Conducting Thirdfort ID & AML checks for owners & buyers

Conducting owner verification checks via property workflow

Alto and Thirdfort have partnered to bring Thirdfort's market leading verification checks into Alto's property workflow and Keyflo.

Thirdforts ID checks are compliant with HM Land Registry's Digital ID standard, HMRC guidelines and the requirements for Companies House. Plus, they've been certified by the UK Government’s Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework.

Currently in Alto, checks for property owners include:

• Anti-money laundering - this check performs an AML check
• ID verification & Anti-money laundering - this check verifies the identity of your contact (client) and also performs an AML check
• ID verification, Anti-money laundering, and Proof of ownership - this check verifies the identity of your contact (client), performs an AML check, and asks them to upload documentation i.e. a mortgage statement for proof of ownership

Proof of ownership relies on documentation the contact (client) uploads. To additionally confirm ownership against the official register, you can separately order Land Registry title checks, which retrieve the HM Land Registry Register and Title plan for the property.

Once you're ready to conduct a verification check:

1. Click Properties on the main navigation bar
2. Select the relevant property from Recent & Favourite Properties
   1. Alternatively, find the property using the Search Properties bar in the top right
3. All properties will have a Prepare Property banner at the top of the page. Click Order below Verification checks to open up the property workflow and land on the Post-appraisal tab
4. In the Owner ID checks section, any checks you've already requested will be listed. To conduct a new check, click Start a Thirdfort check 
5. In the Owners section:
   1. If you click Change, you can specify the Phone number and Email address of the different owners to confirm their contact details.
      (It's possible for the owners to have the same Phone number, but a different Email address should be used. A correct mobile number is essential to ensuring the checks are initiated, and you can use a UK or non UK number. A correct Email address ensures they're notified of the task. Should a Phone number/Email address be missing, you'll see a warning with a link to update the owner(s) contact record.)
   2. Click Confirm when done
6. In the Type section:
   1. If you click Change, you can use the Same for everyone toggle to determine if you want your upcoming check type to be the default for all your contacts (in this instance, owners). Then, select the type of check to run; ID, AML & Proof of ownership, ID & AML or AML only
   2. If AML only is selected, you'll need to enter the owners Date of birth
   3. Click Confirm alongside both sections when done
7. When you're ready, click Send
   1. If you choose AML only, you'll receive the results in minutes and be notified that they're ready for you to review, from within the Timeline and via a Client activity notification
   2. If you choose ID, AML & Proof of ownership, or, ID & AML, the owner(s) will be invited to complete their checks (via Keyflo)

This is the 2nd 'owner task' as part of property workflowthat is sent (via Keyflo) we ask them to complete. As a prerequisite, Alto will send the owner an email - either prompting them to register for Keyflo, or notifying them that they have a task to complete if they are already registered. 

 Note

We’ll automatically nudge the owner(s) to complete their check(s).

If they don't complete their check, they'll be sent email reminders after 1 day, 3 days, 5 days and 7 days. Each email reminder that's sent will be recorded on the Timeline.

To stop email reminders being sent, you can either cancel the check OR the owner(s) can click Get started when they open the task (as mentioned below).

Once the owner is registered/logged in, they'll be prompted about a Complete verification checks task they have - upon selecting Start, they'll be prompted to download the Thirdfort app to complete the checks. If they then click Get started, Thirdfort will send them an email and text message with the relevant links to get started.

Owner completes the verification checks

Reviewing the verification check results

Once the owner(s) submit their verification checks, Thirdfort will generate a report.
An example report can be viewed here.


Back in Alto, if you are the assigned negotiator, you'll be notified the task has been actioned and that the results are ready for you to review, from within the Timeline and via a Client activity notification. 

Selecting the Client activity notification will take you to the Client activity page. Here you'll be able to see which properties you've sent requests for, as well as the status and type of each request. 

If you filter by ID checks, you can see all the checks that have been requested and their status. However, if you click Go to task on the relevant property, it opens up a timeline where you can see the time and date stamp, and status, for when the checks for this 'owner task' were Completed. 



The final step is to click Open report to review the .pdf report and then either Mark it as complete, or Fail the checks, depending on the content of the report. (If a report shows a red or orange flag, it may indicate potential fraudulent activity, so always consult your compliance officer if you are unsure)

Once completed or failed, the results will automatically save to the contact record on the Compliance tab. Additional notes can be entered manually in the Manual anti-money laundering checks section for future reference.



 

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With the owner verification checks completed, you can also conduct Land Registry title checks, and configure ahead of time whether to automatically send quotes from our vetted approved panel of conveyancers to your contacts.

