Gifter ID Check

Dear gifter,

Re: Your financial gift to our client's purchase

You will have been directed to view/read this document as you are contributing funds towards a purchase or similar transaction where we are acting for the main client (the purchaser).

As a regulated business, solicitors are required to verify the identity of those financially contributing to a transaction as well as completing checks on the origin of the funds that you are gifting to the purchaser.

Identity & Money Laundering Checks

We conduct electronic checks with our AML partner, Thirdfort. Please note we are unable to accept the gift towards the purchase price until such time as we have satisfied the verification process for the gifter (you). To complete the electronic ID verification everyone will need to complete a two-step process and have access to:

• Access to a smartphone or tablet with a camera.

• Valid Passport (Any Country) or Valid UK Photocard Driving License (We cannot accept paper licenses.)

• Two separate forms of Address ID for each individual dated within the last 90 days (3 months)

  • i.e. Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Letter from Government Body/Organisation.

If you do not have access to a smartphone/tablet or don’t have a Passport/Driving License, you will need to verify your ID in person. Both processes are detailed below along with acceptable forms of ID.

Verifying your Identity electronically

Thirdfort are our ID Verification Partner. We have teamed up with them to streamline the process and make it as easy as possible for clients. Their app lets you electronically verify your identity safely and securely removing the inconvenience of sending your documents or attending our office.

To use Thirdfort, you will need your phone/tablet and a valid ID. Thirdfort accepts: passports, driving licences, UK Visa’s & residence permits. You will need to download their app and agree to their Privacy Policy. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to use this route.

If you are comfortable using the electronic route please let the Purchaser know. You will then recieve a text message from Thirdfort asking you to download their app and register. Information on the electronic verification process can be found in the Electronic ID Check article - please refer from step 2 onwards. Information on the Source of funds check can be found in the Source of Funds Check article - please refer from step 2 onwards.

If you do not wish to use the electonic route to verify your identity you will need to verify your Identity and the Source of Funds in-person.

Verifying your Identity in-person

If you do not have a smartphone/tablet or Passport/Driving License or do not want to use the electronic verification route, you will need to verify your ID in-person at our Redruth office.

Our Redruth reception is open Monday – Friday, 9.00 am – 5.15 pm. If you wish to present your ID to our St Agnes or Hayle office, you will need to telephone and book an appointment in advance to ensure there is someone available to certify the documents.

Each client who chooses to verify their ID in-person at our office will need to present their own set of ID, we cannot accept your ID if someone else brings it into our office. You will need to bring ALL OF THE following documents.

• Valid photographic ID – see acceptable forms of ID below

• Two separate forms of Address ID – see acceptable forms of ID below

• Source of Funds information - see section below

Acceptable forms of ID

In-Person Source of Funds information

In order to verify the source of the funds, you need to supply an up-to-date bank statement (or multiple statements if the monies are held in more than one account) showing that the funds are in accounts in your names?

If some of the savings are in the form of premium bonds, please provide a print-out of the current value of the bonds held.

In-Person Source of Wealth information

We also need to know what the original source of the funds was.  This could be the sale of other property, sales of assets or shares, inheritance, savings over time, draw-down of a pension pot, a lotto win, etc.

If the funds are savings over time, you will need to provide evidence of the accumulation into your savings account.  Your bank or building society should be able to produce a report showing all monies paid into the account and that dates on which the payments were made. For example if you have been sending £100 a week into your savings account from two different current accounts we would need to see statements for all 3 accounts as far back as when you stated saving for the gift.

If the funds are from any other source, it will be necessary for you to provide evidence for this.  For example, if they are from the sale of a previous property or an inheritance, you will need to let us have a copy of the completion statement produced by the solicitors who acted for you on that sale or the estate accounts from the solicitors who acted in the administration of the estate. 

If the funds are from the sale of assets or shares, you will need to produce a copy of the account from your stockbroker to show the sale and the amount realised for the shares.

If the funds are from a pension pot, your pension provider will be able to give confirmation of that.  For any other source of funding, please telephone us on 01209 213 646 to discuss what will count as sufficient evidence.

Please let us know immediately if any of the funds are coming from overseas, offshore accounts or an account in a British Overseas Territory (Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, etc).

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss this further before providing the source of funds evidence.