itsme® launches new features that benefit user experience and user protection
Brussels, 5 February 2026 – itsme is launching several new features designed to make partner logins and identity data updates more intuitive, while providing users with extra protection against digital fraud such as phishing and social engineering.
Innovating to stay ahead of fraudsters
In an increasingly digital world where trust and security are paramount, scammers are increasingly using sophisticated methods to defraud citizens. By posing as bank employees or itsme representatives, they pressure citizens under false pretenses.
Hannah Cloetens, spokesperson of itsme: “Fraudsters are becoming more inventive in their attempts to mislead users of digital applications. Techniques like social engineering prey heavily on the psychology of their victims. Scammers often find an opening at the intersection where the security measures of an app like itsme end, and the user’s common sense takes over. Our new measures go a long way in addressing that gap today.”
Smart notifications against scammers
Victims of fraud are increasingly being pressured over the phone through social engineering techniques. Fraudsters call users, create a sense of urgency, and lead them to believe there is a problem with a payment, or that a transaction must be quickly approved or blocked. Due to this imposed time pressure, victims panic and act faster than is wise. In doing so, they often release sensitive data or approve an itsme action they did not initiate themselves, frequently without even realizing it.
To break this dynamic, itsme recently introduced an extra verification screen in the app. When the application detects that a user receives an itsme action during a phone call, a clear pop-up appears warning for potential fraud. However, this screen does not block the action: the user always maintains full control and can decide for themselves whether to refuse or proceed with the transaction.
Hannah Cloetens : “With the new verification screen, we give users a clear warning that something might be wrong. The smart warning helps users to pause and consciously check exactly what they are about to approve. This way, we try to prevent them from unknowingly following a scammer’s instructions.”
Itsme® goes a step further
Starting today, itsme will also share the context of an itsme action with its banking partners. When an action is performed on a new device, with a new phone number, or by a new user who immediately initiates several actions consecutively, it may indicate unusual activity and potential abuse. This contextual information will then be shared anonymously with banks.
Based on this information, banks automatically perform a risk analysis and assign a risk score to each itsme action. If that score is deemed too high, the bank can delay the transaction or – in exceptional cases – refuse it. This entire process is fully automated, requiring no intervention from the user.
Hannah Cloetens : “For now, banks are the primary users of this new functionality as part of their own fraud prevention. It goes without saying that other clients with the same risk assessment infrastructure, a ‘risk engine’, can also utilize this development.”
Smart QR codes & NFC technology
Additionally, itsme is introducing two new features that further enhance the ease of use of the application.
Logging in on a computer will soon become even more intuitive and faster, with a smart QR code becoming the standard. As more partners opt for this method, it has become the most widely used way to log in via computer. In 2025, the use of QR codes increased by more than 25%. Today, no less than 60% of all desktop logins are completed by scanning the code with the itsme app. The QR code login will be gradually rolled out as the standard in the coming months.
Finally, itsme is making it easier than ever to update a user account when receiving a new identity card. New ID cards are equipped with an NFC chip. The same technology that is used for contactless payments. From now on, users can read their new identity card directly via the itsme app. This allows them to update their itsme account without needing a card reader or an ATM.
