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Accucom Corp. launched a new business model this week, hoping to provide e-commerce retailers with an easier way to figure out just who they are dealing with.
Until now, the Boston-based personal data clearinghouse has dealt mostly with private eyes, curious neighbors and protective fathers-in-law eager to pry into an individual’s background using its network of public and private sources.
The company this week launched SafeID, a service designed to let online retailers implement an identity-checking quiz by copying and pasting a few lines of code. Comparable services currently require costly implementation, said Accucom general manager Alon Cohen. SafeID’s web-based service is cost-effective even for one-time sellers on Craigslist, he said.
Most online retailers establish identity using a match between the billing address and credit card number entered by online customers. “If you get your wallet stolen, the thief has all that stuff,” Cohen said.
SafeID will ask each customer questions like: In what state was your social security card issued? In what zip code was your previous address? Which of the following people live with you or used to live with you?
Answering more than one question incorrectly will raise the red flag, Cohen said – allowing merchants to protect themselves from liability for goods purchased with a stolen credit card.
“The credit card companies take no responsilbility as far as the merchant is concerned,” Cohen said. “There’s no protection for merchants.”
SafeID customers will pay from $1 to $10 per quiz, depending on volume, Cohen said.
He acknowledged one potential weakness: A savvy thief could obtain all the correct answers by subscribing to Accucom’s traditional information service. According to Cohen, the next steps for SafeID will be to develop features that also scrutinize how long a customer takes to complete the quiz, and whether the customer flipped between browser windows before answering questions.
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