How to conduct imposter checks for UK Right to Work after IDVT verification

## What is an IDSP? An Identity Service Provider (IDSP) uses Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) to digitally verify an individual’s identity. A candidate submits a photo of their identity document (e.g. a passport) and a live selfie. The IDSP then checks that the document is authentic, valid, and belongs to the individual in the selfie. Zinc is directly integrated with an approved IDSP provider. ## What are imposter checks? Although IDVT can verify the authenticity of the identity document and match it to the person submitting the check, this does **not** complete the Right to Work check and does **not** provide your organisation with a statutory excuse. An imposter check **must** also be carried out. Its purpose is to confirm that the person presenting themselves for work is the same individual linked to the identity which was verified by the IDSP. Completing an imposter check is essential for establishing a statutory excuse. If your organisation complies with the UK Government’s Code of Practice for Right to Work checks and has carried out both an IDVT check and an imposter check, you will not receive a civil penalty for the individual in question if they are later found to be working illegally. You will not be able to rely on a statutory excuse if it is reasonably apparent that the person presenting the identity documents is not the person referred to in the document, even if the document itself is genuine. ## How to conduct the imposter check Once the IDSP has verified that the identity document is valid and belongs to the individual in the selfie, you must meet with the candidate either in person or via a live video call. You must compare the photograph and biographic details (e.g. date of birth) from the verified identity document with the individual presenting themselves for work, ensuring they are consistent and match the IDVT results. If we've not been able to verify the documents, you will see a **consider** result. You can find more information on what you need to do [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/dd0e3f80-interpret-your-candidates-uk-right-to-work-results-on-zinc). ## Record-keeping requirements for imposter checks A copy of the candidate’s digital identity check results must be kept for as long as the individual works for your organisation, and for two years after they leave. In order to demonstrate compliance with Home Office requirements, you should also document that an imposter check was completed. You should record: - **Who** conducted the imposter check (the employee’s name) - **When** the imposter check was completed (date and time) - **How** the imposter check was conducted (in person or via live video call) ## How Zinc can help Zinc makes completing Right to Work checks simpler for your organisation. Zinc can verify identity documents using our IDSP provider and produce a report outlining what checks have been completed on your candidate. The **Comments** section of the report can then be used to record who completed the imposter check, when it took place, and how it was conducted. If the right to work check on Zinc has already been completed before you add your note, you can still add a comment afterwards to create an audit trail of the imposter check being completed. If you are using an integration, we would recommend you use a field in your integration to record notes. This provides clear evidence of compliance with Home Office requirements for conducting Right to Work checks, ensuring your organisation maintains a valid statutory excuse and avoids fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker. Further information on UK Right to Work checks can be found [here](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide/employers-guide-to-right-to-work-checks-26-june-2025-accessible).