Tag: gaming industry

Identity verification services — fueling the demand for safe gaming experience

How Online Gaming is becoming a soft target for Fraudsters

Posted on | by Signzian

We’ve all heard stories about fraudsters taking advantage of unsuspecting people through online gaming. However, what may surprise you is how often this happens and the extent of the damage it can cause. As more and more people turn to online gaming as entertainment, fraudsters also recognize this opportunity and are preying on its increasing popularity.

The proportion of New Paying Users (NPUs) in online gaming in India has grown at the fastest rate in the world, from 40% in 2020 to 50% in 2021. The number of paying players grew by 17% from 80 million in 2020 to 95 million in 2021, according to a report by EY FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).

This blog post will discuss how online gaming is becoming a soft target for fraudsters and what measures can be taken to protect yourself against their malicious tactics. 

The rise in online gaming

In recent years, online gaming has become a popular pastime for people of all ages. But as the popularity of online gaming grows, so does the risk of fraud.

Fraudsters are increasingly targeting online gamers to steal their personal and financial information. They do this by setting up fake websites and game servers that trick gamers into giving up their login details or credit card information.

Some fraudsters also create fake game accounts and then use them to cheat other players out of their virtual possessions. Others may hack into legitimate game accounts and steal virtual currency or items.

Moreover, certain online gaming firms facilitate the trading of computer game items with traditional currencies like dollars, yuan, and pounds. This is called microtransactions and is seen in free-to-play games that give the option for digital purchases. Take, for example, Entropia Universe and Second Life offering purchasable products via their e-stores. More games have now started to entice gamers to make microtransactions by marketing loot boxes which are a selection of random in-game assets concealed until payment is made.

In another incident, it was reported on 31st January 2023 that there have been eight arrests in Noida for allegedly defrauding people with online gambling and betting apps. A total of Rs. 24 crores was frozen in various bank accounts, along with 193 mobile phones, 21 laptops, 416 checkbooks, 233 debit cards, and 21 point-of-sale devices.

The vulnerability seen in online gaming

According to a report by Kaspersky Lab, online gamers are increasingly becoming victims of fraud. The report found that in the first half of 2017, there was a 50% increase in the number of people who had their gaming accounts hacked compared to the same period in 2016.

There are several reasons why online gamers are particularly vulnerable to fraud. Firstly, many gamers use their real names and personal information when signing up for gaming platforms and services. This makes it easy for fraudsters to obtain this information and use it to commit identity theft or other types of fraud.

Secondly, gamers often make in-game purchases using credit cards or other payment methods. If a fraudster gains access to a gamer’s account, they can use this information to make unauthorized purchases.

Finally, gaming platforms and services are often targeted by phishing attacks. In a phishing attack, the attacker will send an email or message that appears to be from a legitimate gaming company or service. The message will usually contain a link that leads to a fake website designed to look like the real thing. Once on the fake website, the victim is asked to enter their login details or financial information. The attacker then uses this information to commit fraud.

To protect themselves from these attacks, gamers should only sign up for gaming platforms and services using secure passwords and payment methods. They should also be wary of any emails or messages that contain links, even if they appear to

The types of fraud in online gaming

The online gaming industry is becoming a soft target for fraudsters due to the amount of money and personal information exchanged daily. There are many different types of fraud being committed against online gamers, including:

  1. Credit card fraud: It is when someone uses another person’s credit card information to make unauthorized purchases in their name.
  2. Identity theft: This is when someone steals another person’s personal information (such as their name, address, date of birth, etc.) to open new accounts or make fraudulent charges in their name.
  3. Phishing is when someone contacts an individual via email, text message, or social media pretending to be from a legitimate company to get them to provide personal information or financial account details.
  4. Hacking is when someone gains unauthorized access to another person’s computer or gaming account to steal personal information or virtual goods/currency.

