ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — As digital payments surge across Ethiopia, local businesses are facing a growing threat: fraudulent or reused payment confirmations. To bridge this trust gap, software engineer Abel Legesse has announced the launch of Veriq, an Android-based verification tool designed to protect merchants from transaction fraud in real time.

Veriq tackles the “fake screenshot” epidemic by allowing businesses to cross-check transaction IDs and use smart receipt scanning. By verifying the authenticity of a transfer before goods or services are handed over, Veriq helps eliminate the financial leakage that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have come to accept as a cost of doing business.

“Many restaurants and service providers lose money every day because they are shown fake screenshots or reused receipts,” said Abel Legesse, Founder of Veriq.
“We built Veriq to remove that uncertainty. It’s about giving merchants confidence in seconds, so they can focus on their customers rather than questioning their honesty.”

Built for the Ethiopian Context

Veriq is tailored specifically for Ethiopia’s local digital payment ecosystem:

• Bilingual Support: Full functionality in both Amharic and English
• Privacy-First Design: The app does not process payments or store sensitive financial data, ensuring security for both merchants and customers
• Operational Speed: Designed for high-traffic environments such as cafés and retail shops, where delays are not an option

“This project started after hearing the frustrations of local business owners,” Legesse added. “This launch is just the beginning. We are committed to evolving the platform with more advanced features in the coming months.”

Veriq is available for download today on the Google Play Store and is positioned as an essential tool for restaurants, freelancers, and service providers navigating Ethiopia’s rapidly growing digital economy.

Media Resources

• Download Link: Get Veriq on Google Play
• Contact: Abel Legesse, Software Engineer & Founder
• Email: abellegesse05@outlook.com
• Phone: +251 947 431 170