š¹ Definition
Document Check refers to the process of verifying the authenticity, validity, and accuracy of physical or digital documents submitted during customer onboarding, identity verification, regulatory compliance, or due diligence procedures. It is a foundational element of KYC (Know Your Customer), KYB (Know Your Business), AML (Anti-Money Laundering), and fraud prevention workflows.
The process may be conducted manually by trained compliance officers or automatically using AI-powered document verification software.
š¹ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What types of documents are typically checked?
- For individuals:
- Government-issued ID (e.g., passport, national ID, driverās license)
- Proof of address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement)
- Selfie or biometric scan (for facial matching)
- For businesses:
- Certificate of Incorporation or Business Profile
- Articles of Association / Constitution
- Proof of registered address
- List of directors, shareholders, and Beneficial Owners (UBOs)
Q2: What does the document check process involve?
- Data extraction from the document (e.g., OCR or MRZ scanning)
- Authenticity checks (e.g., watermark, security features, expiration date)
- Data consistency comparison with submitted forms or official databases
- Fraud detection using tamper-detection algorithms or database cross-matching
Q3: Is document check the same as identity verification?
Document check is a core step within the broader identity verification process. It provides document-level assurance, but identity verification may also include biometric matching, liveness detection, and database verification for full risk assessment.
Q4: Can document checks be automated?
Yes. Many RegTech platforms offer real-time document verification through APIs, which include features like:
- Instant forgery detection
- Country-specific document support
- Auto-fail triggers for expired or mismatched documents
- Compliance audit trail for regulatory purposes
