The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

Download Report

    n-img-roi-cross

    Before You Go, Schedule Your Free Demo Today

    Valid Invalid number


    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.

    n-exit-img-roi-cross

    Thank you for your demo request

    We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing how our solution can meet your needs. Expect to hear from us shortly with scheduling details.

    Close

    An Insight into Online Dating Scams – How Identity Verification Helps

    SP Onsite Blog Image Feb 11, 2022-01

    The impact of Covid-19 on businesses and the physical, mental health of individuals has been stressed in numerous forums. It has not only transformed the way work is managed but also significantly affected social interactions and relationships. Considering the developments made in online platforms, there is one that still lacks a certain level of security measures – online dating sites. 

    While the existing relationships were being affected by the pandemic, online dating platforms started to get flooded with new users looking to find friends, partners, and establish long-lasting relationships. It seems that the trend that started because of the coronavirus outbreak is here to stay.

    The Rise in Online Dating Scams

    According to statistics, Tinder broke its record for over 3 billion swipes in a day in March 2020. The total number of subscribers on the dating app at that time was more or less 8.2 million. In 2021, the number shot up to 9.6 million. Other dating platforms were not far behind either – like OkCupid, which contributed to a 700% increase in dates, and Bumble, which saw a 70% increase in video calls. 

    However, that’s the end of the good news for online dating platforms, because a simultaneous rise in the cases of fraud was ruining the experience for many. When people were looking to communicate with someone outside their household during the lockdown, fraudsters came up with tricks of their own. As a result, the average loss an individual faced due to romance scams in 2020 was $2500. According to FTC, the total amount lost to scams targeting online dating platforms in 2021 was a shocking $547 million

    The reason why fraudsters were so successful in manipulating online daters was the increased interest and casual usage of these apps. For instance, an average conversation on dating apps lasted 32% longer during the lockdown period. This only made people more and more vulnerable to fraud.

    SP Onsite Blog Infographic Feb 11, 2022-01

    Online Romance Scams

    People looking to find the ideal partners during the last few years have been regularly targeted by romance scammers. These scammers are essentially identity thieves that use pictures stolen from people on social media and create seemingly legitimate profiles on dating apps. Since dating apps are based on the concept of attracting others through photos, people easily get lured into these kinds of scams. 

    Romance scammers manipulate their ‘perfect matches’ through continuous online chats and when it comes to meeting in person, they use dirty tricks to force the so-called partner to send a certain amount of money. In the last two years, the FTC and the FBI repeatedly received reports of such scams originating not only from dating sites but also from social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.

    Cryptocurrency Investment Scams 

    Furthermore, 2021 also saw a new kind of romance scam that involved fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. According to data from the Federal Trade Commission, dating app users who got tricked by these scams reportedly lost a total of $139 million in 2021, which was more than the losses through other payment methods. On average, a dating app user lost around $10,000. That being said, the most common scam reports (about a quarter of the reported scams in 2021) involved romance scams that sent money through gift cards as a payment method. 

    Regulations for Online Dating Services 

    Regulatory bodies across the globe have taken steps to regulate online dating service providers in order to secure the identities and accounts of users. In the US, regulations for online dating services date back to 2005, when the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) laid out the fundamental obligations for international dating sites. These specific obligations included requirements of background checks that verified whether a user is married and the information was sent to the user they are trying to connect with. 

    Furthermore, 2008 saw the passing of a law by the state of New Jersey which required dating platforms to report whether the necessary background checks were implemented. One such dating platform at the time, namely True.com, was the first to incorporate background screening systems for online dating.

    When it comes to China, a country where transnational matchmaking is illegal, online dating sites like Jiayan.com had crossed 100 million users in its first 10 years. It seems that regardless of the law, people actively try to find ways and pursue online dating apps to communicate and connect with the opposite gender. On the other hand, Singapore’s government itself acts as a matchmaker for quite some time. The country’s Social Development Network has been actively helping citizens interact for decades. As a result, only 4% of Singapore’s citizens have ever used a dating app. 

    In the UK, industry members set up the Online Dating Association (ODA) in 2013, with the aim to take collective responsibility for securing online dating platforms. The industry agreed to self-regulate and laid down a Code of Practice for online dating sites. George Kidd, the Director and Chief Executive of the ODA, stated that “the industry did not just want to rely on the State to provide regulation and protection in relation to trading practices, privacy matters and the safety of users.”

