Strengthening Digital Trust: Meeting AFASA Circular 1213 with Descope and 8×8

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has taken a firm stance against rising fraud and outdated authentication practices through AFASA Circular 1213 (Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act). This directive raises the bar for digital trust, requiring financial institutions, fintechs, and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to adopt stronger authentication measures, fraud detection, and access governance.

For many organizations, compliance is not just a legal obligation — it’s a strategic necessity to protect customer trust and safeguard financial ecosystems.

What is AFASA Circular 1213?

AFASA Circular 1213 is a landmark initiative by the BSP designed to combat account takeovers, identity theft, and digital fraud. It mandates:

• Stronger Authentication Protocols – going beyond outdated usernames and passwords.
• Robust Fraud Controls – to detect and block malicious activity in real time.
• Improved Access Governance – ensuring the right people have the right access, at the right time.

This circular sets a new national standard for secure digital interactions — particularly critical in high-risk sectors such as banking and fintech.

Descope: No-Code, Future-Ready Authentication

To meet these standards quickly and effectively, institutions need solutions that are both powerful and easy to implement. That’s where Descope, a leading Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) platform, comes in.

Descope enables organizations to launch secure, AFASA-compliant authentication flows with zero code, reducing time-to-deployment and ensuring built-in fraud protection.

Key Capabilities:

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – adaptive, behavioral, biometric, and passwordless options.
• Device Fingerprinting & Geolocation Monitoring – to spot anomalies and prevent fraud.
• Bot & Fraud Detection – real-time protection against automated attacks.
• Biometric & Behavioral Authentication – enabling frictionless yet secure logins.
• Full Audit Logging & Reporting – ensuring compliance and visibility.

Descope has taken the Passkey Pledge, aligning with the FIDO Alliance to accelerate adoption of passwordless authentication worldwide. For the BFSI sector in the Philippines, this means more secure and seamless logins — reducing reliance on vulnerable passwords while enhancing user experience.

Built for BFSI in the Philippines

Descope, together with 8x8, provides localized support across Manila, Cebu, and Singapore, helping BFSI institutions:

• Accelerate AFASA Compliance
• Reduce Fraud Exposure
• Deliver Frictionless Customer Journeys

As fraud grows more sophisticated, compliance with AFASA Circular 1213 is just the beginning. By partnering with Descope and 8x8, financial institutions in the Philippines can future-proof their authentication systems, protect customer accounts, and deliver trust-driven digital experiences.

Stronger security. Faster compliance. Frictionless experiences.
That’s the promise of Descope for the Philippine financial sector.