Selfie Verification API: How Selfie Identity Verification works

Selfie verification API

Identity fraud is on the rise, and con artists are getting more skilled. 52% of businesses reported experiencing fraud in the previous 24 months, according to a PwC-commissioned poll. 10% of them even claimed that their most disruptive occurrence cost them more than $50 million in financial terms.

Personal data is being sold on the dark web, accounts are being hacked, and phishing emails are being sent. In today’s internet platforms, where remote onboarding is flourishing, the security and integrity of our data are a major problem.

Fraudsters collect private information including names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and bank account numbers. Information about your company may be used without your knowledge or consent to purchase goods or services. Also, the possibility that your data will be sold online raises the danger of identity theft.

Yet in your case, that need not be the case!

Selfies combined with cutting-edge algorithms have developed into an identity verification technique that can be utilised to get around these problems. It provides security to enterprises and makes them GDPR-compliant, guaranteeing the security of user data. Also, businesses can confirm a person’s identification throughout a remote onboarding procedure.

In this article, we’ll define selfie identity verification and discuss the benefits of incorporating one into your onboarding procedure.

What is Selfie Verification?

The solution is fairly easy. Users must take and submit a selfie as part of the identity verification process. Typically, a smartphone is used for the process because you can take a selfie and submit it right away.

The selfie is examined and then compared to a database or a provided ID document to confirm the identification. This process is typically carried out manually; it requires a lot of work, is non-scalable, and restricts the expansion of your business.

Fortunately, an automated identity verification solution exists that enables businesses to scale up without onboarding restrictions. By using our identity verification solution, you can concentrate on your primary business while the onboarding process is simple.

Selfie verification is used in conjunction with other technologies to provide the maximum level of security during a remote identity verification process. Checks for liveness and government databases.

By capturing several selfies, authenticating the user, and evaluating whether the user is a real person or a passive fake, Liveness Check makes sure that users are physically present.

Meanwhile, a Government Database check is used to verify details on the identity documents for user verification. With the help of a smartphone, selfies can be used to access users’ data from identity documents and validate document authenticity through face match technology. 

For user verification, information on the identity documents is checked against a government database. Selfies taken with a smartphone can be used to access users’ data from identity cards and verify the validity of such documents using face-matching technology.

After defining selfie identity verification and describing the additional security measures that can be added to it, let’s examine how it functions.

What is the process for Selfie Verification?

Organizations are struggling to properly and securely verify identities at scale as digital onboarding becomes more popular. Thus, using selfies to verify identity has become a solution. Your clients are required to take a selfie and a photo of their ID during this process.

The following elements are required for a successful remote digital onboarding:

• a selfie-taking scanning gadget (generally a smartphone)
• a programme to turn the selfie into a standardised digital format so you can compare your features to those on an ID card

After receiving the selfie, the company applies sophisticated face-matching algorithms. The software compares the user’s ID document photo to the selfie they took in real-time. By using this procedure, people are prevented from attempting to use someone else’s identity.

This procedure can frequently be encrypted, depending on the solution provider, enabling authentication and identification without having direct access to the biometric data itself.

Now that we are aware of how selfie identity verification functions, let’s examine why.

Now that we know how selfie identity verification works, let’s have a look at why you should implement it.

Why is real-time selfie verification crucial for customer onboarding?

Let’s look at some reasons why you ought to use selfie identity verification now that we understand how it functions.

Why should real-time selfie identity verification be used?

There are many advantages to using selfie identity verification. The public sector and companies like internet banking are covered by these advantages.

The main justifications for using a real-time selfie for ID verification are as follows:

• Fraud Prevention
• Regulatory Compliance
• More rapid turnaround times

Fraud Prevention

Fraudsters are becoming increasingly skilled at using stolen ID documents or fabricating fake IDs. Fortunately, as artificial intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Document Processing(IDP) have advanced over time, so have technologies that identify identity fraud.

Real-time selfie identity verification offers an extra layer of security against persons attempting to use stolen IDs. By identifying manipulated photographs, screenshots, and printed photos, the best-in-class IDP solutions can also detect document fraud.

