What Fraudulent Activities Should You Look Out For?

There are typical signs of potential fraudulent activity:

1. A user is accompanied by someone who gives them detailed instructions, speaks on the user's behalf, or handles their phone for them.
2. A user appears to be unfamiliar with their phone, including an inability to unlock the phone from a locked state.
3. A user states that someone else asked them to use this phone to verify.
4. A user does not understand any of the benefits of verifying their World ID or cannot articulate their own motivation to verify.
5. A user verifies with a phone that you think you have seen before, e.g., distinctive phone case, attached stickers, distinctive damages, distinctive screen backgrounds.
6. The same phone model is used for multiple successive verifications.
7. You are being pressured to verify a group of people “without asking too many questions”.
8. You are being offered money to verify people.
9. You are being extorted to verify people.

Safety first. Do not refuse to verify people if you feel it might be dangerous to do so. Continue as normal, but make sure to use the Report function each time.

How Do You Engage Users?

1. Engage on Motivation and Benefits:

   Politely ask users about their motivation for signing up for World ID to understand their intent. Confirm their understanding of the benefits and ensure that they are aware of the value it brings.

2. Verify Phone Ownership:

   Ask users if they are using their personal phone or if someone else provided it to them. Note any discrepancies or signs of potential misuse of another person's device.

3. Educate on World ID Benefits:

   If users appear unaware of the benefits, explain them clearly. Where permissible, highlight tangible incentives and long-term value. Tailor the explanation to their context, ensuring it is relevant and comprehensible.

4. Clarify Negative Effects of Giving Up Their Account:

   Inform users that verification is a one-time opportunity. Emphasise that if they verify now and transfer their account, they will forfeit future benefits for themselves. Make sure they fully understand the implications of their decision.

5. Exercise Judgement on Fraud Suspicion:

   If you are certain the user is attempting fraud, you have the authority to refuse verification.

6. Proceed with Caution on Uncertainty:

   If you are uncertain about the user's intentions or their level of understanding, you may still allow the verification. Use discretion and maintain a balance between accessibility and compliance.

7. Prioritise Personal Safety:

   Never put yourself in harm's way. If a situation feels unsafe, allow the verification and report the incident afterwards. Your safety and well-being take precedence over enforcing rules.

8. Report Suspicious Cases:

   In cases of doubt about a user's intentions or understanding — or if you think there may be fraud — use the report button to flag the case for further review. Provide as much detail as possible afterwards when we reach out to you to support investigations.

    

How it Works - Reporting Fraud

You can use the Safety feature to keep us informed of suspicious activity.

1. Select the Safety Tools button as shown below.

2. Tap on Report Fraud and confirm.
3. Your report has been submitted. We will track these reports and may reach out for more details. 

You can also use the Support Chat in the Help Centre to report the issue. 

1. Open your profile, tap the help centre button.
2.  Tap the chat bubble icon at the right corner of the screen, then initiate a chat by tapping the plus (+) sign.
3. You'll be shown different help options; select Trust and Safety and continue the chat to report the situation.

FAQs 

• Q: Should I refuse to verify someone I suspect of fraud?
  • A: Only refuse to verify someone if you are sure that it is safe to do so. Try to prevent conflict if possible. 
• Q: What should I do if I’m worried for my safety but believe there is suspicious activity with a user?
  • A: Continue with the verification as usual and then report it to us immediately using the Report function. If there is a serious safety concern, then alert local authorities for help. 
• Q: What if the suspicious activity is not related to someone who verified at the Orb?
  • A: Use the support channel in the Orb App to file a Trust & Safety ticket with a description of the incident and we will follow up as soon as possible.
• Q: What if I feel a user is underage but they are attempting to verify? 
  • A: Refer to the AVQR code training. You can scan this QR code at the Orb before the user scans their own QR code. This tells the Orb to deny them for age and redirects them to a support channel where they can verify their age with a third-party service. 

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