Ecommerce company Amazon is testing using video calls to authenticate third-party sellers in an effort to minimize the number of fraudulent accounts and listings on its platform, the company announced. According to The Verge, earlier this year, the live verification initiative was initially used in face-to-face video conferencing meetings because the coronavirus pandemic required social distance measures.
An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, “While we are socially distant, we are testing a process that allows us to validate the identification of potential sellers through video conferencing. This pilot will allow us to connect one-to-one with potential sellers as we create it even more difficult for fraudsters to hide. “The new live verification process is currently being tested in the US, UK, China and Japan, among others, with an Amazon employee checking that a seller matches their ID and the documents they provided as part of their application. It’s not about using facial recognition technology to verify their identity, Amazon confirmed to GeekWire.
The call also provides an employee with an opportunity to answer questions about the application process. So far, more than 1,000 potential sellers have completed the pilot program, Amazon says. Amazon says the existing third-party vendor verification process uses a combination of machine learning and human assessment to remove suspicious bad actors. The company said these processes prevented 2.5 million accounts from selling items in 2019. (ANI)
