises can effectively shield themselves fromthe growing threat of deepfakes," adds the executive.

In 2025, Unico performed more than 1.5 billionidentity authentications and achieved a record-high accuracy rate of 99.98%. Itcurrently operates in 23 countries, with more than 500 employees worldwide. Thecompany also began offering an “identity protection” model, with coverage of upto US$4,000 to support users in cases of digital identity compromise.

Participating in SXSW since 2023, the company isstrengthening its global presence this year and positioning itself as a trustedlink in the digital society, as well as critical infrastructure for economicsustainability.

Davi Reis Session | Unico at SXSW 2026

When: March 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT)
Where: Hilton Austin Downtown – Room 412

About Unico

Unico is the world's largest identity verification network and a trusted link in the digital society. With solutions based on facial biometrics, machine learning, and reinforced security layers, Unico validates with 100% certainty who is conducting a transaction and the associated identity risks. In this way, it combats fraud, protects data, and promotes trust between people and companies, contributing to the construction of a safer and less bureaucratic world. Globally renowned funds such as SoftBank, General Atlantic, and Goldman Sachs trust and invest in Unico. Learn more at www.unico.io.

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