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Digital Fraud Check - FAQs

To answer the most frequently asked questions about the Fraud Check

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to address any questions that are not covered in the ‘Deep Dive’ or ‘How‑To’ articles also available in this knowledge base. If you need guidance on the standard use of the Fraud Check, please refer to those articles.

If your query is not covered by these, then please contact your account manager.

What does the Fraud Check do?

SmartSearch’s fraud check is a digital identity verification tool that evaluates multiple data points to assess the risk of fraud. These data points include name, address, mobile number and email address.
 

What is the Identity Check Score?

This is a measure on how well the provided data (name, address, mobile number, email) matches known records.

What is the Identity Network Score?

This is a score that shows how “normal” the usage patterns of those identity elements are, based on global behavioural data.

What does a high score mean?

Higher scores indicate riskier digital behaviour, such as sporadic use, unusual velocity, or low popularity across data sources. The overall score increases if the data provided doesn’t align well with known records, such as other records confirming a name and email address match. It also assesses how “normal” the usage patterns of identity elements (like email) are based on global behavioural data.
 

Why is the result Medium Risk?

A Fraud Check may return a Medium Risk result when some of the digital identity signals don’t fully align with typical low‑risk patterns. This can happen if the email or phone number is newly created, low‑usage, or not well‑linked to the name and address, or if behavioural indicators such as velocity, volatility, popularity, or “date first seen” suggest limited or unusual activity. Medium Risk does not mean confirmed fraud, it simply indicates that the available data is slightly unusual, and should be considered alongside your wider client and transaction information.

Do we need to take action or should we decline this customer?

You don’t need to automatically decline a customer based solely on a Medium or High Risk fraud check result. These scores are advisory indicators, not confirmations of fraud, and should always be reviewed alongside your wider client information and any additional checks you’re carrying out. Fraud scores should not be taken in isolation, and it’s up to your MLRO to advise how to proceed with a customer.