True Device ID - Device Identification with SEON Device Intelligence

True Device ID is a next-generation, more resilient identifier that assigns a unique ID to each device, specifically designed to overcome limitations of traditional tracking techniques like Cookie Hash, Browser Hash, and Device Hash.
By analyzing SEON’s Device Intelligence session data, True Device ID ensures that each device is persistently and accurately recognized, even when users take steps to reset or hide their identity.

This all-in-one solution is ideal for tracking returning users, reducing fraud, and enhancing security across both web and mobile platforms. It offers a more stable and unique identifier for reliable device identification, making it essential for businesses looking to streamline user tracking without depending on cookies or legacy tracking mechanisms.
 

With growing privacy concerns and regulations limiting the use of cookies, and device tracking True Device ID offers a compliant and reliable alternative for identifying users. 

It is particularly beneficial for:

• Fraud Prevention: Accurately track suspicious users attempting to bypass detection via spoofing techniques, device resets, or VPNs.
• User Retention: Identify and engage returning users without relying on traditional cookies or session storage.

Key Scenarios

True Device ID is designed to reliably track users across a variety of actions, remaining consistent even when typical identifiers might be reset or erased. Here’s a breakdown of scenarios where True Device ID will continue to function:

On the Web

• User clears browser data: True Device ID persists even if a user clears cookies, browser storage, or site data.
• Switches to private or incognito mode: When users access the site in private mode, True Device ID continues to identify the device accurately in most cases.
• Browser reinstallation: If a user reinstalls or updates their browser, True Device ID will still recognize the device.

On Native Android / iOS

• App reinstallation: When users reinstall the host application, True Device ID remains consistent, ensuring the device is still recognized post-reinstallation.
• Cloud account switching: If a user switches or logs out of their cloud accounts (e.g., Google on Android, iCloud on iOS), True Device ID can still maintain device identification.
• Rooted devices and system tampering: True Device ID remains active even if a user roots their device or tampers with system-level processes. This makes it especially useful for detecting suspicious or high-risk devices.
• Device factory reset on iOS devices: if a user performs a factory reset and logs back into their iCloud account, True Device ID can still persist. This is possible if the user logged into iCloud at least once during a SEON Device Fingerprinting process before the reset.

On All Platforms (Web, Android, iOS):

• Network configuration changes: True Device ID is resilient to changes in network configuration, such as switching to a new IP address, using a VPN or proxy.
• Network source changes: Users who change their network (e.g., from Wi-Fi to cellular data) will still be recognized by True Device ID.

True Device ID is a market leader in device tracking, outperforming legacy methods with:

• 30% improvement over Browser Hash on the web.
• 15% higher accuracy compared to Device Hash on Android.
• 10% better accuracy than Device Hash on iOS.

This high accuracy ensures that businesses can trust True Device ID for fraud detection, user behavior analysis, and secure transactions.

The infrastructure of True Device ID is optimised for performance, delivering a calculation time of 30ms at p95 and 50ms at p99. This minimal latency ensures seamless integration into existing workflows. However, it's important to note that this calculation time will be added to the current Fraud API response time, slightly increasing the overall processing time.

Our customers can use True Device ID from the upcoming Web SDK v6.4.0, Android SDK v6.6.0, and iOS SDK v5.5.0 by sending Device Intelligence sessions to-, and receiving true_device_id from the SEON Fraud API. 

Admin Panel

On transaction details you can find True Device ID on the device widget under the device identification section as the first identifier.

On transaction filtering you can create new filters based on True Device ID just like any identifiers.
Also you can add as a new column on transactions view to easily review the values ??in a filtered transaction list.

Scoring Engine

You can create custom rules in the Scoring Engine with True Device ID. For both compare rules and velocity rules.

Fraud API

The True Device ID is part of the Fraud API response.

Our customers can use True Device ID from the upcoming Web SDK v6.5.0, Android SDK v6.6.0, and iOS SDK v5.5.0 by sending Device Intelligence sessions to-, and receiving true_device_id from the SEON Fraud API.

