Veriff Voices

Welcome to the Veriff Voices Deepfakes Series.

If you still picture a fraudster as a bored teenager in a basement, it's time to update your threat model. Today's fraud rings are well-funded, highly organized corporate enterprises. And thanks to generative AI, the broken grammar and clumsy emails that used to give them away are officially gone.

This episode jumps straight into the conversation, so let us set the stage: In episode three of our Deepfakes Series, host Anisah Osman Britton sits down with US tax attorney, author, and Taxgirl creator Kelly Phillips Erb to decode the business of modern fraud. Erb spends her days on both sides of the identity crisis: representing clients who have lost everything to sophisticated schemes, and writing about the criminal networks that catch them.

From the weaponization of manufactured urgency to the underground pipeline of stolen medical data, Erb explains why our traditional defenses against scams are failing, and how to build better friction to protect ourselves and our users. Let's get into it.

[00:00] Introduction: meet tax attorney Kelly Phillips Erb [04:14] The basement hacker myth vs. organized crime[07:27] Why arguing with scammers makes you a target [09:07] The identity supply chain and medical record theft[14:05] The double scam: when the "fix" is the fraud [15:20] Manufactured urgency and the rise of corporate job scams [20:11] Who oganized fraud rings target and why [23:39] Practical defense: slowing down and creating friction [29:45] Victim shaming and the role of the media [35:25] The future of the AI fraud economy

Read our blog about this conversation: https://www.veriff.com/podcasts/deepfakes-series-business-of-fraud

Produced by Any other Business.

Have you ever wondered what happens to digital identity when the entities interacting on your platform are no longer humans, completely altering how we establish online trust? In this second episode of our deepfake series, host Anisah speaks to government technology specialist Luukas Ilves and Veriff's Hubert Behaghel about the rapid rise of autonomous AI agents and the dawn of the agentic economy. From exploring the hidden security vulnerabilities of unmanaged digital assistants to unpacking why traditional, circumstantial identity signals fail entirely against advanced deepfakes, this conversation demystifies the fast-moving landscape of automated tech. They offer unique insights on the critical necessity of a pervasive trust infrastructure, the mechanics of limited digital delegation, and how both public and private sectors can successfully scale automation while keeping human accountability firmly at the center of the experience. Produced by Any other Business.

[02:07] The catalyst for writing the report [04:26] The urgency of government transformation [05:58] Identity verification in the age of AI [08:03] The pull factors of government transformation [11:15] Estonia's digital transformation as a model [14:28] The importance of ecosystem and sovereignty [18:51] Strategies for effective transformation [22:25] Navigating technical and non-technical divide [25:22] Security risks in AI and agentic systems [27:46] Government's role in AI development [31:18] The importance of identity in AI interactions [39:05] Establishing guardrails for agentic AI

Read Luukas Ilves's Agentic State paper on how agentic AI will transform government and defines the contours of the Agentic State.

For key takeaways from Luukas and Hubert's conversation, read our blog. Get Veriff's Deepfakes report to find out detection accuracy rates, gender differences in spotting fakes, and AI-powered defense strategies.

Have you ever wondered what modern digital fraud actually looks like behind the scenes, especially when navigating the online world of dating?

In this first episode of our deepfake series, host Anisah speaks to Veriff team members Ira and Geo about their work in both recognizing deepfakes and fraud and combating it. From exploring people's experiences having been catfished to unpacking the escalating threats of AI-powered impersonation, this conversation sets the scene on what fraud actually is and offers actionable advice on the ways we think that we can protect ourselves moving forward.

[01:29] The four levels of fraud [04:41] Inside organized fraud [06:33] Demystifying the dark web [09:29] Fraud-as-a-service [11:15] The AI arms race [15:58] The dating app dilemma [19:12] The "claim to be" problem [22:52] Catching the unseen

Read more on our blog and get the Deepfakes Report to find out detection accuracy rates, gender differences in spotting fakes, and AI-powered defense strategies.

How can crypto go mainstream without sacrificing its core values of openness and decentralization? Sean Li, Co-Founder of Magic Labs, reveals how the industry is moving beyond the "wild west" era and into a future of verifiable, on-chain trust.

[00:17] Introduction [01:03] Sean's journey in the developer tools space [03:21] The role of KYC in blockchain businesses [06:01] Challenges of KYC and user experience [10:16] The importance of compliance in building trust [12:49] Integrating Veriff with Newton Protocol [17:04] The future of on-chain risk management [21:22] Irreversibility of transactions and identity verification [24:44] On-chain vs off-chain KYC risks [27:12] Technical aspects of Proof of Address [31:30] Balancing compliance and privacy [34:36] The future of on-chain compliance solutions

Peer-to-peer mobility platforms rely on one critical ingredient: trust. Adriana Cespedes, Founder of Ventu, joins Veriff Voices to discuss how identity verification helps protect car owners, prevent fraud, and create safer experiences for travelers in Costa Rica's growing mobility marketplace.

