Frequently Asked Questions
Treefort Identity Verification
What devices and software are compatible with Treefort?
Treefort is designed to work on any device (e.g., cell phone/iPad/laptop or desktop computer) as well as any browser.
Can we verify international clients and use international phone numbers?
Yes. International phone numbers can be used; however, we can only check Canadian phone numbers against the telecommunication companies for fraud risks. International clients can be Identity Verified if they have a valid international passport and an international cell phone that can receive text messages through their cellular data.
What are the accepted forms of ID for an Identity Verification through Treefort?
Acceptable forms of Primary ID are:
Canadian or Foreign Passport
Canadian Driver's License
Canadian Permanent Resident Card
Canadian Provincial or Territorial ID
NEXUS Card
Acceptable forms of Secondary ID are:
Canadian Passport
Canadian Driver's License
Canadian Permanent Resident Card
Canadian Citizenship or Naturalization Card/Certificate
Canadian Provincial or Territorial ID Card (including BC Services Card)
Canadian Certificate of Indian Status
Canadian DND Military ID Card
Ontario Photo Card issued under the Photo Card Act
Canadian Birth Certificate
Canadian Provincial Health Card (ON, MB, and NS are not accepted)
Possession and Acquisition License issued by the Canadian Federal
Government under the Firearms Act.
FAST Card
NEXUS Card
Passport Issued by Other Country
What are the Reliable Sources used by Treefort to verify identity?
Flinks, for the banking verification: https://flinks.com/security/ & https://flinks.com/privacy/.
Yoti, for the ID Authentication: https://www.yoti.com/privacy/
iProov, for the liveness detection and face matching: https://www.iproov.com/privacy-policy
Equifax, for a credit file confirmation using Equifax's AML system: https://www.equifax.com/privacy/
Enstream, to confirm telecommuncation information: https://www.enstream.com/privacy-policy
ComplyAdvantage, for the Anti-Money Laundering checks: https://complyadvantage.com/privacy-notice
Will the Credit File Method affect an individuals Credit Score?
A Treefort Identity Verification will not affect the individual's credit score because a Treefort ID verification is recorded as a "soft pull" at the credit bureau. This means the search will appear as an inquiry on the individual's credit file and the individual can see that the search was done, however, the search does not affect the individual's credit score.
How is client data used?
When you initiate an Identity verification with a client using Treefort, you provide us with basic personal information such as the client’s email address and cell phone number. This information is then used, with client participation and only after acceptance of a comprehensive Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy, to compare against data held by third-party reliable sources (e.g., government-issued photo ID uploaded by the client, Equifax, etc.).
Where does Treefort store data?
All data will be stored using a cloud-hosted server on the Amazon Web Services platform. Our web applications use the Canada Central (Toronto and Montreal) locations to store all data. Amazon may copy customer data between regions within Canada (Toronto or Montreal) for data redundancy or other operational purposes but will not transfer data outside of Canada.
How long is data stored on Treefort?
Currently, Treefort retains the raw data that generates the Treefort reports in end-to-end encrypted separate secure servers that are not connected to our main system. Treefort retains the Treefort reports for up to 1 year and the raw data that make up the Treefort report for up to 2 years.
Do you share clients’ personal data with third parties?
We only share clients' personal data with reliable third-party service providers with strict privacy policies and data security measures in place, for the sole purpose of conducting the services (e.g., Identity Verification), as outlined by our Privacy Policy that the client must agree to begin the IDV process.
Is treefort included on the (DIACC) List?
We are happy to say that, yes, we are part of the DIACC list of Products That Assess Identification Documents and Verify Identity. The magic of Treefort is not that we have developed proprietary technologies like the ones listed in the DIACC Directory, but that we bring all the best-in-class digital ID technologies together in one workflow that is easy for the individual to go through and produces an easy-to-read report that contains the results from all these technologies.
What are the differences between the three acceptable methods used to confirm Compliance and how does Treefort’s ID verification product comply with these methods?
