EnStream, a joint venture of Bell, Rogers and Telus that provides identity verification and authentication services for a range of mobile applications, announced last week it has partnered with Brussels-based Proximus Global to launch a new application programming interface (API) that helps Canadian businesses prevent recycled number fraud and improve customer experience.
“The solution enables companies to verify if a phone number has been reassigned to another person, preventing sensitive information reaching the wrong person, and reduces the number of steps required to verify if a phone number has been reassigned, accelerating the process,” explains a press release. “This not only protects accounts and transactions across Canada but also strengthens customer trust and delivers smoother digital experiences.”
A TransUnion study published earlier this year found 17 per cent of Canadians reported losing money due to fraud in the past year, with a median loss of $2,013. According to EnStream and Proximus Global, an increasingly common threat contributing to these losses is recycled number fraud, which can occur when inactive phone numbers are reassigned to new users, leaving accounts vulnerable to hijacking, security breaches and fraudulent activity. Although mobile network operators typically reassign numbers after a quarantine period, the lack of visibility into these changes creates privacy and security risks, as sensitive information may be sent to the wrong person, EnStream and Proximus Global’s press release says.
The new API helps businesses to verify whether a phone number has been reassigned and when the change occurred, enabling enterprises to flag accounts associated with recycled numbers, trigger re-verification processes before sending one-time passcodes or confidential information, and prevent unauthorized access to user accounts. Proactively identifying potential risks enables organizations to stop fraud before it happens, protect their customers, and reduce the operational burden of manual checks and repeated identity verifications, according to the press release.
Through the collaboration, EnStream provides the underlying real-time mobile intelligence, sourced directly from Canada’s national mobile network operators, and Proximus Global standardizes this data and delivers the API functionality to businesses across Canada. The companies say this service is particularly valuable for customers in infrastructure and identity services, as well as those in fintech, commerce and communications. To bring this capability to market, EnStream will work both directly with Canadian enterprises and through partners, with Proximus Global serving as its first partner, the press release says.
“Fraud doesn’t just hurt victims financially — it undermines the trust that people place in digital services every day. Even a single victim is one too many,” said EnStream President and CEO Upinder Saini, in the press release. “At EnStream, our mission is to protect Canadians by making fraud prevention seamless and reliable. This partnership with Proximus Global allows us to provide businesses with real-time intelligence to keep accounts secure, while ensuring customers enjoy safer, more frictionless digital experiences.”
“Securing digital communications everywhere is central to Proximus’ mission, but it cannot be achieved by a single entity,” said Ben Vandermeulen, chief revenue officer of Proximus Global. “Preventing fraud requires collaboration between telcos, service providers, and enterprises worldwide. This partnership is proof of that. Through APIs, Proximus Global makes EnStream’s critical intelligence easier for businesses to access and integrate, enabling them to act quickly and protect both themselves and their customers from fraud.”
