What is Electronic Identity Verification (eIV)?

You may have used Electronic Identity Verification (eIV) at some point.  It was designed to prevent fraud and impersonation.

 

Today, it is used, across Canada, by major financial institutions, and is considered a credible way of verifying your identity.

 

According to the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Electronic identity verification (eIV) is a security measure that has been developed by Canadian credit bureaus to electronically confirm the identity of their clients.

 

How does it work?

 

Electronic identity verification uses personal information, collected by the credit reporting agencies, such as Equifax, to ensure that you’re who you are claiming to be.

 

Even though it is provided by credit bureaus, it is not a credit report.

 

Its purpose is to ensure that the information contained in an applicant’s criminal record consent form is accurate and only the right people can access it.

 

This is why you are asked about eIV at the beginning of Canadian Criminal Record Checks.

 

The credit bureau’s Electronic ID Verification process creates four identifier questions relating to your credit history and personal information such as your date of birth.

 

Once you answer these correctly, you can proceed forward.

 

Can I use eIV?

 

Yes, you can and it’s pretty straightforward.

 

Though, there are instances where you may not be able to access eIV. According to the Government of British Columbia website, these are:

 

-Having a less than 6 months credit history in Canada;

-Having lived in Canada for less than two years;

-Being unable to answer the questions correctly;

-And not having a local, current Canadian address.

 

What if eIV fails?

 

While the process is quite simple and can easily be done from any computer or mobile device, on rare occasions, eIV can be unsuccessful.

 

In this situation, you will most likely be asked to follow the paper-based process to verify your

identity.

 

Have more questions about eIV? Call 1-844-874-8667 or visit www.tritoncanada.ca.