Identity theft is a growing problem within the UK, costing the nation an estimated 1.8 billion each year. In a time when identity theft and fraud are rampant, checking that your customers, tenants, or employees are who they really say they are, has never been more important.
Whether running an online business or onboarding new hires, you need a trustworthy and secure identity verification service equipped with the best identity verification solutions.
These include biometric facial recognition, liveness detection, real-time document verification, and meeting compliance standards.
We’ll explore key identity verification security solutions that you should look for in an ID verification service, including how Credas is leading the way in simplifying identity verification altogether.
1. Biometric Facial Recognition
One of the most reliable ways to verify someone’s identity is by matching their face with an identity document. Biometric facial recognition technology has become a game changer in ID verification, allowing businesses to effectively verify someone’s ID remotely by connecting the ID document with the person presenting it.
The technology works by scanning key facial features, such as the distance between the eyes, and then comparing them with a photo on the submitted ID document. It looks for similarities and calculates how likely the two images match.
If the comparison meets a certain threshold (set by the system), it considers the person to be the same as the one in the ID. If the similarity is below the threshold, the system will reject the match.
Thanks to the increasing sophistication of machine learning and AI, biometric facial recognition solutions are now highly accurate and able to detect subtle differences between individuals.
2. Preventing Fraud With Liveness Detection
Liveness detection is another example of an element the best identity verification solutions utilise to prevent fraudulent IDs. Passive Liveness ensure that the person using their face is present when submitting the ID document, instead of a photo or a deepfake.
Liveness detection uses smart tricks like motion analysis, 3D scanning, depth sensing, and challenge-response tests. This additional security layer prevents fraudsters from tricking the system with fake biometric data, making it a must-have for any strong verification process.
There are two types of liveness detection to look out for:
- Active Liveness Detection: The system prompts the user to perform specific actions, such as speaking, smiling, or blinking to prove that they are a real person. The system then compares the user’s response to expected behaviours to confirm their authenticity.
- Passive Liveness Detection: This quietly monitors a user’s natural behaviours, like facial movements or voice patterns, to check if they match what a live person would do. It works seamlessly without requiring the user to do anything specific, so they can continue their activities as normal.
3. Real-Time Document Verification
Identity verification should not feel like an obstacle in your customer’s journey. The best identity verification solutions offer real-time document verification, which allows you to instantly authenticate an ID document against an official database or image database.
Real-time document verification technology is a fast, secure way of instantly checking the authenticity of documents, like passports, driver’s licenses, and other IDs. It uses smart algorithms to analyse features like watermarks, holograms, and barcodes to spot signs of forgeries or tampering.
In addition to these methods, NFC (Near Field Communication) document verification improves security and speed. NFC-enabled documents, like passports and national ID cards, contain embedded microchips that store encrypted biometric information.
This chip instantly transmits data for verification, by simply tapping the document near an NFC reader. This process, which can be completed in seconds, ensures the document is genuine and hasn’t been tampered with.
This combination of real-time document verification and NFC technology makes ID verification quick and hassle-free, so users don’t need to send physical documents or wait for long reviews. It helps reduce fraud through a smooth, convenient experience, streamlining verification and protecting you against sophisticated fraud attempts.
4. Remote and In-Person Verification Flexibility
A top-tier ID verification solution offers the flexibility to perform both remote and in-person verifications, maintaining a seamless experience for users and businesses. Remote verification is perfect for ease and convenience, but in-person checks are still essential for certain situations.
For instance, when someone is applying for open banking, remote verification allows the user to quickly upload their ID and complete facial recognition from home.
However, if the user’s ID document is more complex, or if they’re unable to verify their identity remotely due to technical issues, they can arrange for an in-person verification instead.
This flexibility allows businesses to maintain high security, expand access to essential services, and accommodate a wider variety of identity documents, beyond just passports or driving licenses. This allows more people to prove their identity easily.
5. Meeting Compliance Standards
Reliable compliant ID checks play a vital role in helping businesses comply with critical legal and regulatory requirements.
Solutions like Credas are designed to support compliance with regulatory requirements such as Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and privacy laws like GDPR.
KYC checks involve collecting and verifying personal information from customers to ensure their identity is legitimate. This typically includes details such as name, address, and government-issued ID, which are cross-checked against trusted databases.
AML checks are used to ensure users are not involved in money laundering or terrorism. This involves screening customers against global lists of high-risk individuals or entities, such as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and sanctions lists.
Compliance with GDPR privacy laws also ensures that sensitive data is handled responsibly.
These regulations mandate businesses to verify customer identities, screen for high-risk individuals, and securely handle personal data.
Why Credas Is The Best Choice For ID Verification
With cutting-edge biometric facial recognition technology, liveness detection, and real-time document verification, Credas offers one of the best identity verification solutions on the market.
Other features included in our ID checks include:
- Verification of 2,500+ ID documents: Supports a wide range of official identification documents.
- Digital address verification: Verifies addresses without requiring additional paperwork.
- HALO Mortality Checks: Detects fraudulent attempts using deceased identities.
- Amberhill Police Database Checks: Cross-checks IDs against law enforcement databases.
How Credas Leads The Way With Compliance
Our software is fully certified under the UK Government’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework, supporting compliance with regulations like AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer).
The bill builds upon the existing Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), elevating it from its current developmental phase into formal legislation. Identity verification providers, referred to as Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) in the framework, must undergo rigorous assessments against government-defined standards to achieve certification. This includes examinations of their technology, security protocols, and operational processes.
Currently, the Home Office recommends that landlords, their agents, and employers use an IDSP certified against the framework for Right to Work and Right to Rent checks, as well as for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Although the use of certified IDSPs has been endorsed as best practice by organisations such as the Conveyancing Association and the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG), it has not yet been mandated.
This may soon change, as the Money Laundering Regulations specify that when using a digital verification service, it “must be accredited or certified to offer the identity verification service through a governmental or industry process that involves meeting minimum published standards.”
This requirement has not been enforced previously, as the DIATF has been in development. However, with the bill’s passage, enforcement could soon follow.
How We Can Help
Trusted by companies across various industries, from real estate agencies to financial institutions, our certified solution helps businesses onboard employees and customers with confidence.
Contact us today for a personalised demo of our market-leading platform.
