Risks (and solutions) in people identification processes

Technology has come a long way in recent years, and while this is generally a benefit, it also brings with it the appearance of digital risks. Many cases of known and not so well-known people have seen their identity being impersonated on social networks or how fake videos were created in which they made statements that they had never made. This is what is known as deepfake. In this post, we tell you about what risks can arise in people identification processes or customers for your company and how they can be solved.

Risks of people identification processes

All companies need to identify their customers to sell products or services; however, there are susceptible sectors such as banking, such as telecommunications. The identification of individuals or the KYC (Know Your Customer) processes are fundamental to any organisation and have several associated risks, which are as outlined below:

  • The information reviewed may be limited so that, for example, the person may be correctly identified, but their creditworthiness may not be determined.
  • Consumer information is not updated throughout the relationship with the company, and risks may arise that were not initially present.
  • The personal data protection of customers is a must, so it is essential to have their consent and, in doing so, comply with the law.
  • Technology can assist a criminal to fraudulently supplant another person’s identity and purchase services and products.

Technologies can facilitate a criminal to impersonate another person and to contract services and purchase products fraudulently. With the outbreak of the pandemic and the evolution of remote customer-company relationships, identifications have evolved into remote identifications through technology. However, many of the risks we have detailed still exist and can lead to a poor customer experience or a damaged reputation.

How can technology improve people identification processes?

The arrival of different technologies has enhanced KYC processes and new people identification processes in companies:

  • RPA. This has enabled automated and error-free execution of repetitive tasks. For example, it can collect data from various reliable sources and save time creating customer risk profiles. The RPA and Artificial Intelligence combination can perform dynamic and real-time checks instead of periodic assessments of a customer’s risk.
  • Machine learning It is a technology that identifies false positives in identification, i.e. when a customer is correctly identified, but there is an error in the risk involved.
  • eKYC It is a simple way to identify customers within seconds. For example, Lleida.net’s eKYC video allows you to verify that the person on the screen is who they say they are. It combines two technologies: artificial intelligence and biometrics, i.e. these two systems compare parameters of the video in real-time and the picture of the identity document and record the whole process on video. The great advantage is that the application is integrated via API into your company’s tools. The system can operate stand-alone and is not controlled by a person unless questionable identifications are detected. In addition, all the information of the process will be stored:
    • Result of the validation (positive or negative).
    • Front and back of the identity document that has been captured during the process.
    • Selfie
    • Start and end time of the session.
    • Geolocation of the authorised person.
    • Technical details of the validation.

All these details provide a high level of security in the identification process, making it very difficult for fraud to occur. Artificial intelligence performs various verifications; for example, it checks that the video you are watching is not recorded but is done in real-time. It verifies that the background you see in the video is not an embedded static image.

In addition, some companies also apply two-factor authentication for a correct and more secure people identification processes. For example, an OTP (One-Time Password) can be used, received via SMS or email.

Finally, the process of identifying people digitally is becoming increasingly secure and limits the possibilities for one person to impersonate another or to use false identity documents.

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