Cyber Heist: Fraudsters Exploit Remote Visa Application System with Forged Biometrics
Situation: due to the large influx of migrants, the idea emerged to introduce remote identification for visa applications at one of the centers. The goal was to reduce the workload on operators and expedite the issuance of results. Through a mobile application, applicants could complete the process of document and application checks, as well as the submission and verification of biometrics.
Problem: a group of fraudsters began deceiving users. Posing as an authorized center, they charged clients for full support in obtaining a visa. Ultimately, they forged faces on documents and selfies during the application process.
Solution: implementing biometric anti-fraud measures at the primary verification stage in the application could address this issue. Although the migration center monitored all attempts, the original goal was not achieved, as operators still had to manually analyze suspicious applications.