Government Issued ID Method - Is simply the process of legal professional looking at a client(s) driver’s license or passport (ID with a photo issued by a local or federal government) and copying and adding the copy to their client file. This is the method that lawyers have used and continue to use to verify the identity of their clients. One challenge with this method is that fraudsters using advanced technology are now able to create fake ID’s that are virtually impossible to tell visually that they are fake. Treefort’s ID verification technology incorporates Selfie ID technology which uses AI to review all types of forms of government issued ID and compare that ID with a selfie or scan of your face to confirm identity.
Credit File Method - Is the method where you match name/address/DOB provided by the individual against the credit bureaus. There are only 2 credit bureaus in Canada, Equifax, and TransUnion. Treefort currently uses Equifax and accesses their AML Assist product which was specifically designed to assist banks with FINTRAC compliance.
Dual Process Method - Is a method where you need 2 sources to confirm a person’s identity. For example, you could verify that a person has a bank account and confirm through a credit bureau that the person has at least 3 years of credit history with a Canadian financial institution and confirm name address and DOB with a credit bureau or other source. Treefort is able to satisfy this KYC method because it connects to multiple reliable sources to confirm identity.
Which address should be used in the ID verification process?
For the best results, use the address as it is listed on the client’s ID document (e.g., driver's license). If the client has recently changed addresses and has not updated their address on their ID document and at their financial institution, the client should use a previous address.
Banking Verification
Does banking verification via Treefort void CDIC coverage for the client’s bank account?
No, utilizing the Flinks platform to confirm whether an individual has an account with a Canadian financial institution does not violate the terms of the account agreement the individual has with the bank or compromise any coverage the individual would have through CDIC.
Are clients protected under the CDIC Deposit Protection Insurance?
There would not be coverage under the CDIC Deposit Protection Insurance, but to get a definitive answer the individual would need to contact their bank directly. If something happened during the ID verification process that resulted in the individual suffering a loss, the individual would have recourse against Treefort Technologies' insurance.
If you have additional questions with respect to this, please reach out to our team at privacy@treeforttech.com.
What is Flinks and why am I asked to connect to my bank account?
Flinks is a company that specializes in banking verification. Their technology is connected to the most financial institutions across Canada and is trusted by companies such as Equifax, Stripe and Wealthsimple. Depending on the type of business transaction you may be required by your lawyer, notary, or a title insurance company to go through this process for the purpose of confirming your identity and mitigating fraud. When asked to verify banking, limited account details will be securely exchanged (with your consent) between your bank and ID verification initiator (Lawyer/Notary) to confirm your identity. The process is very simple: all you need to do is select the financial institution where you have your primary bank account (i.e., the account where income is deposited, and bills are paid from) then sign in and then sign out. Neither your IDV initiator or Treefort (nor any other party) will gain access to your banking password, account number, or account balances as a part of this process.
What exactly is the information I’m sharing with you during the banking verification?
Bank account information exchange is limited to confirming your name and address, the age of the account, frequency of account transactions and the presence of specific payment attributes. This is important information needed to perform identity verification and fraud screening.
What if I don’t feel comfortable sharing this information online and have concerns about security?
Flinks is designed specifically to enhance your privacy and security. It operates using 256‐bit encryption. Flinks’ security controls are routinely audited by reputable independent firms. Usernames and passwords are never displayed, viewed, or stored. Compared to sending PDFs over email or handling printed documents, this is the safest, fastest, and most convenient way for you to share financial information from your bank account. For additional information, please see links to Flinks Security and Privacy Pages: https://flinks.com/security/ & https://flinks.com/privacy/.
Am I giving you access to log into my accounts when I complete the banking verification?
Absolutely Not. Neither your IDV initiator or Treefort (nor any other party) will gain access to your banking password, account number, or account balances as a part of this process.
Do I really need to do the banking verification?
We use this tool because it is the safest and most convenient way for clients to confirm they have a bank account with a Canadian financial institution. This information is a necessary step of identity verification and fraud screening. Flinks provides many benefits over old-fashioned methods, such as security, privacy, convenience, and speed.
