A mismatch can take place for several reasons.
The biggest reason is that the person in the Selfie and on the Photo ID are not the same person. If you get a mismatch, double check the Applicant is the same person as on the Photo ID. If someone is using a false identity, be aware of your safety and follow your internal procedures. Click here for the UK Government Advice on detecting fraudulent documents. If the documents are fraudulent, click here to report your concerns to Action Fraud.
A mismatch can also occur if the applicant’s physical appearance is different to that on the Photo ID. This can happen for several genuine reasons, such as:
- there is a significant age difference between the Applicant and the Photo ID. If this is the case, ask the candidate if they have a more recent Photo ID.
- the Applicant is wearing glasses in the selfie but is not wearing glasses in the Photo ID. If this is the case, restart the Application and ask the Applicant to take off the glasses for the selfie.
- the Applicant has grown or removed a beard since the Photo ID was taken! Tough one this! Spotlite is a computer not a human – you will always be a better judge. Artificial intelligence is not the same as real intelligence!
So, what do you do if Spotlite is just plain wrong - it happens! Well, Spotlite is about helping you collect evidence of compliance and setting basic control standards. If the machine is wrong, you simply override. This will create an Amber warning and will be highlighted on the certificate. We will also double check that the system is not being abused. This will be invisible to both you and the Applicant. We will not put you at risk in front of a potential fraudster but it gives you confidence that we are working with you to help prevent fraud. If we do detect fraud, we will report our suspicions and may monitor your account for a while.