    WP-Banner Feb 11, 2022-01

    IDV Solutions in Securing the Online Dating Environment

    Identity verification solutions can be used to secure online dating apps and social media platforms. By verifying the identity of their users, dating service providers can significantly reduce fraud and the subsequent losses that fraud victims have to face. Incorporating identity verification as a standard practice proves beneficial for dating platforms as they are able to restrict the use of fake or stolen images from the internet. 

    Requiring an original government-issued ID document for registering at online dating platforms automatically eliminates any chances of romance scammers getting access to the platform. Furthermore, the presence of an identity verification mechanism in online dating platforms provides assurance to the users that they are safe and are meeting real people.

    What Shufti Offers

    With numerous losses due to ongoing scams targeting the online dating industry, preventive measures are inevitable. Individuals that get manipulated while searching for their match through a specific dating app are eventually discouraged and forced to quit using that app. However, Shufti’s robust identity verification solution enables both the users and the dating platforms to eliminate fraud by authenticating every person that registers through the app. In this way, the chances of users getting tricked by romance scams can be significantly reduced and online dating can be made a fraud-free activity.

    Want to learn more about online identity verification for your online platform?

    Related Posts

    Blog

    Top 10 Forged ID Documents on the Dark Web in 2023

    As criminal activity increases every year, the massive amounts of data being uploaded to the inte...

    Top 10 Forged ID Documents on the Dark Web in 2023 Explore More

    Blog

    What is Biometric Consent Authentication?

    Biometric Consent Authentication is a modernistic approach to counter the increasing number of id...

    What is Biometric Consent Authentication? Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Business Technology, Financial Crime / AML, Identity & KYC

    AML Compliance in EU Member States and Risks of Businesses

    Making regulations is just the first step, the true game starts when it comes to implementation, ...

    AML Compliance in EU Member States and Risks of Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Verification – The Need for Customer Due Diligence in Co-Working Spaces

    The development of coworking platforms has led to a business transformation that brings security ...

    KYC Verification – The Need for Customer Due Diligence in Co-Working Spaces Explore More

    Blog

    Top 5 Industries that AI will Transform in 2021

    Artificial intelligence is becoming a comprehensive and encyclopedic term to describe any innovat...

    Top 5 Industries that AI will Transform in 2021 Explore More

    Blog

    Synthetic Identity – A New Form of Identity Fraud for 2019?

    Synthetic identity fraud (SIF) is a comparatively new form of identity theft that has gripped the...

    Synthetic Identity – A New Form of Identity Fraud for 2019? Explore More

    Blog

    Customer Risk Assessment: Strengthening Security in the Digital Age

    Business partners, vendors, and third parties play essential roles in daily operations, contribut...

    Customer Risk Assessment: Strengthening Security in the Digital Age Explore More

    Blog

    Top KYC Compliance Laws to Follow in 2023

    The rising number of scams has put a dent in the financial sector’s reputation. More than t...

    Top KYC Compliance Laws to Follow in 2023 Explore More

    Blog

    Digital Identity checks for secure and swift customer onboarding

    The digital transformation of businesses continues apace, driven in part by regulations that mand...

    Digital Identity checks for secure and swift customer onboarding Explore More

    Blog

    Keeping AI Bias Out of the IDV Game with Shufti

    Consider this: 85% of financial institutions today use some form of AI in their products. The tec...

    Keeping AI Bias Out of the IDV Game with Shufti Explore More

    Blog

    Facial Recognition Technology Pioneered at Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020

    Facial recognition has grown by leaps and bounds with the arrival of the sophisticated pattern-ma...

    Facial Recognition Technology Pioneered at Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Explore More

    Blog

    Supplementing blockchain with KYC offers endless possibilities

    While you may be tempted to think that decentralized and anonymous blockchains are safe because t...

    Supplementing blockchain with KYC offers endless possibilities Explore More

    Blog

    NFT Trading and Money Laundering – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps Combat Financial Crimes

    With revolutionary technologies and growing digitization, the digital version of artworks known a...

    NFT Trading and Money Laundering – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps Combat Financial Crimes Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Identity & KYC

    Winter is Coming: With a Storm of KYC and AML Regulations

    The ever-evolving regulations are creating challenges and complexities for the financial institut...

    Winter is Coming: With a Storm of KYC and AML Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    Louisiana Age Verification Compliance Updates 2024

     Age verification is crucial for online tasks like purchases and communication. The inte...

    Louisiana Age Verification Compliance Updates 2024 Explore More

    Blog

    Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Solutions – Ensuring Responsible Gambling and Data Protection

    Like other industries, the gambling industry is also becoming a prime target of criminals. Howeve...

    Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Solutions – Ensuring Responsible Gambling and Data Protection Explore More

    Blog

    Customer Identification Programme (CIP) vs Know Your Customer (KYC) | What’s the Difference?

     Often, people confuse CIP and KYC and think both are the same. Customer Identification ...

    Customer Identification Programme (CIP) vs Know Your Customer (KYC) | What’s the Difference? Explore More

    Blog

    Enhancing the Effectiveness of KYC Checks with Shufti’s Forensic Document Verification

    With emerging technologies and rapid digitization, identity fraud has become quite common, raisin...

    Enhancing the Effectiveness of KYC Checks with Shufti’s Forensic Document Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Digital customer onboarding – Revamping onboarding process in banks

    The first impression is what counts most when it comes to customer-oriented services. Banks and f...

    Digital customer onboarding – Revamping onboarding process in banks Explore More

    Blog

    Document Authentication | Streamlining Onboarding, Compliance & Fraud Prevention

    Before the world experienced digitisation due to the advent of smartphones, fast-speed internet, ...

    Document Authentication | Streamlining Onboarding, Compliance & Fraud Prevention Explore More

    Blog

    5 Ways how IDV Provides an Active Defense Against Fincrime

    Identity theft, account takeovers, and data breaches… The world has seen enough cybercrime ...

    5 Ways how IDV Provides an Active Defense Against Fincrime Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    How Brexit Impacts UK-based Identity Verification Companies?

    Brexit and its ramifications for the UK seem to be the only topic that anyone is interested in Br...

    How Brexit Impacts UK-based Identity Verification Companies? Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Why Real Estate is an Easy Target for Money Launderers

    The strong link between money laundering and the real estate industry is becoming a global concer...

    AML Screening – Why Real Estate is an Easy Target for Money Launderers Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology, Identity & KYC

    6 Digital Solutions for Banks to Help with KYC

    Digital KYC: For banks, streamlining the customer onboarding is essential. The manual way of ente...

    6 Digital Solutions for Banks to Help with KYC Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance – Eliminating Financial Crimes in FinTech Firms

    The FinTech industry is growing rapidly across various sectors with investments and large-scale a...

    AML Compliance – Eliminating Financial Crimes in FinTech Firms Explore More

    Blog

    Merchant Onboarding – Evaluating the Best Practices to Onboard Risk-free Partners

    Partnering with the right people who can actually help your business grow is quite a tedious task...

    Merchant Onboarding – Evaluating the Best Practices to Onboard Risk-free Partners Explore More

    Blog

    Post COVID-19 – What are the alternatives to fingerprint biometrics for identity verification?

    The way things are headed, there is no doubt about the fact that the world will be a different pl...

    Post COVID-19 – What are the alternatives to fingerprint biometrics for identity verification? Explore More

    Blog

    The Advantages of Know Your Business (KYB)

    Know Your Business (KYB) policies are a recent innovation in the field of fraud prevention. Since...

    The Advantages of Know Your Business (KYB) Explore More

    Blog

    FATF’s June 2021 Plenary – Strategic and Country-specific Initiatives

    The fourth plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) took place from June 20-25 t...

    FATF’s June 2021 Plenary – Strategic and Country-specific Initiatives Explore More

    Blog

    Video-KYC – The ‘New Normal’ for Digital Customer Verification

    The KYC requirements all over the world are getting stringent. ID document verification is a norm...

    Video-KYC – The ‘New Normal’ for Digital Customer Verification Explore More

    Blog

    The Rising Concern of Financial Crimes in the Metaverse – AML Screening as a Solution

    The digital world is evolving at a greater pace than ever before. The Metaverse is considered a d...

    The Rising Concern of Financial Crimes in the Metaverse – AML Screening as a Solution Explore More

    Blog

    Prevailing Identity Fraud in Telecom Sector – How Shufti Can Reduce the Risks

    The telecommunication industry holds significance for the information sector as it is primary inf...

    Prevailing Identity Fraud in Telecom Sector – How Shufti Can Reduce the Risks Explore More

    Blog

    Employee Verification – First Line of Defence Against Corporate Fraud

    One day you wake up to the fact that the employee you’ve been trusting for years has been embezzl...

    Employee Verification – First Line of Defence Against Corporate Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    Leveling Up Identity Verification To Meet This Moment

    Companies around the world contend with two digital identity challenges that seem mutually exclus...

