It’s obvious that SIM card-based proof of possession has emerged as one of the de facto market leading authentication solutions protecting all mobile subscribers from identity theft and shielding enterprises from fraud. While SMS OTP has remained the dominant method for this form of 2FA, an alternative method that has existed for over 5 years has slowly been gaining momentum, Flash Call.
Really hitting the mainstream in 2021, due to increased adoption by big tech, Flash Call’s rising popularity is only matched by its growing controversy among telcos and operators. Some see it as a low-cost SIM card proof-of-possession with different use cases to that of SMS OTP, others see it as a harbinger of market cannibalisation – even going so far as labelling it a form SMS OTP Bypass Fraud.