Final Thoughts

As online gaming continues to grow, it has become an increasingly attractive target for criminals looking to exploit players’ lack of knowledge and safety protocols. By understanding the risks associated with gaming and taking preventive steps like verifying the legitimacy of game providers, regularly changing passwords, avoiding public Wi-Fi networks, and installing updated anti-virus software on all devices used for gaming activities, gamers can greatly reduce their chances of becoming victims of fraudsters. With a little effort at prevention, gamers can enjoy their favorite activities without fear or worry.

Ensuring the digital gaming industry is secure from fraud is paramount for players. Not only does criminal activity damage a business’s reputation, but it can also greatly hurt its annual revenue. However, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can greatly help in this situation by being integrated into identity verification and AML screening systems. AI-powered solutions analyze a gamer’s behavior, flagging possible cheaters and stopping bad actors from making artificial accounts for illegal purposes. This ultimately means that comprehensive identity verification methods are the best way to prevent cheating.

At Signzy, we provide state-of-the-art quality AI-driven API products without needing a single line of code. The system is powered by thousands of AI algorithms that can render a good percentage of accuracy and real-time verification results in less than a second. 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com.

Gambling & Money Laundering

Gambling & Money Laundering – How to tackle it?

Posted on | by Signzian

An issue that has been ignored for too long is Money Laundering via Gambling in the casino system. It has now become a recurring issue, as gambling giants like Entain recently received a fine of more than £17 million for violating anti-money laundering protocols. The failure of these big gambling players to clamp down against money laundering not only contributes to the proliferation of criminal activity such as human trafficking and illicit arms dealings, but it also highlights how casinos now serve as a platform for modern slavery.

Money laundering is the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained from criminal activities. It is a severe crime, and yet, sadly, many casinos still fail to tackle it effectively. From a lack of proper regulations to inadequate tracking systems, this article will discuss why casinos still need to crack down on money laundering and how they can tackle it. We will also discuss the implications for businesses and what measures should be taken to prevent money laundering in the future.

Money laundering in Casinos

Global gambling-industry financial penalties amounted to approximately $128,913,840 in 2022, up 166% from $48,642,992 in 2021, according to USA-Casino.com. As of October 2022, the UK’s gambling regulator had charged 16 operators $48m (£45m).

Casinos have long been associated with money laundering due to the large amounts of cash that change daily. Despite this, casinos have failed to crack down on money laundering, and the problem seems to be getting worse. 

There are several reasons why casinos have failed to tackle money laundering. A few majors are 

  1. Lack of tracking of the fund source – because cash is often used. 
  2. Lack of AML policies. 
  3. Being located in countries with lax financial regulations makes it easy for criminals to launder money 
  4. Inadequately trained employees to spot money laundering signs and stop the same. 

So how can casinos crack down on Gambling & Money Laundering?

  1. They need to put better policies and procedures in place to prevent it from happening in the first place. This includes proper customer due diligence, robust Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, and more effective monitoring of transactions. As former US gambling regulator Richard Schuetz spoke with USA-Casino.com and said, “Given the inevitable increase of proliferation of online gambling in 2023, one can expect more regulations, and of course more casino and gambling industry fines”.
  2. Casinos need to do more to train their staff to spot the signs of money laundering. This training should cover what to look for when customers withdraw or deposit large amounts of cash and how to report suspicious activity.
  3. Casinos should consider using modern technology. 

The methods used by criminals

Though casinos have been put under increased pressure to stop money laundering, they continue to face many challenges. For one, criminals are constantly finding new ways to launder money, making it difficult for casinos to keep up. Moreover, many casinos still need to do more to crack down on, leaving themselves vulnerable to attack.

So what can casinos do to protect themselves from money launderers better? For starters, they need to be more proactive in identifying suspicious activity. This means being on the lookout for things like large cash deposits or withdrawals, frequent wire transfers, and patterns of betting that seem designed to evade detection.

Additionally, casinos need to ensure they have robust anti-money laundering policies and procedures. These should include KYC (know your customer) checks, reporting suspicious activity to authorities, training staff on the spot, and reporting red flags. By taking these steps, casinos can make it much harder for criminals to use them to launder money.

