France Leads the Charge in Combating Fraud with New Telco APIs
France’s major mobile operators – Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR – join forces to introduce innovative tools designed to protect online businesses and consumers from a surge in digital fraud. This groundbreaking initiative, spearheaded by the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, marks the first deployment of its kind worldwide.
Protecting Consumers仰 Data in a Digital World
In an increasingly interconnected world, online transactions and digital services have become commonplace. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, France has witnessed a 37% surge in online transactions, with a staggering 2.35 billion euros changing hands in 2023 alone. Notably, 77% of these transactions were conducted via mobile devices, highlighting the growing reliance on mobile technology for financial activities.
This shift towards digital has unfortunately coincided with a parallel rise in online fraud attempts. A worrying 80% of French companies report experiencing online fraud threats, with 45% observing a steep increase in such incidents over the last year. Furthermore, digital identity theft cases have surged by 40% in the past four years, according to the French Interior Ministry, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
KYC Match and SIM Swap: Powerful New Tools Against Fraud
To combat these rising threats, the four leading operators are introducing two new application programmable interfaces (APIs): KYC Match and SIM Swap, both developed and deployed based on the new CAMARA standard that aims to unify specifications for all mobile operators.
“The goal is to provide app developers and companies with the tools they need to combat online fraud and protect the digital identities of their customers,” explains [Quote from a relevant spokesperson].
KYC Match allows online businesses to verify the identity of new customers with ease and accuracy. This API streamlines the know-your-customer process, enhancing user experience while minimizing the risk of fraudulent registrations.
SIM Swap, on the other hand, tackles the growing threat of SIM swapping attacks. By integrating this API, businesses can add an extra layer of protection by verifying the legitimacy of SIM card changes, effectively safeguarding user accounts from unauthorized access.
Early Adoption and Testament to Effectiveness
The APIs have already undergone rigorous testing and are being utilized by several French financial institutions, including BforBank (the online branch of Credit Agricole) and Fortuneo (a subsidiary of Credit Mutuel Arkéa). These institutions have integrated KYC Match to proactively verify new customer identities in collaboration with DQE Software, demonstrating the API’s real-world applicability and efficacy.
More than twenty companies in France have already embraced these Telco APIs, incorporating them into their existing systems to prevent fraud during account takeover attempts and verify customer identities throughout transactions and onboarding processes.
A Global Initiative for a Secure Digital Future
The launch of these APIs marks an important milestone in the GSMA Open Gateway initiative. This global effort aims to simplify the development of digital products that function seamlessly across diverse devices and networks, transcending geographical limitations.
Since its inception, the GSMA Open Gateway initiative has garnered significant momentum, with 67 mobile network groups representing a vast network of 278 networks, covering three-quarters of all mobile connections worldwide. Additionally, 26 sales partners have joined this collaborative movement, highlighting the industry’s commitment to a secure and interconnected digital future.
How does the CAMARA standard contribute to the potential global adoption of these new anti-fraud APIs?
## France Fights Back Against Fraud With New Telco APIs: An Interview
**Interviewer:** Welcome to the show. Today, we’re discussing France’s groundbreaking initiative to combat the rise of online fraud using cutting-edge technology. With me is [Guest Name and Title], an expert on cybersecurity and fraud prevention. [Guest Name], thanks for joining us.
**Guest:** Thank you for having me.
**Interviewer:** France is leading the way globally with this initiative. Can you tell us a bit more about what’s happening?
**Guest:** Absolutely. France’s major mobile operators - Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR – have joined forces to launch two new APIs: KYC Match and SIM Swap.
**Interviewer:** That’s quite a collaboration! What prompted this move?
**Guest:** The surge in online fraud is a serious concern in France and worldwide. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a significant increase in online transactions, but unfortunately, this has also led to a corresponding rise in fraud attempts.
**Interviewer:** The stats are indeed alarming. Can you elaborate on the kind of fraud these APIs are designed to address?
**Guest:** KYC Match helps businesses verify the identity of their new customers quickly and accurately, making it harder for fraudsters to create fake accounts. This streamlines the “know your customer” process without compromising user experience. SIM Swap, on the other hand, addresses the growing problem of SIM-swapping, where fraudsters gain control of a person’s phone number to access sensitive accounts.
**Interviewer:** These sound like powerful tools. How unique is this approach?
**Guest:** What’s truly innovative is that these APIs are built on the new CAMARA standard, which aims to standardize specifications across all mobile operators. This means other countries could easily adopt and utilize this technology, potentially leading to a global effort in combating online fraud. [[1](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/vonage-fraud-protection-for-defense-in-depth-through-telecom-apis-as-a-service-on-aws/)]
**Interviewer:** This collaborative approach seems to be a game-changer. What’s next for this initiative?
**Guest:** The hope is that other countries will follow France’s lead and embrace these new APIs. The more widespread the adoption, the more effective we can be in protecting individuals and businesses from the ever-growing threat of online fraud.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, [Guest Name], for shedding light on this important development. This seems to be a promising step in the fight against online fraud, and we hope to see it implemented globally.
