A new identity fraud scheme that tackles the ëLittle Red Riding Hood testí ñ ensuring people are who they claim they are ñ is being launched after successfully completed pilot trials with bodies such as the Criminal Records Bureau, OFSTED, the Ministry of Justice, and the Financial Services Authority.
The Veri-fy scheme uses the 14,300 Post Offices around the UK to provide a way for peopleís faces and identity to be checked in person and cross-referenced against photo ID. It also uses on-line tracking to monitor progress of any verification forms using the system.
Veri-fy plugs a major gap in the battle against identity fraud where electronic systems do not provide a personal check confirming the identity of anyone signing a document.
It takes out the inconvenience of either travelling long distances or sending off valuable documents, such as passports, in order to have your identity and signature verified.
Veri-fy is a unique, auditable F2F ñ face-to-face - service allowing people to confirm their identity quickly, easily and efficiently by using an independently witnessed signature. The Post Officeís staff are highly experienced in validating and verifying official documents, greatly reducing the risk of mistakes compared to alternative methods.
The advent of Veri-fy is welcome news for solicitors and mortgage lenders. Under new guidelines issued by the Law Society - which are expected to come into force in December - and the Council of Mortgage Lenders in its latest handbook, both confirm that electronic identification checks are inadequate for purposes of confirming identity, leaving professionals exposed to claims of failing due diligence and possible criminal action.
There are no set up fees nor minimum usage for any business or organisation using Veri-fy. The service costs just 5 plus VAT for the body issuing the form and 5 payable at the Post Office for the user of the service.
The service is fully accessed on-line and organisations can even obtain bespoke design forms.
The service has already been thoroughly tried and tested by major bodies such as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), OFSTED, the Ministry of Justice, and the Financial Services Authority.
Other uses of Veri-fy include identity checking as part of the CRB disclosure process and confirmation of ID for the right to work and entitlement to disclosure under the Data Protection Act.
For further details about the Veri-fy service please call 0845 8622 633 or visit www.veri-fy.co.uk.
Kyle Peddie of Veri-fy, said: ìThe Little Red Riding test ñ checking if someone is who they say they are ñ is crucial in tackling identity fraud. Veri-fy provides a robust, low-cost solution to anyone requiring formal verification of their identity for work, mortgage or financial reasons. Veri-fy is simple to use, reducing the risk of identity fraud or theft of personal details.î
Commenting on Veri-fy, Mike Blakemore, Registered Body Support Manager with the Criminal Records Bureau, said: ìWe have worked with Veri-fy in the development of its services which reduces the risk of identity fraud, and helps eradicate the current risks associated with using unskilled evidence checkers.î
He adds: ìEach form has a unique code which can be traced by the counter-signatory to determine which Post Office member of staff processed it providing a clear audit in the event of a query. We have found the service easy to adopt and it should certainly help us to further enhance ID checking and reduce errors.î
New 'little red riding hood test' to combat identity fraud
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