Voice authentication will bring higher efficiency, lower risk of fraud

Voice authentication is a service where a unique voiceprint is created that only matches your voice. This allows us to verify your identity quickly, so that our staff can confidently service your needs without having to ask you many identity verification questions to do so.

When you participate in the voice authentication service, the unique characteristics of your voice are collected on our behalf by our identity verification technology service provider and used to create a voiceprint. Thereafter, each time you call, an automated process will check to see if your voice matches any of the saved voiceprints, and then notify our staff. Our staff will then determine if identity verification questions will be required.

You will spend less time verifying your identity and waiting for our staff to service your needs. You will also be better protected against fraudulent attempts to access your information.

It is not mandatory for everyone on your account to participate in the voice authentication program. Only those who participate will be authenticated by their voice.

The service will likely still be able to match your voice to your voiceprint as there are many characteristics of your voice that are used to create your voiceprint that would not be impacted when you have a cold. If your voice does not match an existing voiceprint, we can still verify your identity by asking you our standard verification questions.

No. Your voiceprint is like a fingerprint that is unique to you.

Yes. A voiceprint is not a voice recording, rather it is a representation of the unique aspects of a person's voice as well as their way of talking. It is stored in a format that cannot be played or reverse-engineered to your voice. The voiceprint can only be used with the software that was used to create it. The voiceprint file is stored in a secure database.

We take our obligation to protect the privacy and security of your personal information, including your voiceprint, very seriously. Your voiceprint is stored in a secure database. It also can't be used to gain access to any other system, nor can it be used to re-create an actual recording of your voice. We store a digital representation of your voice that only works with our system, because your privacy and the protection of your personal information is important to us.

We will use your voiceprint to identify you when you call us for up to two years, after which your voiceprint will be deleted. If you’d like to continue being identified using a voiceprint, you can re-enroll, and a new voiceprint will be captured at that time.

If you agree to participate and then change your mind, you can opt out at any time by speaking to one of our staff. Thereafter, you can re-join at any time.

When you speak with a representative over the phone, your voice will be recorded for quality assurance, accuracy, and training purposes. If you do not wish for your call to be recorded, we are happy to help direct you to one of the many local Advisor offices across Canada, so you can speak to someone in person.

To use our new voice authentication process, we will ask for your consent separately. If you provide it, we will record your voice to obtain a voice print that will help confirm your identity in future calls. If you are comfortable with your call being recorded, but do not want your voice print taken, you can decline when we ask if you’d like to use voice authentication.

For more information, review the Co-operators Privacy Policy.