PrivatBank has launched a new technology in Ukraine for online verification of transactions by means of selfie or by entering PIN-code of a card. This method of customer verification via the Internet is used when the bank needs additional approval from a customer that this transaction is made actually by him/her (i.e. there are suspicions of fraud or there is a risky payment).
“Previously a customer had to contact the bank by phone to confirm a risky payment in case our security system requested an additional client’s verification,” – says Oleksander Sokolovskyi, Head of the Fraud Management Department. – “Now our Privat24 will ask a customer to confirm the payment with a selfie made with smart phones’ or PC camera or by entering the PIN-code of the card. It is convenient, especially if a customer is on vacation or abroad, fast and provides the particular security of the payments.”
Using selfie-verification the bank’s security system compares a received selfie with customer’s photos within the bank’s database. The system accurately distinguishes the real customer’s photos from fake ones. Also the huge popularity of selfies among users enables not only authenticating customers in a convenient and pleasant way for them, but also to hold selfie-contests among PrivatBank’s customers in the future, of course, with their consent.