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FAQs

• What is an enhanced NFC ID check?

An enhanced NFC ID check is Thirdfort's most advanced identity verification process, designed to meet the HM Land Registry Digital ID Standard ("Safe Harbour"). It provides the highest standard of ID verification for property transactions and other regulated activities. It includes:

NFC biometric passport chip reading: The clients passport chip is scanned via a smartphone to extract and verify all biometric data, ensuring the document is genuine and has not been tampered with. Only NFC-enabled passports are accepted for this check.

Electronic address verification: Automatically checks the address against trusted data sources to confirm the clients current residence and catch issues like postal redirects, mortality reports, or past fraud.

Screening for PEPs and sanctions: Checks the client against politically exposed persons (PEP) lists and sanctions lists as part of AML compliance.

Additional risk warnings: Includes checks for fraud alerts, date of birth validation, and other extra flags not possible in manual processes.

• What is an original ID check?

The original ID check is available as a fail safe, if the enhanced NFC ID check is unable to be completed. It's an app-based verification that authenticates a client’s identity using photos of their ID document. (accepted: passport, driving licence, national ID card, residence permit).

• What is Proof of Ownership?

Proof of Ownership helps verify property ownership by collecting documents that link contacts (clients) to a property.⁠⁠ It's typically requested as an add-on task to ID checks for property sellers and supports HM Land Registry's Digital ID Standard requirements.⁠⁠

While Proof of Ownership relies on documents the contact (client) provides, you can also separately order Land Registry title checks to verify the registered owners directly against the official HM Land Registry records.

• What if the contact (client) doesn’t have a passport?

If the contact (client) doesn’t have a passport, they can use another form of photo identification such as a driving licence or national identity card via the Thirdfort app.

• Do these checks cover Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening?

Yes. The checks include identity verification, Right to Rent checks, PEP screening, and international sanctions list screening. They also include digital address verification and other compliance benefits.

• What if the contact (client) doesn’t have a smartphone?

Thirdfort’s research shows that contacts (clients) over 60 are more likely to complete ID checks successfully than those aged 30–39. If your contact (client) doesn’t have a smartphone, they can use a compatible device belonging to a trusted friend, family member, or even one available at your office.

• Are there plans to create a payment link for ID & AML checks?

This functionality is not currently available but may be introduced in a future release.

• Does Thirdfort have the ability to complete checks on contacts (clients) that live abroad or is this just for UK residents?

Yes - the ID & AML checks support non-UK residents.

• Does Thirdfort have the ability to check when a company is involved?

When a company is involved in a transaction, it is important to run ID & AML checks on the key individuals involved. You can do this by adding those individuals as contacts in Alto. Thirdfort also has functionality to support generating Company Summary, Registry documents and UBO report, however this isn’t something we currently support within Alto.

Conducting owner verification checks via the contact record

Alto and Thirdfort have partnered to bring Thirdfort's market leading verification checks into Alto's property workflow and Keyflo.

Thirdforts ID checks are compliant with HM Land Registry's Digital ID standard, HMRC guidelines and the requirements for Companies House. Plus, they've been certified by the UK Government’s Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework.

Currently in Alto, checks for property owners include:

• Anti-money laundering - this check performs an AML check
• ID verification & Anti-money laundering - this check verifies the identity of your contact (client) and also performs an AML check
• ID verification, Anti-money laundering, and Proof of ownership - this check verifies the identity of your contact (client), performs an AML check, and asks them to upload documentation i.e. a mortgage statement for proof of ownership

Proof of ownership relies on documentation the contact (client) uploads. To additionally confirm ownership against the official register, you can separately order Land Registry title checks, which retrieve the HM Land Registry Register and Title plan for the property.

Once you're ready to conduct a verification check:

