Identity verification leader Credas Technologies, a SmartSearch company, is calling for a national effort to educate consumers on digital identity and processes, warning that widespread lack of understanding is exposing the nation to fraud risk and holding back adoption of more secure verification methods.
Insecure Sharing of Identity Documents
Research into UK-based homebuyers - who undergo some of the most rigorous identity checks of any consumer group - reveals the scale of the problem. Sixty-two percent are sharing copies of identity documents via email and one in ten via WhatsApp - methods with no encryption, audit trails, or security controls.
Demand for Greater Control and Transparency
Despite this, 86% say having control over when and how their data is shared is important or very important, and 32% cite lack of transparency as a major concern. Achieving this control and transparency starts with using more secure and trusted verification methods.
Education Gap and Industry Responsibility
These findings also highlight a broader education challenge. Despite digital identity becoming increasingly essential across banking, healthcare, employment, and property transactions, many homebuyers, for example, lack basic understanding of how it works or why it protects them.
Neil Williams, CTO at Credas, commented: “The problem isn't that the public doesn’t trust digital identity - it's that very few have explained what it actually is or how it protects them better than ‘traditional’ methods. As a provider certified against the UK Government's Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework, we know that the technology exists to give people the control and protection they're asking for. However, if businesses don't explain what they're offering and why it matters, consumers will continue falling back on insecure alternatives, including emailing documents.”
Credas is calling on businesses across property, financial services, and healthcare to prioritise clear, accessible communication about digital identity verification. The company argues that closing the education gap is essential - not just for adoption, but for consumer protection.
“Education isn't marketing, it's a duty of care,” Williams added. “Businesses rolling out digital verification have an obligation to explain what they're asking people to do and why it's safer. Without that, we're leaving consumers vulnerable to fraud and holding back the solutions designed to protect them.”