Authentication processes are appearing to be a necessity nowadays rather than just being called a boost in technology. It is an undeniable fact that identity fraud has resulted in huge data loss for many people. According to a report containing statistical findings related to ID theft, it was revealed that 14.4 million entities fell prey to the scams of Identity theft.
Also, the outbreak of COVID has led to a rise in online transactions which has given more leverage to criminals because they are able to surpass the verification process usually performed online. Thus there is a dire need to ascertain the prevalence of a secure mechanism to carry out the verification process ensuring maximum reliability.
Essential Steps of Identity Document Verification Process
Document verification services perform a certain procedure through the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to authenticate the documents under consideration. The following aspects are taken into account to ascertain the genuineness of documents.
Format of the Document
ID verification documents are not all the same in every part of the world. Because of this variation on large scale, the AI-supported verification systems are designed to read different formats with the help of machine language. It helps the ID verification software identify any discrepancies in the format.
There are many software providers which are quite competitive in this regard. For instance, some AI-supported ID verification software can detect 3000+ document formats in 150+ languages across 230 countries. This is necessary to be considered because in some countries, for instance, the format of names is different like first, middle, and last name whereas in some regions, it is referred to as ‘full name’. Thus, AI allows the system to read the format and verify accordingly.
Checking the MRZ Code
Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) code is authenticated by the document verification system. In this regard, the AI analyzes certain fields of the document which are subjected to the suspicion of being tempered or altered with a human hand. This aspect allows the verification system to see for any undesirable manipulations within the document.
Analyzing Folded or Crinkled Edges
The verification system is smart enough to detect any folded paper or crumbled edges that may alter the original appearance of the document. These are minor checks but it shows the efficiency of the verification process that how even the slightest details are checked for complete authenticity and transparency of the documents.
Verifying Specific Patterns, Inks, and Holograms
There are various types of documents that go under the validation process during authentication. Government-issued documents are exceptional because they contain specific patterns and rainbow prints that are not usually found on other private documents. These patterns and holograms are indicators or specific IDs assigned to different entities by the government. No two government-issued ID documents would have the same interpretation for the patterns however, these patterns would appear the same. That is the uniqueness of AI, it detects the underlying differences of similar-looking documents which reflect the difference in identities of various customers.
Another attribute that differentiates government-issued documents from others is the use of specific ink colors which distinctively indicate a specific category of documents. During the document authentication, the IDV software also identifies these inks so that it can detect if the ink is used manually or is automatically generated during document preparation.
Documents Required for Address Verification
AI-supported verification processes have several services to offer in addition to ID verification. The verification software helps to perform address authentication. For the said purpose, the following documents are checked for accuracy:
Utility Bills
The status of utility bills is verified through AI. It checks for the month and date of payment which indicates the proof of residence that a person is residing in a house currently.
Rent Agreement
The verification software also analyzes the rent agreement to check for any kind of forgery, it also acts as evidence for the fact that the client is not fraudulently saving himself from any property tax that may be imposed on him if in case he owns a house.
Tax Returns
The AI algorithms also read the tax returns of an entity to eliminate the suspicion of money laundering. It permits the system to verify if the customer is a regular filer or not. If the case is otherwise, and the client is found to have outstanding payables then the verification process fails.
Final Thoughts
The incorporation of verification solutions has become an integral part of businesses nowadays. This process not only promotes transparency in authentication but also mitigates the risk of falling prey to scammers and fraudsters. It provides protection to business entities by ensuring sound data security and validation of identity in different contexts which helps them to decide whether who they should do business with and from whom they should keep themselves away.