1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
   1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
3. All contact records have a banner at the top of the page - click Order below Verification checks to start a standalone Thirdfort check
   1. Alternatively, you can order standalone checks from the Compliance tab. Click Contact on the side menu, then click the Compliance top tab. Click Start a Thirdfort Check
4. As every check is associated to a property, use the Select a property search bar to select the relevant property that the verification checks will be associated with. Then, click Associate
5. In the Owners section:
   1. If you click Change, you can specify the Phone number and Email address of the different owners to confirm their contact details.
      (It's possible for the owners to have the same Phone number, but a different Email address should be used. A correct mobile number is essential to ensuring the checks are initiated, and you can use a UK or non UK number. A correct Email address ensures they're notified of the task. Should a Phone number/Email address be missing, you'll see a warning with a link to update the owner(s) contact record.
   2. Click Confirm when done
6. In the Type section:
   1. If you click Change, you can use the Same for everyone toggle to determine if you want your upcoming check type to be the default for all your contacts (in this instance, owners). Then, select the type of check to run; ID, AML & Proof of ownership, ID & AML or AML only
   2. If AML only is selected, you'll need to enter the owners Date of birth
   3. Click Confirm alongside both sections when done
7. When you're ready, click Send 
   1. If you choose AML only, you'll receive the results in minutes and be notified that they're ready for you to review, from within the Timeline and via a Client activity notification
   2. If you choose ID, AML & Proof of ownership, or, ID & AML, the owner(s) will be invited to complete their checks (via Keyflo)

As a prerequisite, Alto will send the owner an email - either prompting them to register for Keyflo, or notifying them that they have a task to complete if they are already registered. 

 Note

We’ll automatically nudge the owner(s) to complete their check(s).

If they don't complete their check, they'll be sent email reminders after 1 day, 3 days, 5 days and 7 days. Each email reminder that's sent will be recorded on the Timeline.

To stop email reminders being sent, you can either cancel the check OR the owner(s) can click Get started when they open the task (as mentioned below).

Once the owner is registered/logged in, they'll be prompted about a Complete verification checks task they have - upon selecting Start, they'll be prompted to download the Thirdfort app to complete the checks. If they then click Get started, Thirdfort will send them an email and text message with the relevant links to get started.

Owner completes the verification checks

Reviewing the verification check results

Once the Owner(s) submit their verification checks, Thirdfort will generate a report.
An example report can be viewed here.


Back in Alto, if you are the assigned negotiator, you'll be notified the task has been actioned and that the results are ready for you to review, from within the Timeline and via a Client activity notification. 

Selecting the Client activity notification will take you to the Client activity page. Here you'll be able to see which properties you've sent requests for, as well as the status and type of each request. 

If you filter by ID checks, you can see all the checks that have been requested and their status. However, if you click Go to task on the relevant property, it opens up a timeline where you can see the time and date stamp, and status, for when the checks for this 'owner task' were Completed. 



The final step is to click Open report to review the .pdf report and then either Mark it as complete, or Fail the checks, depending on the content of the report. (If a report shows a red or orange flag, it may indicate potential fraudulent activity, so always consult your compliance officer if you are unsure)

Once completed or failed, the results will automatically save to the contact record on the Compliance tab. Additional notes can be entered manually in the Manual anti-money laundering checks section for future reference.



 

---

With the owner verification checks completed, you can also conduct Land Registry title checks, and configure ahead of time whether to automatically send quotes from our vetted approved panel of conveyancers to your contacts.

---

FAQs

• What is an enhanced NFC ID check?

An enhanced NFC ID check is Thirdfort's most advanced identity verification process, designed to meet the HM Land Registry Digital ID Standard ("Safe Harbour"). It provides the highest standard of ID verification for property transactions and other regulated activities. It includes:

NFC biometric passport chip reading: The clients passport chip is scanned via a smartphone to extract and verify all biometric data, ensuring the document is genuine and has not been tampered with. Only NFC-enabled passports are accepted for this check.

Electronic address verification: Automatically checks the address against trusted data sources to confirm the clients current residence and catch issues like postal redirects, mortality reports, or past fraud.

Screening for PEPs and sanctions: Checks the client against politically exposed persons (PEP) lists and sanctions lists as part of AML compliance.

Additional risk warnings: Includes checks for fraud alerts, date of birth validation, and other extra flags not possible in manual processes.

• What is an original ID check?

The original ID check is available as a fail safe, if the enhanced NFC ID check is unable to be completed. It's an app-based verification that authenticates a client’s identity using photos of their ID document. (accepted: passport, driving licence, national ID card, residence permit).

• What is Proof of Ownership?

Proof of Ownership helps verify property ownership by collecting documents that link contacts (clients) to a property.⁠⁠ It's typically requested as an add-on task to ID checks for property sellers and supports HM Land Registry's Digital ID Standard requirements.⁠⁠

While Proof of Ownership relies on documents the contact (client) provides, you can also separately order Land Registry title checks to verify the registered owners directly against the official HM Land Registry records.

• What if the contact (client) doesn’t have a passport?

If the contact (client) doesn’t have a passport, they can use another form of photo identification such as a driving licence or national identity card via the Thirdfort app.

• Do these checks cover Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening?

