How Automated Solutions Spot Fake Documents

An increased use of digital technology has had a massive impact on the way we live our daily lives, but it’s also had an impact on how exposed our identities can be to fraudsters.

In this shifting landscape, organisations need to ensure they’re up to the job of protecting their customers, identify any fake documents and process them accordingly.

Below is a list of all the topics we will cover in this article. Go ahead and click on any of these links, and you’ll be taken to that specific section.

• Traditional Methods of Document Verification
• How Automated Solutions Verify Documents
• How We Can Help

Traditional Methods of Document Verification

If you are operating in the regulated sector or need to verify the identity of your customers before allowing them to use your service or product, document verification remains one of the most robust forms of authentication. During the onboarding process, a customer is asked to provide a form of ID which is then matched against the information provided to verify their identity.

However, identity fraud is on the rise; according to Barclays Bank, fraud volumes rose 61% between May and July 2020. As online activity has increased, so too has the risk of fraud and fraudsters are continually developing more sophisticated ways to attack businesses and customers; 37% of respondents in our Annual Identity Survey said either they or a friend had been directly affected by identity fraud in the last 12 months.

Traditionally, when performing some form of identity verification or onboarding, businesses would typically use manual processes carried out by a human. This means they take more time, are more prone to errors, and offer zero visibility which keeps almost everyone in the dark. Manual processes can be time-consuming, frustrating and create a poor user experience for customers who may be likely to move to a competitor. Automating this process can help make it more accurate and speed up identity verification for customers.

How Automated Solutions Verify Documents

As well as reading user PII from documents using advanced OCR, digital identity verification solutions can scan and capture information contained within chip-enabled identity documents, which are becoming increasingly more common; there are now over 1 billion e-passports in circulation worldwide containing chips that hold the owner’s photograph and personal information.

Traditional forms of ID can easily be forged or digitally manipulated, whereas today’s e-passports and identity documents offer a number of compelling security features:

• Intricately designed passport pages, complex watermarks and a data chip.
• Biometric chips contain all crucial personal information such as digital signature data, which helps in authenticating the document.
• Biometrics are considered more reliable than a traditional photo or a PIN, as it uses personal traits such as facial and fingerprints as primary identification features.
• All data stored on an e-passport (including a picture that is stored on the hardcopy of your passport) is encrypted.
• Security features which make it more difficult to change data recorded on a passport and to prevent unauthorised reading or skimming of data stored on the e-passport chip.

NFC capabilities mean the ability to read the information on chip-enabled identity documents such as e-passports is now in the pocket of every smartphone owner in the world.

How We Can Help

Our leading solution for global document verification, iDocufy utilises a global database of over 5,000 forms of government-issued identity documents to accurately assess document authenticity and capture both visual and electronic document data.

When opening an account, a customer is asked to provide a form of ID and the solution takes care of the rest:

1. Capture – The customer is prompted to take a photo of their document 
2. Process – Images and data are processed instantly and securely in the cloud
3. Authenticate – 50+ forensic tests are performed on the credentials in real time
4. Verify – Optional facial recognition match can be performed using BioMatch

The AI-powered platform analyses the uploaded image to establish the ID information in real-time. iDocufy extracts the information provided and, depending on the type of document used, cross-references this with information from the e-chip scanned via NFC, or using advanced OCR technology extracts the printed PII from the document. Additional facial recognition can also be performed as an extra layer of security, when used in conjunction with BioMatch.

In seconds, iDocufy returns an easy-to-understand set of results, alerts and scores, alongside an overall pass or fail result. 

iDocufy works as a global KYC and AML check and enhances customer confidence due to its speed and seamless integration. When used together with BioMatch as part of our global ID, KYC & AML platform, Sodium, our solutions offer world-class authentication in one simple integration.

Utilise a single element or multiple processes – it’s entirely up to you. Learn more about how we can help to automate and simplify your verification processes to help you to learn more about your customers.