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Every day, billions of people click “Accept” or “Submit” buttons to authorize payments, transfer funds, or sign up for services. These digital gestures of consent have become universal, yet they represent the most vulnerable point in any transaction chain. Chris D. Sham, who expanded faceEsign beyond its e-signature origins, has developed technology that transforms this weakness into a powerful security checkpoint, addressing the $500 billion annual digital fraud problem in America.
Expanding e-signatures with video proof
faceEsign began with a simple but clever idea: what if an e-signature could include video and audio capture? “The company starts with an e-signature patent,” explains Chris. “Think DocuSign. But when you’re doing the actual signing process, clicking to sign on the screen, it’s actually videoing you and recording the sound.” When Chris joined faceEsign, he quickly saw the potential to take the technology even further. “I took it to another level,” he says. “I asked myself, how can I use this in a broader market, a broader spectrum?”
His insight was as straightforward as it was powerful: what if we could secure every important digital click, not just those tied to legal documents? “Every day, billions of people click ‘Accept’ or ‘Submit’ to authorize payments, sign up for accounts, transfer funds,” Chris points out. “It’s basically the universal gesture of consent. Yet ironically, it’s also the weakest point in the entire transaction chain.” By layering identity verification, through video and audio, on top of digital consent, faceEsign is rethinking how trust is built online, one click at a time.
The solution Chris developed is a three-part verification system that activates at the crucial moment, right when you’re about to click that final button. “When a user clicks Accept, that’s when our technology activates,” Chris says. First comes a facial liveness test, “It’s checking their face… if you held a picture in front of you or had a mask on, it’ll detect that’s fake.” Users then upload ID for verification purposes. But the real innovation comes third: “The bread and butter of our technology is the live video and audio capture at that second of the action.” The result? “A no-friction, no second chance for fraudsters type of process,” Chris explains. “If Alex ever says, ‘I never authorized that,’ Alex, we got you on camera.”
Creating digital checkpoints like TSA
Chris describes his creation in practical terms. “We’re basically the TSA for digital transactions,” he says. “We’re the ones doing the screening, making sure you are who you say you are.” This matters because current verification methods fall short. Static data checks can be manipulated. First-party fraud (“it wasn’t me”) is rising. And AI threats like deepfakes loom large. “AI threats are lurking at every corner,” Chris warns. “That’s why it’s time to evolve a vision for the new normal for digital trust.” The applications are particularly strong for financial technology. “Think fintech,” Chris suggests. “Let’s say someone’s transferring on their trading app or wealth management company. Well, once we’re embedded into that process, it becomes a biometric event, captured and stored.”
Making the technology accessible was a priority for Chris, who wanted integration to be simple for companies of all sizes. “Plug and play was my biggest thing,” he explains. “I want a startup that’s building their own platform to be able to go onto our developer portal, click, start the process, pick a plan, copy the code, embed the code into their system and they’re ready to go.” The verification process takes about 60 seconds but could save millions. “It screens you are who you are,” Chris says. “It not only brings safety for yourself, it brings safety for the startup themselves as well.” By securing that final moment of consent, faceEsign is working to transform our online experience, making that universal “Accept” button much harder for fraudsters to exploit.
Connect with Chris D. Sham on LinkedIn to follow his work in redefining digital trust and fraud prevention.