[00:17] Introduction[02:21] Building trust in car rentals [06:03] Trends in vehicle hire and mobility industry [09:15] Regulatory environment for car hire companies [11:09] Customer verification challenges [14:01] Partnership with Veriff [17:45] Integration process with Veriff [20:10] Real-world performance of Veriff [24:50] Impact on fraud prevention [27:27] Customer experience and trust [31:04] Future of identity verification in mobility [35:36] Growth plans for Ventu

Read the full blog to learn more: https://www.veriff.com/case-studies/mobility-in-costa-rica.

Recent data exposures have revealed a hard truth: while orchestration of the customer trust lifecycle to third party providers can bring convenience, there is a cost that comes with outsourcing trust. In this episode, Veriff CPTO Hubert Behaguel explores what that means for KYC providers, identity supply chains, and the future of digital security.

[00:17] Exploring trust in the digital age [01:47] Understanding data breaches and trust [03:29] The lifecycle of data breaches [07:55] Distinguishing breaches from exposures [10:06] The limitations of KYC measures [12:46] Risks of outsourcing trust [15:46] Diluted accountability in identity models [18:42] The future of trust in digital identity [21:33] Questions for identity verification partners [23:10] Veriff's approach to trust architecture [26:34] Real-time fraud detection strategies [29:20] The future of identity providers Read more: https://www.veriff.com/identity-verification/learn/kyc-accountable-trust-architecture.

Credit reports are often treated as the gold standard, but what if the data cannot always be trusted? Patrick De Suza, Co-Founder and CTO of Grid, helps us explore why only a multi-layered fraud defence can keep your business safe from synthetic identities, credit washing, and manipulated bureau data.

[00:17] Introduction [01:03] Understanding synthetic identities and credit washing [04:17] The impact of data manipulation on credit reporting [06:08] Synthetic identities vs. credit washing [07:22] Challenges in traditional credit models [09:56] Consumer awareness and the risks of data manipulation [11:05] The rise of digital fraud during the pandemic [13:32] The need for data sharing in financial services [18:41] The consequences of inaction in fraud prevention [21:09] Collaboration among lenders, bureaus, and tech providers [24:02] The role of machine learning in fraud detection [27:10] Balancing automation and human oversight in fraud prevention [30:52] Shared responsibility in data integrity [32:48] Envisioning the future of fraud prevention [35:00] The importance of collaboration [38:44] Looking ahead

How do you keep onboarding fast when regulation is strict and fraud keeps evolving? In this episode, Claudia Sikora, Team Lead at BVG Jelbi, shares how Berlin's all-in-one mobility app balances compliance, fraud prevention, and a seamless user experience at scale. From verifying drivers' licenses to adapting to AI-driven fraud, we explore what it really takes to build trust in modern mobility platforms.

[00:17] Introduction [00:47] Claudia Sikora and the Jelbi Journey [02:22] A comprehensive mobility solution [04:25] Partnership with Veriff: compliance and verification [08:55] Balancing security and user experience [13:27] Evolving fraud trends in mobility [17:43] The role of regulation in mobility [20:05] Future of digital identity in mobility [22:05] Advice for new mobility platforms *BVG Jelbi launched in 2019, they will be celebrating their 7th anniversary later this year.

Perpetual KYC (pKYC) is reshaping compliance. In this episode of Veriff Voices, Alex Buckwald from Alloy, joins us to break down why pKYC is replacing periodic reviews, how biometrics fit into the picture, and why a little friction can actually build trust. A practical, honest conversation on fraud, regulation, and designing identity journeys that work for both businesses and customers.

[00:17] Introduction [00:45] Meet Alex, an expert in digital identity [03:25] Understanding perpetual KYC (pKYC) [10:05] The regulatory changes and compliance expectations [12:58] Balancing security and user experience [19:52] The layered approach to identity verification [22:40] The role of AI and automation in pKYC [26:15] Partnerships enhancing pKYC capabilities [30:55] The future of biometrics in financial services [35:45] Implementing pKYC: practical steps for businesses

Fraud now accounts for 43% of all crime in the UK. In this episode of Veriff Voices, Cifas Director Rachael Tiffen breaks down the latest fraud research, exploring AI-driven identity fraud, insider threats, and why cross-sector collaboration is critical to restoring digital trust.

[00:17] Introduction [01:05] What Cifas does and why cross-sector data sharing matters [04:04] Fraudscape explained and why fraud is a national emergency [06:05] Identity fraud as the UK's biggest fraud threat [08:25] Is legislation keeping up with the fraud landscape? [11:48] Companies House reform and mandatory identity verification [14:52] How AI is supercharging fraud [18:00] Deepfakes, voice cloning, and synthetic identities: the human impact of fraud and romance scams [20:33] Selling identities and the rise of money muling [22:44] Why young people are being targeted [25:38] Insider fraud and why it's increasing [29:22] Polygamous working and fake employment histories [32:28] What effective fraud collaboration really looks like