ComplyCube’s face authentication combats fake signups and synthetic identities

ComplyCube has rolled out face authentication, further strengthening its biometric verification offering.

The new service checks a client’s facial and biometric attributes against previously enrolled faces, empowering businesses to implement robust authentication mechanisms for gated services or account reactivations.

The new offering ensures that businesses are better equipped to protect themselves from organized fraud and synthetic identities.

Combatting organized fraud at scale

Fake signups enable fraudsters to claim new account bonuses, cash drops, or simply to create mule accounts.

Criminals are increasingly bombarding businesses with fake signup requests by rotating a set of faces across hundreds of different attempts a day, using a variety of expertly crafted fake identity documents. Organized gangs typically choose this type of attack as they have the resources to launch large-scale operations. A higher volume of attempts means a higher chance of success.

Traditionally, to prevent this type of fraud, a business must manually review identity documents and keep a blacklist of faces connected to fraudulent documents. ComplyCube’s enrolled faces capability removes the need for a manual process by checking at scale for duplicate faces used at onboarding. So, a customer creating multiple accounts will be caught even if different personal information is used.

Tackling synthetic identity and the ubiquity of stolen personal data

Synthetic identity fraud combines real information such as a stolen Social Security Number (SSN) with fake details such as a fictitious name to create a new identity. The synthetic details are then used to apply for credit online. Credit bureaus typically reject the application because the synthetic identity has no credit history. However, the application alone means the crafted identity has now a credit file. The synthetic details are then used to make more credit applications until one is accepted, usually by a high-risk institution. Synthetic fraudsters can build a credit record that eventually grants access to more valuable institutions.

This type of fraud is on the rise because stolen personal data is easier and cheaper to access than ever before. Nowadays, criminals on the dark web are selling SSNs, full names, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, and email addresses for as little as $4. This means database checks, in which personal data is checked against independent sources alone, cannot be effective against fraud.

That’s why businesses choose ComplyCube’s comprehensive verification platform to layer biometric checks on top of document checks and database checks to have the best chance of keeping identity fraud at bay.