Overview
When a CDD report shows a "Consider" result for one or more checks, it means something could not be fully verified and needs your review.
A Consider result does not mean the client is fraudulent. It means additional context or documentation may be needed before you can reach a decision.
ℹ️ Important
Legl cannot make compliance decisions on your behalf. Your firm's risk-based approach determines what action to take.
Where you will see this
A Consider result can appear in any of the following check areas within a CDD report:
Identity Document Validation
Identity Validation
Biometrics
Financial Screening
Watchlist Screening
Each section below explains the common causes and recommended next steps for the first four check areas.
ℹ️ Further guidance
For a full overview of what your CDD report contains and what each result status means, see Understanding your CDD report.
Identity Document Validation
Why you may see Consider
Poor image quality (blurry, glare, damaged document)
Unsupported or invalid documents (expired IDs, temporary passports, non-Roman characters)
Mismatch or errors: Client-entered data differs from the ID (name variants, date of birth)
Compromised document signals: Flagged on police databases or suspected non-genuine
Data validation errors: Missing or incorrect formats (e.g. date of birth)
Conflicting documents: Multiple uploaded IDs with inconsistent details
Abnormal document features: White patches, mismatched fonts, visible edits, or tampering indicators
Recommended next steps
Follow your firm's ID verification procedures.
If the risk is low, you may override with a rationale in line with your firm's internal process (e.g. a minor typo).
Ask the client to resubmit a clearer or different ID (front and back if relevant).
If issues persist, schedule a live video verification.
Document your actions and decisions in the report comments.
ℹ️ Important
Validation results are final for the submitted files. If quality or formatting is the issue, request a new upload. Remind clients to submit via the ID verification flow so evidence lands in the correct section of the report.
Abnormal Document Features
"Abnormal Document Features" is an outcome during report validation that flags potential quality issues or anomalies in documents. These can include:
Detection process: Identifies anomalies such as white patches, blurry edges, or mismatched fonts, often indicating tampering or low image quality
Fraud assessment: Flags inconsistencies without conclusively determining fraud, ensuring detailed review before making decisions
If flagged, next steps may include requesting clients to:
Submit higher-quality document scans
Address flagged issues through re-upload or clarification
Identity Validation
What is needed for a Clear result
Not found on mortality lists AND
Match on name and date of birth AND
One or more matches on name and current address (across different sources)
If any of these criteria are not met, the result will show as Consider.
Why you may see Consider
The client recently changed address
Typos in name or address
International address with limited data availability
"Unidentified results found"
If you receive a Consider result that reads "unidentified results found", this means that the technology has not been able to confirm that individual's data (e.g. date of birth, name, or address) against any of the databases or records used to perform the Identity Validation check.
This can be a common result for international addresses due to limited datasets outside of the UK. It can also occur for some UK individuals, for example if they recently moved address or their information has not been found on the public data sources checked.
It is up to your firm's risk-based approach whether you are satisfied with the other documents provided in the report, or whether you prefer to ask for additional proof of identity documentation.
Recommended next steps
Accept the ID document as proof of identity, depending on your firm's risk-based approach
Request additional proof of address
Use the comments section in the report to document any manual verification or override justification.
Biometrics
Why you may see Consider
Image integrity: Blurry scans or screenshots; ID photo not suitable for comparison
Face detection errors: No face found, too many faces, or poor framing
No liveness: Required movements not followed
Source integrity: Signs of digital tampering, emulator, or fake webcam
Face comparison: Face on ID does not match selfie or video
Visual authenticity or spoofing: Indicators of a non-real face (paper, screen, or screenshot)
Recommended next steps
Ask the client to redo the biometric step with clear instructions.
If repeat issues occur, consider live video verification.
Document your review and outcome in the report.
Financial Screening
Why you may see Consider
County court judgement (CCJ): The individual has a court order registered against them for failure to repay a debt. The report will detail the date of the order and the amount owed.
Debt collection check: The individual has had credit checks made against them by a debt collection agency in the last 24 months.
No matching record: No record of the individual was found in the credit agency lists.
Recommended next steps
Depending on your internal process, the type of service you are providing, and the risk profile defined within your firm, you may decide to follow extra due diligence steps.
In the instance of "no matching record", you may request additional documents from the client to carry out further credit verification checks.
Watchlist Screening
What happens next
After reviewing each Consider result, document your decision in the report using the comments section. Once the full report has been marked as reviewed, all comments and decisions will be included in the downloadable PDF.
If your firm requires a colleague to review the report, you can assign a new reviewer from the review window by clicking Change and selecting from the dropdown.
In some instances, you may need your client to complete the check again. If this is the case, click Create Engage Request and generate a new link for your client.
Important information
A Consider result does not mean a client has failed due diligence. It means manual review is required.
Legl cannot provide legal advice on how to interpret or act on CDD results. Your firm is responsible for applying its own risk-based approach and escalation procedures.
Financial screening is only available for individuals with a UK address. Clients with a non-UK address will receive an N/A result for this section.
Document your reasoning for every decision, especially when overriding a Consider result.