Scammers delight with fake online profiles
Identity-related fraud is accelerating in the real world and particularly online, where it’s easy to hide and act behind a fake profile unchecked. Despite calls from victims and campaigners, most platforms don’t want to add friction into their user journeys in fear that people will migrate to another site.
Fraud comes in a number of shapes and sizes, and the consequences can be physically, financially, and emotionally damaging. Whether someone is trying to sell stolen goods, committing romance scams, catfishing, or advertising property rentals that don’t exist, there are a whole host of fraud-related crimes and identity is often at the centre of it. The problem continues to grow. But, you can complete your own checks with Yoti and Post Office EasyID.
Catch a catfish with peer-to-peer checks
There is a solution if your platform of choice doesn’t ask people to prove that they are who they say they are. Anyone with the Yoti or EasyID app can swap their verified details with another person and be confident about who they are dealing with. It’s free and can be done in seconds. We created peer-to-peer checks to provide a versatile solution to build trust, transparency and improve online and face-to-face safety, one that you control.
From people to pets, everyone is impacted
We recently met Johnathan and Piotr from Creslow Corgis, who are 5 Star Licensed, Kennel Club Assured Breeders of Welsh Pembroke Corgis, wanted to protect themselves, their customers and their furry family members from the rising threat of dog-related crime.
An estimated 2,000 dogs are reported as stolen each year in England and Wales. So, if you’re looking to buy a pet, how can you be sure that the breeders are legitimate and aren’t operating an illegal dog breeding business?
Johnathan, Creslow Corgis: “The health, wellbeing, welfare and security of our dogs and pups is always our top priority. Demand for pups is soaring. And everyone wants their own Instagram star. This isn’t a good thing for the industry. Fraud and theft are increasing with rogue breeders, and puppy thefts from homes. People literally walking in and taking puppies from their families, days or even weeks old. It’s really quite scary when you think about it.”
Well, that’s why Johnathan and Piotr use peer-to-peer checks. First of all, they can be sure that the customers are who they say they are and give the corgis a loving forever home. But also, customers can put their trust in the breeders, all the same, knowing that they haven’t lied about their identity.
Johnathan, Creslow Corgis: “Over the years we’ve had to adapt our vetting process to improve security and protection. We need to be as confident as we can that the people we’re letting into our home are the right people. In a nutshell, for breeders and buyers alike, we all need to know who we’re dealing with. We needed to find a trusted, secure solution. It had to be affordable for small businesses like us.”
The digital ID app is free, reusable, and privacy-preserving. So, if you request that someone share their details with you and they refuse, you might be better off taking your business elsewhere.
Johnathan, Creslow Corgis: “We discovered Post Office EasyID and for us it’s the perfect solution. It gives us the assurance that people are who they say they are, whether you’re selling or buying a puppy or whether you’re putting your dog in daycare. So for us it’s a win, for our customers a win, and for our dogs and puppies it’s really a win.”
Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club said
“When buying a puppy, we always urge potential owners to conduct thorough research, and this includes making sure the breeder is a responsible and reputable source for buying their puppy from. Likewise, the breeder should be carrying out similar steps to find out as much about the purchaser that they can, so they have peace of mind that the buyer is genuine and that the pups are going to a permanent, loving home. Not only does this approach help to ensure that the puppy is well-bred, happy and healthy, but also minimises the risks of encountering scams and heartbreak.”
Sounds too good to be true?
Whether it’s buying and selling or dating and meeting, a peer-to-peer swap can save you emotional and financial pain and wasted time. It gives you the option to swap only the necessary information, so you don’t need to share more than you are comfortable with – unlike sending a copy of your ID, which could open you up to more fraud risks.
Perfect for small businesses
For a small business user, it’s the perfect way to gain and earn trust with customers. Paperwork free and cost-effective, you will save time on administrative processes in a way that is GDPR-aligned. What’s more, the tool comes from the Post Office brand that people across the UK widely trust.
How it works
- Open the EasyID app.
- Tap Share and select the details you’d like to swap or share, like your photo or full name.
- Choose how to swap your details (via text, email or face to face).
- Once the other person has approved your request to swap details, you’ll get the exact same details from them.
Do you know anyone affected by a scam that could have been prevented with our peer-to-peer checks? We’d love to hear from you to help fight fraud together.