Customer fraud protection products for banks and credit unions

Before answering these questions, we need to first provide a little background on biometrics.  The term “biometrics” generally refers to the measurement and analysis of unique biological or behavioral characteristics.  The use of biometric technologies is increasingly associated with identity verification, with many companies now using biometrics such as fingerprints, voiceprints, and facial recognition to help confirm the identities of their customers.

So, what exactly is a voiceprint?  A voiceprint is a digital model of the unique vocal characteristics of an individual.  Voiceprints are created by specialized computer programs which process speech samples, typically in WAV format.  The creation of a voiceprint is often referred to as “enrollment” in a biometric system.  There are two general approaches to the creation and use of voiceprints.

At PAYMENTS 2019 this week, ACH Alert joined bankers Kim Dodson, CTP, Vice President of Treasury Management at Independence Bank, and Don Youngberg, AAP, Assistant Vice President of Business Services of Mountain America Credit Union, during the panel, “Going Beyond Visibility and Taking Action on Transactions.”

In this session, they discussed how financial institutions can enhance their fraud prevention strategy by empowering customers to detect and respond to suspicious activity before the funds leave their account – a critical area that should be top of mind for financial institutions.

Taking Action to Prevent Fraud

Currently, online banking systems offer visibility for transactions, but they do not allow account holders to take action and protect themselves against suspicious activity. In today’s digital-first world, there is a critical need for banks and credit unions to empower their customers and members to respond to potentially fraudulent activity before it happens.

The likelihood of fraud is rising in correlation with the consistent advancement of technology. In fact, according to Javelin’s 2018 Identity Fraud Report, there was a 6.64 percent increase in identity fraud in 2017. But for today’s tech-savvy consumers, these advancements open new opportunities and features that benefit them. It also, however, brings worry for businesses.

As technology evolves and new concepts come into play, such as AI, businesses can actually utilize these new tools to their advantage. Even as fraudsters push forward, financial institutions can protect themselves by enhancing the capabilities of their digital banking offerings with actionable fraud prevention tools, including voice biometrics. 

Much like a fingerprint, an individual’s voice is extremely detailed, unique and difficult to alter or imitate. As we move towards a cashless and digitally driven world, we are faced with new risks that require new innovations in security – such as the use of voice biometrics.  Banks and credit unions have tapped into biometric authentication as part of a layered security measure to help combat rising risk concerns, with many more expected to move in that direction. According to recent analysis from Goode Intelligence, it is predicted that 1.9 billion bank customers will regularly use biometric interfaces by 2020.

As new advancements enter the market, myths also rise to criticize the new technology that holds the potential of becoming the norm. Many myths have circled around voice biometrics and how it could be more of a security risk rather than a security solution.

There are three particular myths that are fair questions to the idea of voice biometrics but are discredited when you dig a little deeper. The facts of voice biometrics clearly denounce the myths.