Identity verification: a route-checking checklist

Readers considering identity verification can separate three questions: what the current official requirements say, whether the submission channel is authentic, and whether the proposed action matches those requirements. This checklist offers a way to organise those questions without assuming that any particular process, request or outcome has been confirmed.

Readers can approach an identity-verification route check as a comparison exercise, rather than treating a page title, familiar branding or an incoming message as sufficient evidence.

Check the source before the request

• Readers can consult current official guidance before considering a submission.
• They can verify the submission channel independently, rather than relying solely on a link supplied in an unexpected message.
• They can compare the purpose described in the guidance with the purpose stated at the point of submission.
• If those descriptions differ, readers can pause and seek clarification through an independently verified contact route.

Establish the current requirements

Readers can check what the official instructions currently ask them to do, which circumstances those instructions cover, and where any exceptions are explained. They should avoid treating an old checklist, another person's account or a third-party summary as a substitute for current requirements.

If the instructions are unclear, readers can ask for clarification without attaching verification material. They can also distinguish between general guidance and instructions that apply to their own situation. No particular submission item should be assumed necessary merely because it appears in an unrelated example.

Review the submission boundary

Before proceeding, readers can check:

• Whether the proposed channel has been independently verified.
• Whether the action requested is explicitly covered by current official instructions.
• Whether the stated purpose and handling information are clear enough to assess.
• Whether there is an identifiable route for questions, corrections or stopping the process.

Readers should never include card images, card security codes, PINs, one-time codes, passwords or recovery codes in verification files, screenshots, email, chat or support messages. This precaution is separate from normal entry into a verified payment form.

Keep a useful decision record

Readers can record where they found the guidance, when they consulted it and which questions remain unresolved. They can keep that record focused on the instructions and their own decision-making, rather than creating unnecessary copies of sensitive material.

A useful note can distinguish what the guidance states from what the reader still needs to verify. Readers can also avoid describing an unresolved question as a completed check.

Decide whether to proceed

Before taking the next step, readers can compare the current requirements, verified channel and proposed action once more. If any part remains unclear or inconsistent, they can pause. A checklist should support a considered decision, not create pressure to submit material or imply that completion guarantees a particular outcome.