    Leveling Up Identity Verification To Meet This Moment Explore More

    Blog

    New KYC Regime for the UK, US, and Australia – What’s in it for Financial Institutions?

    Financial institutions are known for getting their reputation maligned due to crimes like identit...

    New KYC Regime for the UK, US, and Australia – What’s in it for Financial Institutions? Explore More

    Blog

    Gambling Compliance or Data Protection? The Puzzle is Solved!

    The evolving regulations for the gambling industry are likely to increase compliance challenges i...

    Gambling Compliance or Data Protection? The Puzzle is Solved! Explore More

    Blog

    AI-Powered OCR to Combat Challenges During Manual Data Processing

    Every industry has to deal with tons of customer data on a daily basis. Receiving information, ex...

    AI-Powered OCR to Combat Challenges During Manual Data Processing Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Identity & KYC

    Know Your Business-Pillar of Strength To AML Regulations

    Moving in the world of technology, where every industry is going digital, there has been very les...

    Know Your Business-Pillar of Strength  To  AML Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    The Crucial Role of Know Your Customer (KYC) in Gaming

    The gaming sector has grown exponentially since the first arcade games of the 70s. Surpassing mus...

    The Crucial Role of Know Your Customer (KYC) in Gaming Explore More

    Blog

    Enhance Time Efficiency with Shufti’s KYC Solution

    The Past Quick and secure e-KYC verification might not have been of importance in the days prior ...

    Enhance Time Efficiency with Shufti’s KYC Solution Explore More

    Blog

    Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Solution- Eradicating Money laundering and Securing Ride-Hailing Services

    Due to the coronavirus global pandemic, the ride-hailing sector continue to grapple. As per new e...

    Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Solution- Eradicating Money laundering and Securing Ride-Hailing Services Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti Turns Three – A journey of building trust globally

    October 31, 2020, marks the third anniversary of Shufti and three successful years of buildin...

    Shufti Turns Three – A journey of  building trust globally Explore More

    Blog

    COVID-19 pandemic turning into a financial crime threat

    A few months back when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus a “pandemic” it l...

    COVID-19 pandemic turning into a financial crime threat Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Customer (KYC) vs Customer Due Diligence (CDD): What’s the Difference?

     Ensuring robust identity verification processes is necessary with the ever-increasing n...

    Know Your Customer (KYC) vs Customer Due Diligence (CDD): What’s the Difference? Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    The Importance of Know Your Customer for Crowd Funding and ID Verification Service

    In today’s world where most business and financial transactions are taking place online, the impo...

    The Importance of Know Your Customer for Crowd Funding and ID Verification Service Explore More

    Blog

    How FinTech can Leverage on FINMA Blockchain Initiative?

    Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has taken a revolutionary step in the histo...

    How FinTech can Leverage on FINMA Blockchain Initiative? Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Checks in Crypto | A Key to Secure Digital Assets

    In the last thirteen years, the crypto industry has redefined the financial sector. At the same t...

    KYC Checks in Crypto | A Key to Secure Digital Assets Explore More

    Blog

    Uncovering 5 Holiday Season Scams and How to Avoid them this Year

    ‘Tis the season when the best deals of the year are attracting customers towards online shopping ...

    Uncovering 5 Holiday Season Scams and How to Avoid them this Year Explore More

    Blog

    eKYC: Transforming ID Verification for Enhanced Security and A Seamless Customer Experience

    Governments have mandated various businesses, including financial institutions, to thoroughly und...

    eKYC: Transforming ID Verification for Enhanced Security and A Seamless Customer Experience Explore More

    Blog

    China’s Data Protection and Privacy Laws | 2023 Update

    China has witnessed massive growth in the last few decades. However, the rise of the digital econ...

    China’s Data Protection and Privacy Laws | 2023 Update Explore More

    Blog

    A Guide to Understanding KYC in Banking

    2022 has witnessed a rise in the number of fraudulent cases by 18% compared to 2021, damaging bus...

    A Guide to Understanding KYC in Banking Explore More

    Blog

    FATF’s High-Risk Jurisdictions [2022 Update] – How Business Can Comply

    Paris-based global watchdog FATF (Financial Action Task Force) maintains lists of countries that ...

    FATF’s High-Risk Jurisdictions [2022 Update] – How Business Can Comply Explore More

    Blog

    Protecting eCommerce Platforms and Mitigating Crime Risks with Shufti’s IDV Solution

    The term e-commerce was tossed back in the 1960s, with the rise of electronic commerce in which t...

