Game Industry 3: Combating Fraudulent Users with Identity-Based eKYC Beyond Technical Limits
Game companies are under immense pressure, constantly investing time and resources to detect and sanction ever-evolving fraudulent users.
For large-scale global game providers, the challenge is even greater from abuse reports, cheating tools, and multi-accounting to players bypassing profanity filters, they face “human-centric” tactics that often evade purely technical defenses.
To address this, ARGOS presents a new approach: “identity-based eKYC,” which complements existing systems while being cost-effective and impactful. We introduce two key response strategies.
Countermeasure 1. eKYC for All Users? No Only When Necessary
Improve UX and save costs by triggering KYC only under specific conditions!
Applying eKYC indiscriminately to every user may worsen the user experience.
ARGOS proposes a selective application of its ID check (eKYC) solution only under certain conditions:
Trigger Examples
3 or more accumulated reports from other players
Repeated new account creation from the same device
Response
Light level eKYC request → Selfie + basic ID verification
If the user refuses or avoids authentication, their account is temporarily suspended
Most multiplayer games already have user report systems. Players can intuitively detect abnormal behavior and report others.
However, manually reviewing every report burdens game operators heavily.
ARGOS proposes an automated eKYC trigger based on report accumulation.
When a user receives 3 or more reports, an eKYC request is sent.
The user completes a simple selfie or biometric verification to register their identity. If verified, their account is restored despite the report history.
Fraudulent users, on the other hand, are likely to avoid submitting personal information leading them to abandon their accounts.
This process saves review resources and filters out bad actors naturally.
If verified users are later found guilty of misconduct, the collected identity data enables account suspension and blacklist registration. Even if the same individual creates another account, the system can block them automatically.
Just implementing this verification step deters many fraudulent users, reduces operational effort, and boosts system trust.
The process is as follows
Countermeasure 2. Require Identity Verification for High-Ranking or Premium Content Access
Apply stronger eKYC where risk and reward are high
Trigger Examples
Use of high-value item trading markets
Entry into ranked systems or tournaments
Response
High level eKYC request → ID document + selfie authentication
Only users with verified identities gain access
The second solution involves requiring identity verification for competitive or reward-driven content, such as ranking systems, tournaments, and premium features.
In such environments, where top players receive the most rewards, the incentive to cheat increases.
In fact, high-cheat rates are often seen in these high-stakes scenarios.
ARGOS offers a simple solution
Require identity verification before users can participate. This fosters real-name accountability and discourages cheating behavior.
If combined with the earlier report-triggered KYC, accounts with past fraudulent records can also be blocked automatically.
This approach not only enhances security but also builds trust among players and maintains fairness in the ecosystem.
The process is as follows
These two response models show that eKYC can be flexibly applied based on context.
This minimizes friction for general users while effectively identifying and filtering out bad actors.
Human-Centered Verification to Overcome Technical Limits
As fraud techniques advance using coded slurs to bypass profanity filters or new cheat programs that avoid detection purely technical solutions fall short.
Global game companies face further challenges
IP or language filters cannot accurately block users by nationality
Problematic and revenue-generating users may reside in the same region
Evasion methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated
ARGOS proposes a transition from technology-centric security to “human-centered verification.”
This strategy secures both operational efficiency and player trust.
Detecting Fraudulent Users with ARGOS ID check
Biometric Detection (Selfie)
Compares real-time selfies with previous authentication records
Uses advanced face-matching technology to detect the same individual
Prevents multi-account creation
PII (Personally Identifiable Information) Detection
Flags duplicate name, birth date, phone number, etc.
Based on internal policies, can block or review the flagged accounts
Blacklist Registration System (Proposed Feature)
Registers certain selfie or PII info as a blacklist
Automatically blocks future verification attempts using the same data
Prevents reentry by repeat offenders
This detection framework goes beyond account bans.
It offers a persistent, identity-based barrier against repeat offenders.
Summary of Benefits with Online Identity Verification ARGOS
Feature | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|
Report-triggered KYC | Identifies and blocks fraudulent users after reports; reduces operating costs |
Ranked Content Pre-KYC | Suppresses cheating incentives, improves trust in high-value content |
KYC Refusal = Auto-block | Users who avoid verification are filtered automatically; no manual review needed |
Verified Identity & Blacklists | Enables long-term tracking and prevention of repeat abuse |
Overall Operational Impact | Reduces costs, stabilizes in-game economy, protects normal users, blocks dupes |
Identity is the New Game Security
From AI evasion to slang based filter bypassing, fraudulent behavior is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
It’s clear that pure tech solutions alone cannot keep up.
In game services built on player trust, a shift to “verified identity” is now essential.
ARGOS supports game companies with its eKYC-based ID check solution a new standard for fraud prevention in gaming.
Discover how ARGOS ID check can redefine your user trust strategy today.
