LifestyleSelfie ID Verification Fraud: What is it? How to avoid it? | Cybercrime
Today In this era, verification by selfie authentication is common. Government agencies, telecommunications companies, banking and financial institutions use it to verify your identity and protect your account. In this process, customers are asked to take a selfie on their smartphone. Often during live video, in addition to the presentation of documents, questions and answers are also asked. Selfie authentication saves people a lot of time. People can do live verification from home.
However, as simple and convenient as it is, it can also be dangerous. Cybercriminals can use your selfie to steal personal and financial information and even drain your bank account.
so today news of need I’m going to talk about what selfie ID fraud is? You will also learn that-
How do cybercriminals make victims of this fraud? What to do to avoid selfie identification fraud?
Expert: Pawan Duggal, cybersecurity and AI expert, New Delhi
Question: What is selfie identification?
answer- Selfie Verification is a secure feature that allows users to digitally verify their identity by taking a live photo of themselves. In this setting, users are asked to look in different directions, turn their heads or make certain expressions on their faces. With selfie verification, users can verify their identity at home in just seconds.
For example, retirees previously had to go to the government pension office every year to submit their life certificate. But to make things easier, the Employees’ Welfare Fund Organization (EPFO) has provided the facility to submit digital proof of life based on facial authentication. Through this, pensioners can submit a live life certificate from home by installing two apps ‘Aadhaar Face RD’ and ‘Jeevan Pramaan’ on their smartphones. Elderly people and people with disabilities have greatly benefited from this facility.
Question: What is selfie spoofing?
answer- Selfie spoofing is a cybercrime in which cybercriminals use your selfie to steal your identity and attempt to gain access to your personal and financial accounts. In this, cybercriminals make changes to your selfie with the help of AI.
Question: How can fraud occur in the name of selfie authentication?
answer- Cybersecurity and AI expert Pawan Duggal says that in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), fake photos or videos of anyone can be created. To steal your selfie, cybercriminals first send the link via email or message. As soon as you click on this link, your phone will be hacked. After that, full control of the phone goes to the cybercriminals. With this, cybercriminals can steal your personal photos, videos or financial information from the photo gallery.
Understand this from the graph below.
Question: How can selfies be misused using deepfakes?
answer- Deepfake is a technology through which a photo or video of anyone can be created. AI expert Pawan Duggal says deepfake technology has advanced so much today that a deepfake video can be made from a photo of a person and a voice can be cloned from just three or four seconds of audio.
Using AI, cybercriminals can even copy a person’s voice, photo or facial expression during a call or virtual meeting. These are so specific that not everyone can identify them. This can lead to such dangers. Such as-
Identity theft: Cybercriminals can steal your identity using selfies, making others victims of theft or phishing attacks.
Create a fake video: With deepfake technology, fake videos can be created from your selfies, which can be used to damage your image.
Create a fake social media account: Using the selfie, cybercriminals can create your fake social media account, through which they can extract money from your friends and acquaintances.
Financial fraud: Using deepfake technology, cybercriminals can take out loans and credit cards in your name via selfies.
Question: What things should be kept in mind to avoid selfie authentication fraud?
answer- Fraudsters use several methods to carry out selfie authentication scams. For this, they use many fake apps, which claim to perform selfie authentication or beautify the photo. To avoid this scam, keep these things in mind shown in the graphic below.
Question: What to do if you are the victim of a selfie scam?
answer- If you are the victim of a selfie scam, first change the password on all your social media accounts and online payment apps. Also make social media accounts private. Freeze your bank accounts immediately. Apart from this, contact the nearest police station or cybercrime helpline number 1930.