The Casino’s responsibility

In recent years, casinos have come under increased scrutiny for their role in money laundering. This is because casinos are often used to clean dirty money obtained through illegal activities.

Casinos have a responsibility to ensure that they are not being used to launder money. However, they have failed to crack down adequately on this activity. This is partly because casinos are often reluctant to report suspicious behavior to the authorities for fear of losing customers or damaging their reputation.

There are steps that casinos can take to tackle money launderings, such as better training for staff, improved customer due diligence, and more substantial reporting procedures. However, more must be done to prevent casinos from being used to clean dirty money.

The challenges of combating Casino’s money laundering

Although casinos are some of the most heavily regulated businesses worldwide, they are still struggling to combat money laundering effectively. The challenges are numerous and include both institutional and operational challenges.

Institutional challenges include that many casinos are owned by large, publicly-traded companies, making it difficult to implement adequate anti-money laundering policies. These companies are often reluctant to invest in compliance because it is not revenue-generating and can be seen as a cost center. In addition, there is often a lack of coordination between regulatory agencies, making it challenging to develop a cohesive strategy for combating money laundering.

Operational challenges include that casinos deal with large amounts of cash daily, making it easy for criminals to launder money through them. In addition, many casino customers are international visitors who may be using illicit funds to gamble. This makes it difficult for casinos to vet their customers and identify suspicious activity correctly.

Despite these challenges, there are some things that casinos can do to combat money laundering better. These include increasing transparency around ownership structures, investing in compliance functions, and developing better customer due diligence processes.

Solutions to tackle money laundering in Casinos

Money laundering is a serious problem for casinos. Casinos must implement better policies and procedures to crack down the same. Here are some solutions to tackle:

  1. Improve Know Your Customer (KYC) Procedures

Casinos need to improve their Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. KYC is the process of identifying and verifying the identity of customers. This is important because it helps casinos ensure they are not doing business with criminals or terrorists.

  1. Implement Better Record-Keeping Practices

Casinos need to implement better record-keeping practices. This means keeping track of all transactions, both incoming and outgoing. This will help identify any suspicious activity.

  1. Use Technology 

Various technologies can be used to help combat money laundering. For example, casinos can use software that flags suspicious activity. They can also use data analytics to identify patterns of behavior that may be associated.

  1. Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies

Casinos should cooperate with law enforcement agencies in order to crack down on. This includes sharing information about suspicious activity with the authorities.

Conclusion

Money laundering is a serious problem for casinos and other gambling establishments, as it has the potential to lead to criminal activities. However, by investing in stronger AML systems and tightening their compliance regulations, casinos can reduce their chances of getting involved in such frauds. Additionally, they should also train staff on identifying suspicious activity and take steps toward improving customer verification processes. By accepting these necessary measures, casinos can protect themselves from being used as vehicles for money launderers while allowing customers peace of mind that all transactions are carried out legitimately.

A more proactive approach can detect and prevent money laundering. This can be done through improved customer due diligence practices and enhanced internal processes such as reporting suspicious activity immediately. With increased vigilance, casinos can ensure they remain compliant with regulations while reducing the threat of criminals using their services for illegal activities.

The latest AML onboarding solutions can help casinos prevent their operations from becoming dirty money laundering channels by tackling common AML malpractice. Technology can be the winning jackpot to clean up casino operations.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.
You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Shraddha is a passionate Digital Marketer and a versatile leader, working as the Director of Marketing at Signzy. She is a goal-driven professional with excellent innovative skills. Having 11+ years of experience across industries including travel, SNV, healthcare, and Fintech, Shraddha considers herself a self-empowered and self-driven individual ready to take on challenges and proactively rise to occasions in crisis. A professional who ardently believes in the right work-life balance, she ensures to spend quality time with her family. This has a positive effect on her professional life and pursuits.

KYC for Online Gaming Platforms

Why Mandatory KYC for Online Gaming Platforms?

