Sharing personal information might seem a bit daunting at first, especially when there are so many dodgy websites around which prey on vulnerable internet users. On Mr.Q.com, we understand our customers’ concerns regarding sensitive data and why this topic needs to be addressed. After reading your comments, we have compiled some useful information about the process of verifying your identity online, how and why this is required on any gambling website, plus a brief introduction to YOTI, our digital identity verification company of choice.
The KYC process
Let’s start with some basic terms. KYC (or Know Your Customer) is a security process by which financial organisations (i.e banks) or businesses alike (gambling sites) are able to verify and identify their customers. Many steps are involved in achieving this; however, the main three are:
- Collection of personal information
- Requesting users to upload evidence or documentation
- Verification of information
Aside from verifying someone’s identity, it provides other functions:
- Protection against fraud, corruption and terrorist funds
- Anti-money laundering (AML)
- Prevention of identity theft
Understanding this first concept will help you flow through the rest of the blog. To keep things light, we will try to explain or avoid “technical jargon” whenever possible.
What documents we require for security purposes
In most cases, we are able to verify your identity electronically when you add a payment method to MrQ.com. This not only saves time, but simplifies the identity verification process a great deal. In the unlikely event this doesn’t work, you will receive an email asking for the required information, which usually consists of:
- A clear, colour copy of your photo ID, showing your date of birth. Accepted documents include:
- Passport
- UK Driving Licence
- Birth Certificate
- Non-UK Driving Licence
- Non-UK National ID card
- Proof of address documents we can accept:
- Home Utility bill (mobile bills not accepted) - dated in the last 3 months.
- Council Tax Statement - dated in the last 12 months
- Official Government Letters, for example HMRC letters/statement or Electoral Register Confirmation - dated in the last 3 months
- Home / Motor Insurance Document - dated in the last 3 months
- Mortgage Statement from a recognised lender - issued in the last 12 months
- Letters from Financial Institutions - dated in the last 3 months
You can either download your online statement or take a photo of the documents mentioned above. Once gathered, simply send your attachments to [email protected]. Our verification team will then assess this information and produce an outcome: approved or rejected.
Why we need your personal data
Now that you have been introduced to the documents required to verify your identity, let us continue with why we need them in the first place. There are a number of reasons, but the main one is this: MrQ.com uses this information to keep you (and other players) safe. That means ensuring our gambling website is 18 plus, our clients’ funds have been legally obtained, not linked to crime or other harmful activities. In sum, everything is fair and square. If this sounds familiar, it is because you have understood the concept of KYC explained in the previous section.
Where is your personal information stored
After scanning and sending all these documents, you might wonder what happens to your personal information or how it is stored. Most importantly: is it safe? These are all very reasonable questions. Let us reassure you by introducing YOTI, a data encrypted platform that uses next-generation technology to bring you some peace of mind.
An introduction to Yoti
Yoti is a global digital identity platform that offers an unique way to prove your identity. Founded in 2014, it can be used both by individuals and companies, having a free app available (download from Apple store and Google play). On a personal user level, it provides you with a re-usable digital ID, giving you a safe way to share personal details with others, including third-parties and companies. For businesses like MrQ.com, it allows us to obtain regulatory checks, i.e. KYC data (identity and age verification, for example), easily integrating this functionality within our website. In conclusion, Yoti makes identity checking a smooth process for everyone, whether an individual or a company.
How Yoti revolutionises online security
Yoti has reinvented the future of identity verification. It offers a safer, simpler and faster way to prove who you are on the web. Relying on biometrics, their technology brings online security to a whole new level. They are the very best of their kind. Their services are even used by some well-known organisations, such as the NHS, the Post Office Ltd and the Co-op, to mention a few.
Yoti unique’s way of storing information
Using Yoti provides us with a sense of security when dealing with personal data. This is because all the personal information they collect is rapidly encrypted, split up and safely stored in their databases. They hold really high standards and are monitored by an independent group who supervise every aspect of their organisation. To top this, their systems are built in a way that they cannot mine or sell your data to third-parties.
Conclusion
Although today’s technology has made it easier to communicate with each other and enjoy ourselves in a way considered unthinkable only twenty years ago, it hasn’t come without any risks. Fortunately, most reliable websites try their very best to protect their users, and rely on third-parties (i.e Yoti) to ensure data confidentiality.
If you would like to discover more about Yoti, we recommend visiting their website and browsing through their FAQs at https://www.yoti.com
