XConnect & Honey Badger join forces on fraud checks

XConnect has partnered with Honey Badger to combine mobile network data with identity datasets for fraud and trust checks.

Under the agreement, Honey Badger will integrate XConnect's global Network APIs and mobile identity services into its platform, while XConnect will add Honey Badger's proprietary identity datasets to its portfolio. The combined offering is aimed at banks, payment platforms and enterprises that need to assess risk during customer onboarding, account access and payments.

The arrangement brings together two types of data used in identity decision-making. XConnect focuses on phone number intelligence and network-based identity signals, while Honey Badger provides what it describes as real-world identity data for customer verification and know-your-customer checks.

Customers will be able to combine identity verification information with live mobile network signals rather than rely on a single source of information. That layered model reflects a broader shift in fraud prevention, as businesses increasingly use multiple datasets to decide whether a transaction or account activity should be trusted.

XConnect said its Network APIs provide signals including SIM swap detection, call forwarding checks, number verification and KYC matching through a single integration. Honey Badger said its datasets help organisations verify customers and make fraud and risk decisions.

Layered checks

The partnership is structured as a two-way product integration rather than a simple resale agreement. Honey Badger will use mobile network intelligence from operators worldwide within its platform, while XConnect will use Honey Badger's identity data in its services, including its Pulse trust product.

Customers will be able to start with pre-qualification checks, then add mobile network signals and further identity verification data as needed. The approach is designed to support different points in the customer journey, from opening an account to authorising access or checking a payment.

For financial services and digital commerce companies, the appeal lies in combining different indicators of risk. Mobile network signals can help detect recent changes linked to fraud, while identity datasets can support checks on whether a person matches records tied to a real-world identity.

Mark Harvey, Chief Identity Officer at XConnect, set out the company's view of where the market is moving.

"The industry has spent years talking about APIs. We're moving beyond the conversation. The Network API winners will be the organisations that know how to combine the right intelligence, from the right sources, at exactly the right moment," said Harvey.

He said the partnership brings together non-overlapping data sources.

"This partnership proves what's possible when two specialists bring genuinely different solutions to the table. Together we're delivering something the market simply hasn't had before. Richer intelligence. Better decisions. More confidence. If you think you've seen what's possible with digital identity, try this. I think you'll be surprised just how far our industry has moved on," Harvey added.

Market trend

The deal also points to a wider trend in digital identity and fraud management. Instead of building decision-making around a single identity check or standalone API, providers are combining several data sources into a broader trust model.

That trend has gathered pace as fraud tactics become more complex and regulated sectors face pressure to reduce losses without adding too much friction for legitimate users. In practice, firms often want a mix of data that can help them test whether a phone number is active, whether account details have changed recently, and whether a user matches known identity records.

Matt Salisbury, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Honey Badger, said the company sees value in combining multiple data sources.

"At Honey Badger, we care about solving real problems for our customers. That's why we believe multiple data sources, orchestrated to maximise coverage and trust, are far more powerful than any single API. By combining our unique identity data with XConnect's Global Network Intelligence, we're moving customers beyond discrete data points to answering the identity and trust questions they're asking," said Salisbury.

XConnect is owned by Somos and provides telephone number intelligence and network-based identity data services for carriers, banks, platforms and enterprises. Honey Badger describes itself as an identity intelligence specialist focused on proprietary real-world identity data used in verification, KYC and fraud decisions.