The nature of the digital world is such that, should they choose, people can remain anonymous when interacting with others.
Of course, this does not apply to situations in which the environment is highly regulated e.g. logging in to a service. Still, the individual is merely identifying themselves to a service, a thoughtless machine acting as a gatekeeper.
What about the countless online interactions that happen between individuals daily? When meeting a stranger for a date, buying something valuable from someone online or any other situation in which you would prefer to know exactly who is on the other side, hiding behind the digital mask of anonymity.
Usually there is no malice there, is most cases there is no need to know or check who is there. However, it is also true that this anonymity can be abused by fraudsters and scammers to cause great harm. Some cases are highly publicised, while others are a mere statistic in the world of cybercrime.
Regardless, there must be a way for you to protect yourself.
Peer to Peer Identification to Peel the Mask Away
The digital ID card in Freja represents your identity in digital form – you can use it to identify yourself in the physical world.
If they have Freja, you can ask the other person to share their verified identity with you before meeting or sending any money to them.
You will receive a temporary link with their picture, name and age via the channel of your choosing (social media, chat applications, sms or email). This data has been verified by Freja so you know that the other person really is who they say they are.
Be careful when dealing with anonymous people online and stay safe with Freja!
