Sumsub Unveils Industry-First Deepfake Detection in Video Identification

Sumsub, a global full-cycle verification platform, has launched an industry-first Deepfake Detection feature integrated into its Video Identification solution. This comes as AI-powered fraud increasingly targets businesses, not just individual users.

Sumsub’s 2023 Identity Fraud Report revealed a 10x increase in the number of deepfakes detected globally across all industries from 2022 to 2023, with crypto and fintech jointly constituting 96% of these cases. Deepfake incidents in the fintech sector increased by 700% in 2023 compared to the previous year, underscoring the importance of ensuring malicious actors are screened out during verification processes.

Sumsub’s Deepfake Detection feature represents a significant leap forward in combating AI-driven identity fraud, particularly as fraud tactics become increasingly sophisticated. In the last year, Sumsub carried out over a million video identity checks for firms, securely verifying their clients’ end-users. Along the way, Sumsub’s AI and ML team noticed a pattern in video verification interviews being susceptible to deepfake attacks, and therefore decided to reinforce its existing Video Identification solution with the Deepfake Detection feature.

This follows the launch of Sumsub’s enhanced Deepfake Detection Solution, embedded in its in-house Liveness product. Unlike methods that focus on detecting deepfakes within static images or recorded videos, Sumsub’s new solution operates in real-time during video interviews, further securing the identification process. The enhanced deepfake detection technology is designed to identify and thwart fraudsters attempting to manipulate real-time video interviews for malicious purposes.

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Video identity verification is mandatory in a number of jurisdictions, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Estonia. However, it can also be used as a reputable last resort for user verification in most markets, when businesses want to assure an additional layer of security during onboarding. Therefore, it’s crucial firms can detect deepfakes throughout this process.

Deepfake videos can be used by scammers to manipulate victims, as recently seen in Hong Kong, where a multinational company lost US$25.6 million (HK$200 million) due to an employee being deceived by a digitally created version of a company executive during a video conference call.

“AI technology and its risks aren’t new, and we’ve spent many years developing deepfake detection tools long before they were thrust into the mainstream. As AI technologies advance, so do the tools available to fraudsters. Unfortunately, cases like these will continue to occur, making our first-of-its-kind solution that embeds deepfake detection into real-time video identification so imperative for the security of businesses and consumers alike,” said Andrew Novoselsky, Chief Product Officer at Sumsub. 

“We’re frequently seeing increasing demand from our clients to carry out video interviews, so we understand the importance of ensuring these are completely secure. Video Identification is often viewed as the ultimate defense against fraud during onboarding, but as deepfake technology evolves, trusting our eyes during live video is no longer foolproof. To address this, we’re actively enhancing our detection capabilities. As deepfakes continue to impact business operations, as well as everyday individuals, we are committed to working continuously to expand our detection capabilities to protect firms and their clients,” added Pavel Goldman-Kalaydin, Head of AI & ML at Sumsub.

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