Everywhere you turn, someone's trying to fake something like an image, a voice, or even an entire identity. With AI tools now in almost anyone's hands, it takes minutes, not days, to create a convincing fake. That's changed the game for both sides. The fraudsters have new weapons, and the rest of us are scrambling to keep up. The real question now isn't just how to stop scams, but how to know who or what to trust online.
My guest today, Bala Kumar, spends his days on the front lines of that battle. He's the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Jumio, a company working to make digital identity verification faster, smarter, and safer. Bala has more than twenty years in the industry, including leadership roles at TransUnion, and he's seen firsthand how the race between innovation and exploitation never really ends. It just keeps speeding up.
In our conversation, Bala shares how generative AI has supercharged the fraud world, what makes identity such a fragile link in digital trust, and why biometrics may finally offer a way forward. We also dig into the psychology behind online risk, how convenience often wins over caution, and what small habits can help people protect themselves in an age where deception looks more real than ever.
Show Notes:
- [01:04] Bala Kumar has a background in product management and fraud prevention from TransUnion to Jumio.
- [01:59] He describes how fraudsters constantly evolve, forcing companies to anticipate attacks instead of just reacting.
- [03:56] The quality of manipulated images has skyrocketed, making real vs. fake nearly indistinguishable.
- [05:17] Jumio's systems catch most fake IDs, but Bala admits even advanced systems must keep auditing for missed fraud.
- [07:16] Regular audits and rapid response cycles help Jumio identify attack spikes within 24–48 hours.
- [09:40] Generative AI has dramatically increased the speed and volume of fraud attempts across industries.
- [11:33] Jumio uses cross-transaction risk analysis to detect emerging fraud patterns and shut down attacks quickly.
- [13:00] Fraudsters move from one platform to another, always searching for weaker defenses and faster wins.
- [15:10] Bala explains how fraud prevention has expanded beyond banking into gaming, dating, and gig platforms.
- [16:38] Consumers crave low friction, which ironically makes them more vulnerable to scams.
- [17:20] Instant gratification culture pressures companies to reduce security steps, fueling greater risk.
- [19:52] New AI-driven fraud tactics include injected camera feeds and highly realistic deep fakes.
- [20:12] Old tricks like "send me a selfie with proof" no longer work—deepfakes can now mimic anything.
- [22:22] Bala sees biometrics as the next major safeguard for digital identity and real-time verification.
- [23:12] Facial recognition has become mainstream, paving the way for secure and low-friction identity checks.
- [26:19] Jumio is already deploying biometric check-ins for events and hotel registrations with great success.
- [27:30] Account recovery and payout systems now use liveness and device checks to confirm identity safely.
- [30:09] Bala critiques outdated knowledge-based questions like "What's your favorite food?" as unreliable security.
- [31:12] Consumers lack visibility into which apps use strong verification or multi-factor authentication.
- [33:56] He calls for an independent rating system to rank apps based on security and identity protection.
- [37:53] Bala urges users to question why companies ask for personal data like SSNs or ZIP codes.
- [39:29] Even a ZIP code and last name can expose personal records, highlighting the need for awareness.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.
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