True Device ID is enhanced by SEON’s Transaction Scoring Engine, which allows businesses to set specific rules to detect and prevent fraudulent activities such as multi-accounting, bonus abuse, and account takeover. By utilizing velocity rules and device-specific rules, businesses can proactively address suspicious behavior patterns, identify high-risk accounts, and mitigate fraud risk effectively. Additionally, SEON’s system supports the creation of allowlists and blocklists for individual users or devices, ensuring that known users are trusted and flagged devices are automatically restricted.

Key Device Identification Rules for Fraud Detection

1. Multi-Accounting Detection
   • Rule: Identify users accessing multiple accounts from the same device within a specific timeframe.
   • Purpose: Multi-accounting is a common method used in fraud to gain additional bonuses or circumvent restrictions.
   • Velocity Check: true_device_id velocity rules to detect multiple accounts and high-frequency logins from the same device.
2. Bonus Abuse Prevention
   • Rule: Detect abnormal patterns associated with promotions, such as multiple claims from the same device.
   • Purpose: Bonus abuse occurs when fraudsters attempt to exploit welcome bonuses or promotional rewards by creating multiple accounts.
   • Rule Customization: Set rules to monitor the frequency of registration events or reward claims from a single true_device_id to prevent abuse.
3. Account Takeover Detection
   • Rule: Monitor for unusual login attempts, especially from new locations, devices, or with sudden password changes.
   • Purpose: Account takeover (ATO) is when a fraudster gains unauthorized access to a user’s account, often for financial gain.
   • Set rules to flag new true_device_id for the user.

Using Velocity Rules for Enhanced Detection

Velocity rules allow you to set time-based thresholds to identify rapid, repetitive behaviors that may indicate fraud. Examples of these rules include:

• Login Velocity: Set limits on the number of login attempts from a true_device_id within a defined time period, flagging devices that attempt excessive logins in a short timeframe.
• Account Registration Velocity: Restrict the number of accounts that can be registered from the same device or IP within a short duration, effectively preventing bulk account creation associated with fraud.

These rules can be customized to fit specific business needs and help identify behaviors that often indicate high-risk actions.

Using Allowlist and Blocklist for Specific Devices and Users

• Allowlisting: Trusted users and devices can be added to an allowlist, which exempts them from fraud checks or specific rules. This is useful for maintaining a smooth user experience for loyal customers or verified accounts.
• Blocklisting: Devices or users flagged for suspicious or fraudulent behavior can be added to a blocklist, automatically denying access or restricting actions. For example, if a device is associated with multiple flagged accounts, it can be blocklisted to prevent future fraud attempts.

By leveraging these device-specific rules, velocity checks, and allowlist/blocklist capabilities, SEON’s True Device ID and Transaction Scoring Engine provide robust tools for detecting and preventing fraudulent activities across your platform.

Will True Device ID still work if a user clears cookies or switches browsers?

• True Device ID remains consistent even if a user clears all browser data, switches to private mode, or reinstalls their browser. Different browsers used simultaneously will have a unique True Device ID that remains consistent within that browser.

Does True Device ID work on mobile devices?

• Absolutely. True Device ID supports both Android and iOS, maintaining accuracy even if users reinstall applications, reset their device or change cloud accounts.

Could True Device ID return null?

• In some rare cases, True Device ID may return as null. This can occur due to factors such as incomplete session data or insufficient signals for generating a reliable identifier.
  However, rest assured that we are actively working on introducing a fallback logic in the future. This fallback mechanism will ensure that even in cases where True Device ID cannot be directly calculated, alternative methods will provide a robust and reliable identifier.

Will True Device ID always remain the same?

• True Device ID is designed to be persistent, but it may not always match in certain scenarios. If a user simultaneously switches to private mode and changes their network, or switches browsers a different True Device ID may be generated.

What happens if a user factory resets their device?

• A factory reset alone does not necessarily change the True Device ID, but if a user modifies the key identifiers at the same time, a new identifier may be generated.

Does changing networks affect True Device ID?

• On its own, switching networks does not impact True Device ID. However, if a user changes their network while also switching browsers or using private mode, it may result in a different identifier.

For further inquiries or to join our Exclusive Availability program, please contact SEON customer support. support@seon.io