    Protecting eCommerce Platforms and Mitigating Crime Risks with Shufti’s IDV Solution Explore More

    Blog

    Adverse Media Screening Requirements and Why Do FIs Need It?

    The financial services industry is under a lot of regulatory requirements recently, and for all t...

    Adverse Media Screening Requirements and Why Do FIs Need It? Explore More

    Blog

    10 High-Risk Jurisdictions for Money Laundering According to FATF

    Innovations like stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) created quite the hype in the past ye...

    10 High-Risk Jurisdictions for Money Laundering According to FATF Explore More

    Blog

    Customer Risk Assessment: Strengthening Security in the Digital Age

    Business partners, vendors, and third parties play essential roles in daily operations, contribut...

    Customer Risk Assessment: Strengthening Security in the Digital Age Explore More

    Blog

    Politically Exposed Person – An unsaid threat to Businesses

    A politically exposed person or PEP is the one who has been assigned to perform prominent public ...

    Politically Exposed Person – An unsaid threat to Businesses Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Digital ID Verification

      The Current Situation Digital ID Verification is the key to securing your business in thes...

    Digital ID Verification Explore More

    Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Fraud Prevention

    The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future Of Financial Fraud Detection

    Until a few years ago Artificial Intelligence seemed like a thing from sci-fi movies. The whole c...

    The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future Of Financial Fraud Detection Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Donor (KYD) – Eradicating Financial Crimes in NPOs and Charity Organizations

    In 2020, US citizens alone donated more than $471 billion to charities. This generosity ultimatel...

    Know Your Donor (KYD) – Eradicating Financial Crimes in NPOs and Charity Organizations Explore More

    Blog

    Language Barrier? Challenge Accepted!

    Language Barrier? Challenge Accepted! Explore More

    Blog

    Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Forex Trading: Insights from Hachem Rifai

    The foreign exchange (Forex) market stands apart as the largest and most liquid financial market ...

    Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Forex Trading: Insights from Hachem Rifai Explore More

    Blog

    5 Effective Ways Shufti Combats First-party Fraud

    After analysing fraud incidents of the previous year and the current one, we observed an interest...

    5 Effective Ways Shufti Combats First-party Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    Difference between KYC and AML

    The growing Fintech industry leads to an increased demand for KYC and AML compliance requirements...

    Difference between KYC and AML Explore More

    Blog

    COVID Verification of Tourists: Is the Hospitality Sector Doing Much?

    COVID-19 has been a big hassle for everyone except for those who adopted the new normal quickly. ...

    COVID Verification of Tourists: Is the Hospitality Sector Doing Much? Explore More

    Blog

    Fighting Deepfakes with Fool-Proofed Identity Verification Systems: How Shufti Can Help

    Undoubtedly, 21st century is the most innovative time period in human history. With every passing...

    Fighting Deepfakes with Fool-Proofed Identity Verification Systems: How Shufti Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Fighting Financial Crimes and Securing Gambling Services with Shufti’s AML Screening Solution

    Historically, the measures to curb money laundering and terrorist financing had only been only im...

    Fighting Financial Crimes and Securing Gambling Services with Shufti’s AML Screening Solution Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Verification – Fraud Prevention in FinTech & the Payments Industry

    The growth of the online payment industry and FinTech companies comes with a simultaneous increas...

    KYC Verification – Fraud Prevention in FinTech & the Payments Industry Explore More

    Blog

    Common Types of BNPL Fraud and the Role of KYC/AML Regulations

    The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services are growing rapidly. 42% of credit customers are interested...

    Common Types of BNPL Fraud and the Role of KYC/AML Regulations Explore More

    Blog, Financial Crime / AML

    Global AML Regimes – Tightening Reins on Money Launderers

    Money laundering is a global menace. Money laundering and terrorist financing are the major targe...

    Global AML Regimes – Tightening Reins on Money Launderers Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Identity & KYC

    Know Your Business-Pillar of Strength To AML Regulations

    Moving in the world of technology, where every industry is going digital, there has been very les...

    Know Your Business-Pillar of Strength  To  AML Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    What To Consider When Implementing Forensic Document Verification Services

    As the demand for digital products and services has skyrocketed, so does the need for verificatio...

    What To Consider When Implementing Forensic Document Verification Services Explore More

    Take the next steps to better security.

    Contact us

    Get in touch with our experts. We'll help you find the perfect solution for your compliance and security needs.

    Contact us

    Request demo

    Get free access to our platform and try our products today.

    Get started