MTN beefs up security to fight ID fraud

MTN beefs up security to fight ID fraud


MTN South Africa is beefing up security at customer touchpoints in an effort to fight fraud and make its services more efficient.

The telecommunications operator, which is owned by JSE-listed MTN Group, said on Wednesday that it will deploy a digital ID system with real-time biometrics across all its stores nationwide.

The roll-out follows a six-month pilot in 20% of the company’s stores, where the biometric identification system “significantly improved onboarding efficiency and reduced identity fraud”.

The new system allows for real-time fingerprint and facial recognition during customer onboarding or re-identification, enabling faster processing of contract applications and dramatically reducing the risk of identity-related fraud. This is particularly crucial in an era where Sim swap and identity fraud remain widespread threats, said MTN South Africa executive for customer operations Cornelia van Heerden in a statement.

“This biometric system not only simplifies onboarding; it also assists in fraud prevention.”

The solution was implemented in partnership with Vigilate AI, a global provider of fingerprint, facial and iris recognition solutions. Vigilate AI’s biometric infrastructure ensures the system’s accuracy, scalability and security, MTN said.

Read: SA must tackle Sim card fraud to escape FATF grey list

MTN said customers applying for new contracts will use biometric authentication for “near-instant approval and service activation”.  — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media

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