How to Check an ID Document at the Insurance Desk

To check identity documents in insurance, you do three things in order: collect the right details first, examine the document for signs it is genuine, and then test that the document, the form and the person all say the same thing. Then you write down what you checked. This takes a few minutes and it is the core of customer due diligence.

This article gives a method you can use at a desk, on a visit or when you handle a scan. It sits inside the wider know your customer guide for insurance staff.

What to collect before you look at the document

Do not start with the document. Start with what the customer tells you. Ask for:

• Full name as it appears on the document
• Date of birth
• Current address
• Nationality, if your employer's procedure asks for it
• The purpose of the policy

Write these on the form first. Now you have something to compare. If you look at the document first, you tend to copy from it and you lose the chance to see a mismatch.

Your employer's procedure and your local rules say which documents are accepted. They also say how many you need. Follow them. This article does not replace them.

The five things to check on any document

Hold the original if you meet the customer. If you have an image, enlarge it.

1. The type. Is it an accepted document under your procedure? A photo from a phone screen is not the same as an original.
2. The photo. Does the face match the person? Look at the shape of the face, the eyes, the ears, the hairline. Hair and glasses change; the bones do not.
3. The condition. Is the document damaged in a strange place, such as over the photo or the date of birth? Look for lifted laminate, cut edges, glue marks, different fonts or uneven spacing.
4. The dates. Is it valid? Does the issue date make sense for the holder's age? An expired document is not accepted unless your procedure says so.
5. The security features. Most documents have features you can feel or see: raised print, a watermark, a hologram that changes with the angle, tiny text. Your training or your employer will show you the features for the documents you see most often.

You do not need to be a forensic expert. You need to notice when something feels wrong and to say so.

Consistency across the document, the form and the person

This is where most real problems are found. Compare three things:

• Document and form. Name spelled the same? Date of birth the same? If the customer wrote "Jon" and the document says "Jonathan", ask.
• Document and person. Does the age look right? Does the person seem at ease using the name?
• Form and story. Does the address make sense with what they told you about work and family?

A small difference is not a crime. People shorten their names and move house. But every difference needs a reason, and the reason goes in the file.

Example: a driving licence with a fresh address

Say a customer, Ms Torres, applies for a life policy. She gives you a driving licence. The address on the licence is in a city she says she left two years ago. She tells you she lives in a flat in another city. The licence is valid and the photo matches.

This is common. People forget to update a licence. But your form asks for a current address, and the document does not prove it. So you ask for a second item that does, such as a utility bill or bank statement, as your procedure allows. She sends a bank statement showing the address she gave. The name matches. You note: "Licence shows previous address, customer states moved; address confirmed by bank statement."

Now suppose she could not give you any proof of the address, and she became annoyed when you asked. That is a different situation. You do not accuse her. You say you cannot complete the check without it, and you tell your compliance contact. See what to do when a customer cannot provide ID documents.

When this does not work: good forgeries and expired documents

Some forgeries are very good. You cannot always tell by eye. That is why you do not rely on the document alone. You compare it with the form, you ask questions only the real holder would answer easily, and you follow any electronic checks your employer provides.

Expired documents are another problem. A customer in a hurry may show one. Do not accept it unless your procedure allows it. Ask for a valid one, and explain why in plain words: "The rules require a valid document. I can continue as soon as I have one."

If you are checking the document on a screen and not in person, you need extra care. See verifying a customer you never meet.

Recording what you verified

Write a short note that someone else can follow later. Include:

• Which document you saw (type and the last digits of its number, if your procedure allows)
• Whether you saw the original or a copy
• What you compared and the result
• Any difference and the reason given
• Date and your name

Do not write "ID checked, OK". An auditor reading that learns nothing. Write what you actually did.

Learn this in five minutes

The track "Individuals: Documents, Data and Remote Checks" covers what to collect, how to judge a document, remote checks and how to record what you verified. Each lesson is five minutes and built around a desk situation.