Cellular

French Telecom Giants Team Up to Tackle Online Fraud with Cutting-Edge Technology

French mobile giants Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR are leading the charge against online fraud and digital identity theft in a groundbreaking initiative. Harnessing the power of the GSMA Open GatewayFramework, these industry leaders are making powerful new tools available to businesses and developers globally.

The initiative centers around two key application-programmed interfaces (APIs): KYC Match and SIM Swap. KYC Match allows online businesses to quickly and reliably verify the identity of new customers, while SIM Swap combats fraudulent attempts to take over customer accounts by switching SIM cards. These APIs adhere to the CAMERA standardization, ensuring interoperability across all major mobile operators.

France stands as a pioneer in adopting these innovative tools. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, online transactions in France have surged by 37%, with a staggering 77% of these transactions conducted on mobile devices. This digital boom has unfortunately been accompanied by a worrying rise in online fraud attempts, with 80% of French companies reporting such incidents and 45% experiencing an increase in the past year alone.

The French Ministry of the Interior has reported a 40% increase in digital identity theft cases over the past four years. Recognizing the urgent need to combat this threat, the collaboration between these four leading telecom providers offers a robust and proactive solution.

These APIs have already proven their effectiveness in the field. Financial institutions such as BforBank (Credit Agricole’s online branch) and Fortuneo (a subsidiary of Credit Mutuel Arkéa) are utilizing KYC Match to verify customer identities efficiently and securely. "New purchases are confirmed in collaboration with DQE Software, thoroughly tested," a spokesperson for Fortuneo shared.

Beyond initial authentication, over twenty companies in France are leveraging these Telco APIs to prevent account takeovers and enhance security during transactions and onboarding procedures.

The reach of this initiative extends far beyond French borders. The GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative is fostering a global ecosystem, connecting mobile network operators worldwide and simplifying the development of digital products that work seamlessly across devices and networks, regardless of location. To date, 67 mobile network organizations, representing a staggering 278 networks and three-quarters of global mobile connections, have joined this revolutionary effort, along with 26 sales partners.

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“The full press release and quotes can be found at: https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/french-mobile-industry-accelerates-deployment-of-network-apis-through-gsma-open-gateway-initiative/”