Yes. The checks include identity verification, Right to Rent checks, PEP screening, and international sanctions list screening. They also include digital address verification and other compliance benefits.

• What if the contact (client) doesn’t have a smartphone?

Thirdfort’s research shows that contacts (clients) over 60 are more likely to complete ID checks successfully than those aged 30–39. If your contact (client) doesn’t have a smartphone, they can use a compatible device belonging to a trusted friend, family member, or even one available at your office.

• Are there plans to create a payment link for ID & AML checks?

This functionality is not currently available but may be introduced in a future release.

• Does Thirdfort have the ability to complete checks on contacts (clients) that live abroad or is this just for UK residents?

Yes - the ID & AML checks support non-UK residents.

• Does Thirdfort have the ability to check when a company is involved?

When a company is involved in a transaction, it is important to run ID & AML checks on the key individuals involved. You can do this by adding those individuals as contacts in Alto. Thirdfort also has functionality to support generating Company Summary, Registry documents and UBO report, however this isn’t something we currently support within Alto.

Conducting buyer verification checks via the contact record

Alto and Thirdfort have partnered to bring Thirdfort's market leading verification checks into Alto's property workflow and Keyflo.

Currently, checks for property buyers include:

• Source of funds - request your contact (client) to complete a questionnaire about their source of funds as well as providing access to bank details (via open banking or document upload)

Once you're ready to conduct a verification check:

1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
   1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
3. All contact records have a banner at the top of the page - click Order below Verification checks to start a standalone Thirdfort check
   1. Alternatively, you can order standalone checks from the Compliance tab. Click Contact on the side menu, then click the Compliance top tab. Click Start a Thirdfort Check
4. As every check is associated to a property, use the Select a property search bar to select the relevant property that the checks will be associated with. Then, click Associate
5. In the Buyers section:
   1. If you click Change, you can specify the Phone number and Email address of the different buyers to confirm their contact details.
      (It's possible for the buyers to have the same Phone number, but a different Email address should be used. A correct mobile number is essential to ensuring the checks are initiated, and you can use a UK or non UK number. A correct Email address ensures they're notified of the task. Should a Phone number/Email address be missing, you'll see a warning with a link to update the buyer(s) contact record.)
   2. Click Confirm when done
6. In the Type section:
   1. If you click Change, you can use the Same for everyone toggle to determine if you want your upcoming check type to be the default for all your contacts (in this instance, buyers). Then, select the type of check to run; Source of funds
   2. Click Confirm when done
7. When you're ready, click Send and the buyer(s) will be invited to complete their checks (via Keyflo)

As a prerequisite, Alto will send the buyer an email - either prompting them to register for Keyflo, or notifying them that they have a task to complete if they are already registered. 

Once the buyer is registered/logged in, they'll be prompted about a Complete verification checks task they have - upon selecting Start, they'll be prompted to download the Thirdfort app to complete the checks. If they then click Get started, Thirdfort will send them an email and text message with the relevant links to get started.

Buyer completes the verification checks

Reviewing the verification check results

Once the buyer(s) submit their checks, Thirdfort will generate a report.
An example report can be viewed here.

Back in Alto, if you are the assigned negotiator, you'll be notified the task has been actioned and that the results are ready for you to review, from within the Timeline and via a Client activity notification. 

Selecting the Client activity notification will take you to the Client activity page. Here you'll be able to see which properties you've sent requests for, as well as the status and type of each request. 

If you filter by ID checks, you can see all the checks that have been requested and their status. However, if you click Go to task on the relevant property, it opens up a timeline where you can see the time and date stamp, and status, for when the checks were Completed. 

The final step is to click Open report to review the .pdf report and then either Mark it as complete, or Fail the checks, depending on the content of the report. (If a report shows a red or orange flag, it may indicate potential fraudulent activity, so always consult your compliance officer if you are unsure)

Once completed or failed, the results will automatically save to the contact record on the Compliance tab. Additional notes can be entered manually in the Manual anti-money laundering checks section for future reference.

 

FAQs

• What is the Source of Funds product and how does it work with Open Banking?

Thirdfort's Source of Funds product streamlines the complex task of verifying where clients' funds originate.⁠⁠ It combines an interactive questionnaire that gathers detailed information about fund origins⁠⁠ with advanced bank statement analysis using Open Banking technology or manual upload options.⁠⁠ 
Using government-backed Open Banking technology, clients can automatically share 6 months of bank statements securely.⁠⁠ Thirdfort analyse statements for red flags like cash deposits and show how account balances have changed over time, highlighting key transactions.⁠⁠