u/Sumsub_Insights

Pump-and-dumps and rug pulls can both drain investors, but they work differently.

A pump-and-dump is built around hype. 

Scammers push a token they already own, make the price action look stronger than it is, then sell into the new demand. For example, a token gets aggressively promoted in one Telegram group, buyers rush in, the chart spikes, and insiders dump while late buyers eat the crash.

A rug pull is built around trust. 

The team makes a project look real enough for people to put money in, then removes the value behind it. The damage usually comes from hidden control that lets insiders take value while normal users are left exposed.

And the overlap is simple because both scams use false signals. A rising chart does not prove real demand, and an active community does not prove the team is trustworthy.

The main thing to check is control because if the team has too much hidden power and the project is pushing urgency, slow down.

Good breakdown here: https://sumsub.link/yku

"What happens when the moment of truth isn't onboarding - it's the moment the money moves?"

Businesses pour resources into KYC, fraud modelling, and onboarding checks. But fraud doesn't really happen until the money goes out, and by then, it's often too late to get it back.

This week's guest is Apurva Shrivastava, Product Lead for Global Payments Product at Amazon. He breaks down why payout fraud is one of the most underestimated risks in the industry, and why "we caught it at onboarding" isn't enough on its own.

We cover the three phases of cash-out fraud: Account farming, waiting for a trigger event, and burst execution; why payout fraud often gets booked as an "operational loss" instead of a fraud loss, and what a disbursement-time identity assurance score could look like in practice.

Check out the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWieT1wYNCQ&t=215s

Machine-readable passports and biometric passports are often talked about like they are the same thing, but there is a simple difference between them.

A machine-readable passport has two lines of letters, numbers, and “<” symbols at the bottom of the photo page. This section is called the MRZ, and it lets scanners read passport details automatically, including the holder’s name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, and expiry date. Instead of someone typing this information manually, the system can scan it faster and with fewer errors.

A biometric passport, also called an e-passport, does this too, but it also has an electronic chip inside. That chip stores passport data and biometric information, usually a digital version of the passport photo for facial recognition. So when someone goes through an e-gate, the system can check the passport, read the chip, and compare the traveler’s face with the data stored inside.

A machine-readable passport helps border systems scan the printed passport details faster. A biometric passport goes a step further by adding an electronic chip that stores identity data, such as the passport photo and sometimes fingerprints.

That is why biometric passports are generally harder to forge, harder to misuse if stolen, and often faster to check at automated gates.

A machine-readable passport mainly helps border systems read printed information faster, while a biometric passport adds another layer of identity verification. That is why e-passports are harder to forge, harder to misuse if stolen, and often faster to check at automated gates.

A quick way to check if a passport is biometric is to look for the small gold e-passport symbol on the front cover.

Check out our full coverage of this here: https://sumsub.link/bdb

Here’s what we’ve been tracking:

UAE expansion support

Together with Innovation City, we’re helping startups and scaleups land in the region with KYC, KYB, and verification ready from day one:
https://sumsub.link/6h5

Agentic AI trust in Greater China

Our latest survey looks at how confident the region is in agentic AI, where adoption is moving fastest, and where the trust gaps are showing up first:
https://sumsub.link/qcp

Upcoming fraud webinar

On June 30 at 10:30 a.m. CEST, we’re hosting a webinar with fraud teams on how to read early warning signals across onboarding, payments, and payouts before attacks escalate.
Register here: https://sumsub.link/o8c

Next stop: London

We’ll also be at iGB L!VE 2026 in London on July 1–2, Stand Z60.

Fraud evolution, AI advancement, and regulatory shifts are not slowing down, so we’ll keep sharing what matters from the identity and compliance space.

In iGaming alone, fraud rates rose by 18% YoY, suspicious transaction volumes jumped 4.5x, and the average suspicious transaction now exceeds €6,000.

Fraud teams are facing what some call a "DDoS attack of AI slop" — synthetic identities, fake documents, and automated attacks generated at unprecedented scale.
The question is no longer if fraudsters use AI. It's how fast operators can adapt.

Download the 2026 iGaming Fraud Report for the latest data, trends, and prevention strategies 🔗https://sumsub.link/54m

A common thing people get stuck on during identity verification is choosing the right document.

Identity verification is sometimes required when opening an account. It helps companies confirm who is using their service and stay compliant with local rules.

Default list of acceptable documents:

• Passport
• Driver’s license
• ID card
• Residence permit

Documents usually not accepted:

• Student ID
• Work badge or employee card
• Building or office access pass
• Non-government-issued identity documents

If your document is not listed as an option, choose another available document type. If none of the options fit your situation, contact the company you are verifying for. They will tell you which document to use or what step to take next.

Digital IDs are accepted only in some countries, and availability also depends on the company’s verification setup. If your digital ID does not work, try uploading a clear photo or scan of a physical document instead. If that is not possible, contact the company you are verifying for.

Small tip: before uploading anything, make sure the photo is clear, the full document is visible, and the details match the account information you entered. That usually helps avoid unnecessary delays.

Important reminder: Sumsub does not define which data or documents are required, which regions are supported, or any other verification conditions. These are determined by the companies you verify for, based on their local regulations and internal policies.

For the first time, an AI agent can take an AML policy document and turn it into a fully configured compliance setup inside Sumsub.

Today, we're launching Sumsub's Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and a new suite of AI agent skills, making Sumsub the first verification platform to give AI agents access not only to operational tasks, but also to the configuration layer itself.

Upload your policy → Let the AI read it → Watch it build verification levels, rules, onboarding flows, risk questionnaires, and decision logic directly in the platform.

What used to require days of manual configuration and technical implementation can now happen in minutes.

That means teams can now:

• Transform AML policies into live compliance workflows
• Accelerate technical integration by letting AI agents implement verification flows directly into applications
• Manage day-to-day compliance operations through AI-powered actions, analytics, and applicant reviews

Learn more about Sumsub’s Agentic experience now: https://sumsub.link/vxb

This is the story of how fraud evolved over 3,000 years.

The tools changed, but the psychology didn't. The Roman coin-clipper and the deepfake caller are running the same play, one just has better tools.

Read the full version on The Sumsuber: https://sumsub.link/6q4

Think of CPD, or Continuing Professional Development, as a way to show that you’re actively investing in your professional growth.

When you complete a CPD-accredited course, your learning counts toward recognized professional development hours. These can be useful for training records, performance reviews, career development, or simply keeping track of the skills you’re building.

So you’re not only learning something new. You’re also getting recognized proof of that learning.

The best part: the courses are free.

You can build practical skills and receive certification that gives your learning a bit more weight.

Sumsub Academy: https://sumsub.link/ens

Bonus abuse is one of the largest sources of fraud loss in iGaming today.

We put together a 21-page guide on how bonus abuse works in 2026, what regulators are starting to say about it, and the layered approach that stops it without burning the player experience. 

Multi-accounting, mules, AI-generated identities, sleeper accounts, affiliate fraud, the whole picture. Expert quotes throughout.

Download for free below: https://sumsub.link/pdr