Real-time selfies are helpful for the authentication process because they:

• Convenient to use
• Difficult to spoof 
• Non-transferable

Even if fraudsters managed to get through the document verification process in some way, they would not be able to pull off their scam with the real-time selfie.

Regulatory compliance

It is convenient to use a selfie to verify your identity, and by preventing fraud, you can save a lot of money. But, another important factor is that you must adhere to stringent standards that apply globally.

You can avoid the possibility of receiving fines and penalties by becoming compliant. H&M, a significant fashion clothes store, was fined €35 million in 2020 for GDPR violations.

You can learn whether your consumers are really who they claim to be by using a selfie in real-time as part of a Know Your Customer (KYC) process, for instance. You may assure compliance with the KYC, Anti Money Laundering (AML), and GDPR standards by using KYC software.

It’s crucial to pick a solution that initially accommodates your needs while also taking data privacy protection issues carefully. Compliance with regulations keeps your business from mishandling data or possibly getting involved in illegal actions like money laundering, fraud, or financing terrorism.

More rapid turnaround times

Consider how many hours it would take to physically confirm someone’s identification. There are time and place restrictions on how long you would need to confirm someone’s identity.

In a matter of seconds, additional people can be added with automated and remote selfie identity verification. Because of this, turnaround times will be quicker, and users will be happier.

Using an automated identity verification solution, you can quickly and safely onboard new customers around the clock.

Let’s now have a look at three alternative use cases for selfie identity verification.

What are the use cases for selfie identity verification?

Are you unsure if using a selfie for identity verification is right for you? To give you a sense of how you may utilise it in your business as well, we will then walk you through three use cases.

• New client onboarding in banking
• Customer onboarding on digital platforms or online services that require identity verification
• Shared Economies like Car, scooter, and e-bike rentals

New client onboarding in banking

According to KYC processes, which must be followed by banks and other financial service providers, it is necessary to confirm a client’s identification when creating an account.

In general, KYC procedures aid in the detection and prevention of financial crimes like money laundering and terrorism financing.

Selfie identification verification aids banks in minimising fraud risk and facilitating a seamless customer onboarding process that conforms with KYC rules.

The verification procedure can resemble this:

• User uploads or scans their identification document
• The software pulls information and images from the ID
• The user is requested to snap a selfie, and the programme instantly confirms their identification

A customer’s identification can be confirmed in a matter of seconds with such an automated and digital process.

Customer onboarding on Digital Platforms or Online Services

The problem with remote digital onboarding is confirming that the person running the process is who they say they are. Internet businesses don’t have physical locations or front offices where you can go to get your identity verified, like insurance or credit card companies.

Happily, the majority of online ID verification tools nowadays can do global verification and identity checks online safely and accurately. Even more legitimately than the conventional process, users and businesses from all around the world can conduct it remotely.

This stops someone from creating a fraudulent identity, engaging in fraud, or acting without authorisation on someone else’s behalf.

Shared Economies

Rental businesses require an individual’s ID document to sign up in order to assure a reliable and compliant service. Here, software and technology can have a significant impact.

Consider renting a vehicle. Consumers typically do not want to enter an office to complete paperwork. The client is eager to pick up the car and get going.

The onboarding procedure for renting scooters and e-bikes is typically completed through a mobile app. Businesses remotely onboard customers using selfie identification verification because of the advantages they receive in return.

What are the benefits of implementing a selfie identity verification solution in shared economy services?

• Protection from damaged or stolen fleet
• Keep drivers and riders safe
• Smooth and effortless experience
• Avoid identity fraud
• Age verification checks

Conclusion

Verifying a user’s identification is simple, rapid, and fully remote. All that is required of the user is a selfie and a photo of their ID card or driver’s licence. The identity verification API examines and compares the selfie and the ID document image to determine whether the individual is real or a fraud.

With IDcentral’s Rest API-based solutions, your selfie identity verification is just a click away from being integrated into your customer onboarding flow. 

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