An ANZ customer has hit out at the major bank after being required to submit a picture of herself to access her bank account online. Selfie identity verification requires users to snap a picture of themselves and upload it to confirm their identity, and it's increasingly being used by banks and financial institutions in Australia.

The ANZ customer took to social media to vent her frustration over the requirement. She accused the bank of “taking a picture of me without my permission when they made me re-register on their app”.

An ANZ spokesperson told Yahoo Finance it used Selfie ID to verify customers’ identities for its ANZ Plus offering.

RELATED

• NAB to dump passwords in major internet banking change: 'Balance between security and usability'

• $455 Centrelink cash boost that 70,000 Aussies can claim now: ‘Money in your pocket sooner’

• Centrelink cash boost for millions of Aussies in weeks: ‘More money in pockets’

ANZ Plus is the bank’s digital banking service which was launched in March 2022 and has more than 900,000 customers.

“Selfie ID is a security measure designed to help customers better protect themselves and their money,” the spokesperson said.

“Selfie verification is applied to all customers when they set up their ANZ Plus account. It is also utilised when customers reset their PIN and increase their payment limits.”

Do you have a story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com

Once the person uploads the selfie, it is then compared against identity documents from the company’s database or their photo in their government ID.

This is designed to add an extra layer of protection against identity fraud and comes as data breaches become more widespread, with people who are in possession of identity documents not necessarily the legitimate owners.

ANZ isn't the only financial institution using selfie verification.

Bank First also uses it as part of its online identity verification check, along with Beyond Bank, Wise and Revolut.

The government’s digital ID system, myID, also has a voluntary selfie identity verification option.

Users can strengthen their myID with biometrics by taking a selfie of their face which is matched with the photo on their passport.

“This checks that you are a real person, and the right person. Soon after it is verified, the photo is deleted,” the government said.

Face ID used to access bank accounts

While different from selfie identification, many banks already offer Face ID as an option for customers to log into their bank accounts.

Commonwealth Bank was the first Aussie bank to give customers the option back in 2017.