For years, companies have invested heavily in password policies, MFA adoption, and backend security infrastructure. Yet despite all this progress, account takeovers are rising faster than ever in the United States.
The reason?
Most account takeovers today don’t happen because a system was breached. They happen because a person was manipulated.
In other words:
The front door isn’t failing, the human behind it is being tricked into opening it.
The Shift: From Technical Hacking to Human Hacking
Ten years ago, attackers focused on brute-force attacks, credential stuffing, or database leaks. Those still exist but today’s scammers prefer a different strategy:
It’s much easier for them if the the user to hand over the keys voluntarily.
This shift has been driven by multiple changes in tech:
- Widespread MFA adoption: This has made password-only access harder for scammers
- Cheap AI: Access to AI makes it easy to enable realistic phishing emails, cloned voices, and impersonation
- Social platform visibility:When people use social media and share details about their lives, it gives scammers personal details that they can exploit
- SMS as a trusted channel: SMS is used by all and is used regularly for 2FA codes and trusted alerts making it an easy access point for sending fake codes and “urgent” alerts
This is why many account takeovers today follow a predictable pattern: They start with a message, not a password.
What Social Engineering Looks Like
Modern attackers use emotional pressure, familiarity, and urgency to bypass defenses. Common examples include:
1. “We detected fraud on your account…”
Fake bank or carrier messages asking for verification codes to “secure” the account.
2. “Your package delivery failed…”
A simple link leads to credential theft or a fake login page.
3. “Here’s your password reset link…”
Even when a user didn’t request it, panic leads to action.
4. “Hey, it’s your boss. I need something urgently.”
Business email compromise suddenly moves into SMS and WhatsApp.
5. “Your child is in trouble…” (AI voice cloning)
A terrifying and effective tactic that leads to rushed responses.
None of these require hacking.
All of them bypass traditional security controls.
And once scammers have the user’s login, 2FA code, or device access, the account takeover is instant and often catastrophic.
The Impact on Partners
For partners operating in telecom, ISP, device protection, banking, and cybersecurity, rising account takeovers have serious downstream effects:
1. Higher Support Costs
Account recovery is time-consuming and expensive.
Multiple resets. Identity verification. Fraud reimbursements. Escalations.
2. Churn and Loss of Trust
Consumers don’t always blame the scammer.
They often blame the platform. “Why wasn’t I protected?”
3. Regulatory Scrutiny
When account takeovers expose personal or financial information, partners face:
- compliance investigations
- reporting obligations
- increased security requirements
4. Fraud rings target your customer base repeatedly
Once an account takeover occurs, that user becomes a repeat target.
Scammers share victim profiles and they test the same vulnerabilities across services.
This becomes an ecosystem problem, not an isolated event.
Why Traditional Security Isn’t Enough
Password policies, CAPTCHAs, MFA, and IP blocking solve only part of the problem.
Modern account takeovers bypass these by attacking the human layer, not the technical layer.
Traditional tools can’t detect:
- emotional manipulation
- urgency language
- impersonation patterns
- malicious intent in messages
- grooming sequences
- conversational pressure tactics
This leaves partners exposed at the exact moment when intervention matters most: the first message that starts the scam.
How Kidas Helps Partners Prevent Account Takeovers
Kidas focuses on the behavioral signals behind account takeover initiation not just the technical artifacts.
We detect:
- suspicious requests for codes or credentials
- impersonation attempts (banks, carriers, institutions)
- fake urgency indicators
- grooming or coercion language
- malicious redirects
- abnormal communication patterns
Because detection happens at the “conversation layer,” it catches the scam before the password, code, or device access is handed over.
For partners, this means:
- reduced account takeover volume
- lower fraud reimbursement costs
- fewer customer escalations
- increased trust and retention
- stronger regulatory posture
This is prevention, not reaction.
The Takeaway
Account takeovers aren’t rising because hackers are getting smarter, they’re rising because scammers have learned how to manipulate people more effectively.
The future of account protection isn’t just about encryption or stronger passwords.
It’s about understanding human behavior and intercepting social engineering long before technical defenses are relevant.
For partners who support millions of consumers, this shift represents an opportunity:
Protect the human, and you protect the entire account ecosystem.