Sumsub has announced two initiatives aimed at improving digital trust and online safety in Singapore. The updates were introduced at the company’s first What The Fraud Summit held on 19–20 November at Andaz Singapore.
The first initiative is the introduction of Singpass integration services as part of Sumsub’s Non-Doc Identity Verification product. The integration allows businesses in Singapore, as well as global companies operating in the market, to authenticate citizens and residents using government-backed data. Requests for integration are submitted to Singpass and approved on a case-by-case basis.
By acting as an aggregator, Sumsub enables its clients to tap secure databases such as Myinfo to verify identity and address details without requiring users to upload documents. The process is compliant with Monetary Authority of Singapore anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules as well as the Personal Data Protection Act. Users authenticate themselves by scanning a QR code and completing verification through biometrics or a passcode in the Singpass app.
This approach reduces the average verification time from around 30 seconds to about 4.5 seconds. Sumsub reports that it can deliver up to a 53 per cent reduction in processing time and a 35 per cent improvement in customer pass rates. Businesses using the service must be registered in Singapore with a valid UEN number. The company plans to expand integration to more Singpass features in future, supporting end-to-end onboarding and agreement signing.
Co-founder and CEO Andrew Sever said Singapore continues to stand out as one of the most advanced digital ecosystems globally. “Facilitating integration with Singpass and our research partnership with NTU reflect our commitment to supporting the country’s digital trust ecosystem and to contributing to a safer, fraud-resilient digital environment,” he said.
Research collaboration to address deepfake threats
The second initiative is a Research Collaboration Agreement with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The partnership, launched under Sumsub’s AI Academic Program, focuses on developing new defences against deepfake fraud. It is the first initiative of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region for the programme.
The joint project will explore human-imperceptible watermarking techniques for personal images. These methods aim to prevent or reduce the effectiveness of deepfake generation, particularly on social media platforms where personal photos are often shared publicly.
Sumsub says deepfake fraud has surged significantly in Singapore, citing an internal estimate of a 158 per cent year-on-year increase in 2025. The collaboration seeks to address a growing need for scalable, practical solutions that can protect users before their images are misused.
Professor Lam Kwok Yan, Associate Vice President (Strategy and Partnerships) and Executive Director of the Digital Trust Centre at NTU, said the work is becoming more urgent. “Deepfake technologies are advancing rapidly, and their misuse poses growing risks to individuals, businesses and society. Through this collaboration, we are advancing watermarking techniques that can help enhance trust by safeguarding personal identities before misuse occurs,” he said.
Pavel Goldman-Kalaydin, Head of AI and Machine Learning at Sumsub, noted that the agreement comes at a critical time. “By combining pioneering research with real-world anti-fraud expertise, we aim to equip individuals and organisations with effective defences against synthetic fraud and contribute to digital safety worldwide,” he said.
