Biometrics needed to protect Africa’s digital economy ambitions from growing fraud

The spiralling trend of identity-related fraud in Africa, perpetrated mostly through national ID documents, portends great dangers for Africa’s lofty plans of leveraging its digital economy to meet crucial socio-economic development goals.

This warning is contained in a 64-page report released this week by Smile ID, a digital ID verification services firm headquartered in Lagos. Attacks against organizations deploying biometrics, however, are far less likely to succeed.

Dubbed the Smile ID “2024 Digital ID Fraud in Africa Report,” the …

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