Posted on | by Signzian

Mandatory KYC for Online Gaming Platforms – is what the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has drafted amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. It states that due to rapid growth in online gamers, mandatory KYC for Online Gaming Platforms & gamers is to guarantee that Gaming Companies adhere to Indian laws and provide users with protection against potential harm.

Gaming has become a part of everyday life for many people, from casual mobile games to more hardcore console and PC gaming. As the popularity of gaming continues to grow, so does the importance of having an appropriate level of safety and security for gamers.

In this blog post, let’s explore what this proposal entails and why it is important. We will also discuss how it may affect both casual and professional gamers.

What is the government proposing for Online Gaming Platforms?

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) proposed an amendment to bring online gaming under the ambit of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

The amendments seek to ensure due diligence from online gaming intermediaries so that users are not exposed to any activities breaching Indian law – such as gambling or betting – and also require a registration mark on all online games registered by self-regulatory bodies.

The Draft Rules

  1. A gamer must be informed of all online games offered by the gaming intermediary, as well as its policy regarding withdrawals and refunds of deposits made with the expectation of winnings. Also, how winnings will be determined and distributed, as well as the fees the user will have to pay for each game. 
  2. There should be a mandatory know-your-customer norm for verification (KYC).
  3. A user will need to be aware of the potential for addiction and the financial risks associated with each game.
  4. As part of the registration process of the game, the self-regulatory body must set up criteria for its content to protect the gamer from harm, including self-harm.
  5. Only games that are approved by the self-regulatory body will be permitted to operate legally in India.
  6. Five members will create the self-regulatory body’s board of directors, with expertise in online gaming, public policy, IT, psychology, and medicine.
  7. It is responsible for ensuring that the registered games do not contain anything that is not in the interest of India’s sovereignty, integrity, defense, security, friendly relations with foreign countries, or public order or that incites a cognizable offense.
  8. The Centre should be informed about the online games registered by all self-regulatory bodies, along with a report detailing the criteria for registering a particular game.

Why is there a need for such rules?

It is for protecting users from potential harm caused by skill-based games. 

  1. Innovation: As online gaming platforms are getting regulated as intermediaries and are subject to due diligence requirements, the online gaming sector will be promoted and innovation will be encouraged.
  2. Women Gamers Safety: Approximately 40 to 45% of Indian gamers are women, which makes keeping the gaming ecosystem safe all the more important.
  3. Because they generate revenue that needs proper regulation: In 2025, the Indian mobile gaming industry is to generate $5 billion in revenue. The industry grew at a CAGR of 38 percent between 2017 and 2020, versus 8% in China and 10% in the US.
  4. Credibility & Transparency: In addition to ensuring greater transparency, consumer protection, and investor confidence, this framework will boost the legitimate domestic online gaming industry.

What are the pros of KYC for Online Gaming Platforms?

The proposed mandatory KYC for Online Gaming Platforms has generated a lot of debate, with some people arguing that it is a necessary step to prevent underage gaming and others asserting that it will infringe on the privacy of gamers. Here, we take a look at the pros of the proposed policy: 

1) It would help to prevent underage gaming & Fraud: The proposed policy would require online gamers to verify their age before being able to play, which would help to prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate content.

2) It could help combat cheating: By mandating age verification, it would become more difficult for people to create multiple accounts to cheat in online games.

3) It would promote responsible gaming: Making online gamers verify their age would encourage them to play responsibly and not engage in excessive gaming.

Our take

The government’s proposing mandatory KYC for Online Gaming Platforms & gamers is a step in the right direction toward protecting citizens from online threats and fraud. With the implementation of this measure, users can be assured that their identities are secure when engaging with other players or playing games online. It will also help prevent illegal activities such as money laundering and identity theft which have been particularly rampant on gaming websites lately. In essence, this proposed measure could be immensely beneficial for both players and regulatory authorities alike by promoting safety and security in the digital world.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.
You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com