A computer-implemented method for identifying one or more synthetic identities among a population of entity representations in an electronic database, each entity representation comprising a plurality of records, each record comprising a plurality of fields, at least a first field of the plurality of fields capable of indicating a connection to a cohort entity representation in the population, the method performed by at least one processor configured to access the electronic database, the method comprising: selecting, from the population of entity representations, a first entity representation; for the selected first entity representation: identifying one or more network chains formed by one or more connections between the first entity representation, a second entity representation, and zero or more intervening entity representations; and determining a number of connections per connection degree for a predetermined number of degrees in at least one of the identified one or more network chains; determining, based on the number of connections per connection degree, geometric growth rates of the one or more connections between the first entity representation, the second entity representation, and the zero or more intervening entity representations, wherein the geometric growth rate r associated with a given connection separation degree d is determined by: r = x d x 0 1 d − 1 , wherein x d is the number of connections at a given separation degree, and x o is the initial number of connections; determining, based on the determined geometric growth rates below a threshold, an indication that one or more of the first entity representation, the second entity representation, and zero or more of the intervening entity representations is a synthetic identity; and outputting entity representation information of one or more entities in the population that are indicated as a synthetic identity. selecting, from the population of entity representations, a first entity representation; for the selected first entity representation: identifying one or more network chains formed by one or more connections between the first entity representation, a second entity representation, and zero or more intervening entity representations; and determining a number of connections per connection degree for a predetermined number of degrees in at least one of the identified one or more network chains; identifying one or more network chains formed by one or more connections between the first entity representation, a second entity representation, and zero or more intervening entity representations; and determining a number of connections per connection degree for a predetermined number of degrees in at least one of the identified one or more network chains; determining, based on the number of connections per connection degree, geometric growth rates of the one or more connections between the first entity representation, the second entity representation, and the zero or more intervening entity representations, wherein the geometric growth rate r associated with a given connection separation degree d is determined by: r = x d x 0 1 d − 1 , wherein x d is the number of connections at a given separation degree, and x o is the initial number of connections; determining, based on the determined geometric growth rates below a threshold, an indication that one or more of the first entity representation, the second entity representation, and zero or more of the intervening entity representations is a synthetic identity; and outputting entity representation information of one or more entities in the population that are indicated as a synthetic identity. <EOS>