Challenge
A financial services institution needed to verify customer identities before allowing access to their credit application process. The firm required a thorough screening process that could catch fraud early while protecting sensitive applicant data – all without creating a frustrating experience that would drive legitimate applicants away.
Without automated verification, the institution faced a choice between a slow, manual review process that delayed approvals and a lenient approach that exposed the firm to compliance risk and fraudulent applications.
Solution
84EM built a multi-step identity verification system directly into the firm’s WordPress site. The system validates applicants through progressive steps – from initial lead capture through background checks to document verification – ensuring only legitimate applicants proceed to the credit application.
Sensitive personal information is transmitted directly to specialized verification services and never stored on the firm’s own servers, addressing the compliance requirement without compromising the applicant experience.
The compliance team can adjust verification requirements, fraud detection thresholds, and routing logic through the WordPress admin as regulations change – without requiring development work for each policy update.
Key Capabilities
- Progressive identity verification. Applicants move through multiple steps – from initial lead capture through background checks to document verification – with each step triggered automatically based on the results of the previous one.
- No sensitive data stored on-site. All personally identifiable information is transmitted directly to specialized verification services rather than held on the firm’s servers.
- Configurable verification rules. Non-technical staff can enable or disable verification steps, adjust fraud detection thresholds, and modify routing logic through the WordPress admin without code changes.
- Real-time verification feedback. Applicants can correct information immediately, reducing form abandonment while maintaining strict security standards.
Results
The verification system resolved a compliance constraint that had no clean solution before: screening applicants thoroughly without taking on the liability of holding their personal data. All personally identifiable information passes directly to specialized verification services and never touches the firm’s servers.
Application abandonment rates improved because verification happens inline during the application process rather than as a separate step. Users receive immediate feedback when information doesn’t match, allowing them to correct issues on the spot rather than receiving a rejection after submission.
The fraud detection rules catch suspicious patterns early in the process, filtering out clearly invalid submissions before they reach the more thorough verification steps. This reduced per-applicant verification costs while maintaining security standards.
The configurable admin panel gave the compliance team the ability to adjust verification requirements as regulations changed, without requiring development work for each policy update. Verification strictness, fraud rules, and routing destinations are all managed through the WordPress admin.
