Eastnets and Facephi join forces on biometric fraud defence

October 1, 2025

Eastnets and Facephi have entered into a strategic alliance to build an international fraud defence ecosystem.

The partnership brings together Eastnets’ expertise in anti-money laundering (AML), sanctions screening and transaction monitoring with Facephi’s biometric authentication and identity verification technology. The collaboration aims to create an end-to-end solution that helps banks and financial institutions meet regulatory demands, strengthen trust and protect customers against financial crime.

Eastnets, founded more than four decades ago, is widely recognised for its AI-driven compliance and financial security services, working with banks and regulators around the world to improve resilience against illicit transactions. Facephi, headquartered in Spain, is a leader in digital onboarding and biometric verification, offering multichannel technology to authenticate identities and prevent account takeovers.

Together, the firms are establishing what they describe as the first global ecosystem to integrate compliance and digital identity in a seamless way. The alliance combines localised expertise with broad international reach, enabling financial institutions to benefit from advanced security while maintaining smooth customer experiences.

The partnership will provide services including AI-powered mule account detection, biometric onboarding, multi-layer authentication, and intelligent compliance workflows that bring together identity verification, sanctions checks and AML requirements. The firms argue that this approach is crucial at a time when criminals are deploying increasingly advanced tactics.

The alliance arrives as financial institutions worldwide grapple with $3.1tn in illicit funds circulating in the financial system in 2023 and compliance costs reaching $206bn annually. The digital identity sector, forecast to grow more than 16% annually through to 2029, offers opportunities for technologies that combine strong security with customer convenience.

Eastnets CEO Hazem Mulhim said, “Facephi shares our mission of protecting financial institutions and their customers from risk while enabling safe, inclusive finance. Like us they are committed to constant innovation to stay ahead in a world where technology can be an enabler for criminals. By combining Eastnets’ AI-driven compliance expertise with Facephi’s biometric innovation, we’re equipping banks to fight fraud and build digital trust at scale.”

Facephi CEO Javier Mira added: “This alliance is far more than a technology integration – it’s about reshaping the fight against financial crime on a global scale. By merging compliance and biometrics, Eastnets and Facephi can protect the financial system end-to-end, offering a defense that is powerful, inclusive and ready to meet the regulatory challenges of tomorrow.”