eKYC for SIM card issuance and mobile money registrations using the national digital ID

Many countries in Eastern Africa, such as Malawi, face a growing problem of mobile money fraud. The current agent-based registration process for SIM card issuance and FinTech accounts onboarding is done without strong identity verification. This gap allows fraudsters to create fake accounts.

This use case proposes a linkage of SIM cards and mobile money accounts to a person’s national digital ID using MOSIP’s identity authentication and e-KYC services. At SIM issuance, the telecom agent will authenticate the user by using biometrics, such as a fingerprint or facial image, along with the national digital ID credential.

The platform will also require biometric checks for high-risk actions, such as SIM swaps or mobile money account registrations linked to the phone numbers. The user must also repeat biometric authentication within 24 hours to confirm these actions and avoid the creation of fake accounts. Any mismatch or repeated attempts trigger fraud alerts and block suspicious accounts.