Safe Citizen is altering the narrative within the struggle in opposition to fraud. Fraud, id theft, and impersonation are three of essentially the most important dangers South Africans face in an already annoying atmosphere attributable to the nation’s power disaster, a rising value of residing/unemployment disaster, and fixed information about political instability. Dalene Deale, Government Head of Safe Citizen, factors out that the desperation South Africans face every day has made them prime targets for fraudsters. “Sadly, human beings solely have one emotional bucket, which may be quickly depleted when coping with fraud, id theft, and impersonation. Resolving the problem turns into all-consuming as they face an uphill battle to reclaim what’s rightfully theirs,” says Deale.
The reward that retains on giving
Deale recounts her private ordeal coping with a case of stolen id. When Deale wished to improve her daughter’s cellphone as a shock birthday current, the consultant advised Deale that the account had already been upgraded at Cavendish Sq. in Cape City per week earlier. “I denied this and requested them to indicate me the upgrade-related paperwork I supposedly accomplished when upgrading the machine. I didn’t even stay in Cape City on the time, and there I used to be, taking a look at an image of the one who stole my id. What transpired after this discovery was surprising. That they had stolen my ID quantity and my financial institution accounts. As well as, that they had carried out two upgrades underneath my title and opened a number of clothes accounts the place they spent some huge cash,” says Deale.
She mentioned that each time a vendor chased her for cash she didn’t spend, she needed to bodily go to a police station and open one other case of theft. “That is traumatic for any individual to cope with. We have to grow to be proactive when combating fraud,” says Deale.
Enhanced safety for people
The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) and different trade stakeholders have been working laborious to develop Safe Citizen. This platform might be a game-changer for fraud prevention.
Safe Citizen is a platform accessed by way of the Web or a cellular app whereby people can create an official on-line persona. By doing this, a person is ready to safe their id. “Our analysis reveals that id theft has grown by greater than 300% over the previous 12 months. That is regarding and highlights the necessity for Safe Citizen to supply safety for people. As well as, the truth that it is a free service makes it very attractive,” says Manie van Schalkwyk, CEO of the SAFPS.
“When a person registers with Safe Citizen, step one includes verifying their facial biometrics in opposition to the Division of Residence Affairs. Safe Citizen makes certain it’s coping with the appropriate individual. The straightforward act of claiming your id, particularly as a earlier sufferer of id theft, added immense worth to me personally. Safe Citizen makes use of biometric identifiers which are distinctive to that particular person. The method allows residents to create a digital id that they’ll safe and handle. This permits the person to basically change how firms confirm them once they interact in transactions the place private info is shared. Concurrently, the person will obtain alerts when their id is being verified by Safe Citizen. Many well-known manufacturers are main the cost on this proactive fraud prevention answer. Safe Citizen is partaking the non-public and public sectors every day to drive digital id interoperability,” says Deale.
She added that that is free to shoppers and an important step within the struggle in opposition to fraud, as all measures up to now had been reactive. “By then, the injury is completed,” factors out Deale.
A hotbed of fraud
Safe Citizen is just not solely altering the sport concerning people interacting with firms. There are additionally important advantages when people work together with one another. Statistics from the SAFPS level out that on-line third-party retail platforms (resembling Fb Market) are hotbeds concerning fraud. But, these platforms will solely develop sooner or later. Fb and Fb Market entice over 2.91 billion customers month-to-month, round 35% of the world’s inhabitants. As well as, $26 billion in gross income was made on Fb Market in 2021 (a rise of 48% from 2020). Different statistics point out that South Africa’s e-commerce sector will solely develop and might be price over R400 billion by 2025, most of which is able to happen on platforms resembling Fb Market.
“We have to change the narrative on these platforms. Sooner or later, a person will be capable to confirm the id of a vendor by Safe Citizen. If the knowledge doesn’t match up, the transaction may be canceled,” says Deale.
She provides that Safe Citizen even permits people to confirm the id of different residents you enable into your private area, resembling electricians, nannies, or plumbers, with out sharing delicate info. If each people have biometrically verified in opposition to the Division of Residence Affairs, Safe Citizen helps facilitate person-to-person verification. This could even cut back the danger of on-line courting.
Proudly owning your information
One of many issues that many voters have is once they provide firms with private information, is it saved safely and securely?
“It is very important word that the person owns their biometric information. Safe Citizen doesn’t personal it, nor does SAFPS or any firms registered with Safe Citizen. The Safety of Personal Info Act (POPIA) clearly states that non-public info stays the person’s property. By means of Safe Citizen, people may also be capable to take accountability to make sure that their info on the Division of Residence Affairs is appropriate with no need so as to add load to the Division of Residence Affairs name heart,” says Deale.
Firms have been accumulating private information up to now, resembling ID numbers. Nonetheless, there was at all times the prospect that this is able to be offered to the very best bidder. The gathering and storage of non-public information modified with the enactment of POPIA.
The person is the precise id holder. Safe Citizen is attempting to shut that hole between residents and the companies which are required to be regulatory compliant (when it comes to POPIA). Sooner or later, Safe Citizen will make sure that firms can confirm they’re coping with the appropriate individual, and people can play an lively function in altering how fraudsters exploit their info. “Once we shut that hole, we’re eradicating friction from the patron and creating friction for the fraudster,” says Deale.
Safe Citizen is now accessible by www.securecitizen.app or the cellular app, which is at the moment accessible on the Google Play Retailer and Apple App Retailer platforms.
By: Lola Lazarus
