The subject of AI has proven to be a dicey one as it not only presents positive opportunities to improve the lives of users or adaptors, but it is equally helpful in efficiently conducting data analysis, building personalized programs based on individual preferences and providing recommendations suited to user needs.
However, a popular dilemma on AI is its capability to evolve into uncontrollable self-aware AI and even more dangerous, social manipulation through AI algorithms.
The increase in the need for better and more stringent Know-Your-Customer (KYC) in financial and general business models presents a ripe ground for social manipulation through AI.
An individual’s identity is a prized possession as it has the power to approve or disapprove their social standing as an individual. With AI on the rise and more bad actors taking advantage of technology to gain access to other individuals’ identities, causing a fuddle in identity verification, one question seems more thought-provoking than usual - Are you ready for AI-generated fake IDs?
What are AI-generated fake IDs?
Fake IDs are a form of identity fraud which mandates the use of any form of identification that is not consistent with the holder's persona. Fake IDs grant users access to products and services that are illegal for them based on age, nationality, and other factors.
The process of creating fake IDs before the advent of AI was a tedious process requiring skilled craftsmanship and impeccable attention to detail. This was to ensure that scanning processes and systems did not pick up inconsistencies with the true layout of the document.
Since AI’s inclusion in modern technology, identity fraud has taken a new outlook as creating fake IDs has become a jolly ride. News sources claim that fake IDs created with AI have the ability to bypass KYC and AML checks at prominent financial platforms. The ability for AI to replicate exact copies of world-renowned documents can allow anyone to gain access to funds, information and all sorts of confidential identification documents that could change things as we know it.
Joseph Cox of 404 Media did an expose on OnlyFake, an underground network claiming to use ‘neural networks’ to generate realistic-looking photos of fake IDs for $15. In their own tests, they created a convincing California driver’s license complete with all necessary details with the appearance of the ID lying on a fluffy carpet as many sites require for verification.
The website threatens to create a streamlined process for everything from bank fraud to implications for cybersecurity. AI-generated fake IDs have the capability to overturn financial platforms and reduce them to nothing. These are just a few risks involved in AI-generated IDs amongst others.
Risks of AI-generated fake IDs
There are far more consequences that can emanate from AI-generated fake IDs. Here are some of the most likely risks associated with them.
1. Undermined KYC Protocols:
KYC procedures are essential for confirming the identities of people making financial transactions. But the rise of AI-generated fake IDs threatens these rules, making it easier for bad actors to get around security protocols. Consequently, this compromises the integrity of digital platforms and financial institutions, making fraudulent operations easier to carry out.
2. Reductions in Digital Trust:
Digital communications, social networking, e-commerce, and other online activities are all based on trust. But as AI-generated false IDs increase, this confidence is damaged, raising questions about the veracity of user identities and transactions.
As a result, people might be unwilling to conduct online transactions or divulge personal information, which would impede the development of digital economies.
3. Increased Online Fraud and Identity Theft:
Due to easy access to AI-powered technologies, identity theft and online fraud are becoming more commonplace. Fake IDs are used by cybercriminals to pose as authentic users and obtain financial assets and sensitive data without authorization. This is a serious threat to people, companies, and government organisations, hence strong defences are required.
4. Perpetual Increase of Cybersecurity Measures:
In cybersecurity, a hostile arms race has been ignited by the spread of fake IDs created by artificial intelligence.
Experts in cybersecurity are challenged with creating more advanced detection methods to spot and stop fraudulent activity as con artists become more skilled at creating convincing forgeries.
This never-ending game of cat and mouse highlights how dynamic cybersecurity threats are and how ongoing innovation is necessary.
Best practices to protect businesses against AI-generated fake IDs
Although AI-generated fake IDs may seem to be moving at an uncontrolled pace, it is possible for businesses to curtail the amount of bad actors that have access to their platforms. Here are some of the ways businesses can protect themselves against AI-generated fake IDs:
1. Use a Provider with Strong Mobile SDK Capabilities:
The OnlyFake service provides photos of identity documents. It will be a wise practice to integrate an IDV provider that will request for the real document to be held up to the device’s camera. It is also possible for these bad actors to print out the identity documents but a loophole will be the quality of the printout as they are likely to miss security characteristics or document printing features.
2. Multiple Layer Verification Checks:
It is a good idea to improve the identity verification process on your platform if an AI-generated fake ID can get through your business KYC. Biometric verification and liveness checks in tandem can detect if there is a real person with a genuine ID that belongs to them.
Fraud detection signals through SDKs can provide another layer of verification including device intelligence.
3. Evolving Fraud Detection Provider:
It is very important that you employ fraud detection technologies that can learn from the wide set of fraud samples provided through everyday scans. It should be able to have a balance of original documents and fake ones and pay close attention to the details that tell them apart. This can be achieved through machine learning models that can be effective at detecting fraud samples after coming across around 3,000 samples.
Bottom Line
There is no doubt that as AI technology continues to evolve and gain application in more areas, there will be individuals who will exploit it to perpetrate crimes as they have done with other forthcoming technologies. However, with the practices listed, you can employ them to clamp down on deep fake IDs and protect your businesses properly. By using providers with SDK capabilities, you are able to filter documents for verification and only allow access to new users whose documents have passed every level of verification.
If you are looking for standard verification products to help you protect your business against AI-generated fake IDs, look no further as Youverify has an array of products available to cater to the multiple layers of verification to keep your business safe and secure.
Book a free demo today to learn how they work.