It is difficult to believe that people pay a hefty amount to obtain forged IDs and documents in modern times. Yet, while we continue to live in a global village, we have assumed that online details ( internet bank account details and government documents) are more precious to us than physical documents such as passports and driving licenses. Unfortunately, this has opened multiple means of document fraud, and the world loses trillions of pounds to these filthy thefts.
But why is this happening? And what can be done to minimize these damaging practices?
Why is document fraud still prevailing in 2021?
Document fraud is the illegal theft of identity documents to deceive and manipulate true identity. These authentic documents are used and sold in the market to perform illegal or criminal activities. They can also be used to make alterations to the original document or to create imitations of the real ones.
The continuous popularity of fraudulent documents amongst criminals is because these documents can be used for terrorist activities, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, and financial crimes.
As It has become more and more challenging to snatch these away, document thieves are paid enormous amounts to obtain these documents. Even after the introduction of highly complex document verification checks, the race to steal these documents amongst criminals keeps rising.
What are the different types of document fraud?
There are multiple types of channels to carry out document fraud that are equally important to highlight before we take precautionary measures:
Providing the image of the document
In order to manipulate the authorities, hackers present a picture of the document rather than providing the document. This type of document fraud falls into four categories which are the following.
- Physical tampering: Physically changing the picture of the original document
- Digital tampering: Use of photoshop and other tools to manipulate the ID document
- White hack hacking: The type of fraud that tests the vulnerability of the document
- Liveness fraud: The type of tampering which makes it nearly impossible to detect fakeness
Illegal documents
The type of hoax documents that have missing characteristics, for example, holograms and other verification inks. These documents are either exact copies of the original document or slightly tampered documents.
False documents
These types of documents are associated with identity theft when individuals impersonate the ID documents of another individual with similar names.
Modified documents
Document fraud is associated with altering the original documents. Such frauds have forged signatures or are changed through official websites.
How to Prevent Identity Frauds through Document Verification?
Prevention and detection of document fraud are as crucial as catching fraudulent criminals. Even though fraudsters are one step ahead of us, we can adopt prevention and detection strategies such as AI-enabled document verification to keep these horrendous acts out of the market.
Authenticity checks:
Manual authenticity checks are complex and time-consuming. However, the incorporation of AI and machine learning models verify documents precisely within seconds.
Identifying the format
It is extremely difficult to keep track of updated formats of different countries manually, but AI-based solutions can run document authentication checks of the exact format. They have abilities to verify documents of multiple languages and numerous formats. Thus, making it the most authentic ID document verification.
Authenticating the Machine-readable zone code
MRZ code of a document can be tampered with and edited through different tools. Verification of these documents can be performed through AI. Moreover, they match the MRZ code against the information provided on the document.
Detection of crumbled or folded edge
Hardcopies of documents are prone to wear and tear, but AI can run verification checks even on these types of complicated documents.
Detection of forgery, and photoshop
AI-enabled verification can detect the slightest changes to the pixel and detect any signs of photoshopped or forged documents.
In-depth analysis of holograms
Holograms and rainbow prints are incorporated into all government-issued ID documents. AI-based document authentication can map tampering of these holograms and prints to check the legitimacy of the document.
To Conclude…
Unquestionably, the key to limiting complex document frauds in 2021 is through the combination of best prevention and detection techniques incorporated in AI-based document verification services. Document verification secretly works to verify and monitor any means of document fraud and aids in combattingMoreover, they these threats.
