Payments and Identity Verification Study

Thank you for taking part in this research study. We are exploring how people feel about different types of payments and identity checks.

This survey takes approximately 8-10 minutes. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in your honest reactions.

Your responses are anonymous. No personally identifying information is collected.

Before we begin, please confirm the following:
What is your age?
What is your gender?
Which best describes your current situation?
Please answer all questions to continue.

Everyday payments

We would like to understand how comfortable you feel with different types of payments in everyday situations.
How comfortable would you feel in each of these situations?
Very un­comfortable Un­comfortable Neutral Comfortable Very comfortable
Receiving a bank transfer from someone you know
Receiving a payment from someone you have not met in person
Sending money to someone using account details they gave you
Receiving a payment into your account and then transferring it to another account

Identity checks

We would like to understand how comfortable you feel with different identity checks.
How comfortable would you feel in each of these situations?
Very un­comfortable Un­comfortable Neutral Comfortable Very comfortable
Providing photo ID (passport or driving licence) for an identity check when opening an account
Taking a selfie as part of an identity check
Confirming your home address as part of an identity check
Being asked to verify your identity before receiving a payment

Scenario 1

Please read the following carefully A friend or someone you know asks if they can use your bank account to receive some money. They tell you the money is from work they have done or from selling something online, and that their own account is temporarily unavailable. They ask you to transfer the money to another account once it arrives. They offer to give you some of the money as a thank you.
How likely would you be to agree to help?
Definitely would not
Probably would not
Not sure
Probably would
Definitely would
How comfortable would you feel receiving money into your account and transferring it for them?
Very uncomfortable
Uncomfortable
Neutral
Comfortable
Very comfortable

Scenario 2

Please read the following carefully

You see an online advert or a social media post for flexible, remote work helping a business process customer payments in the UK.

The role is part-time (1-2 hours per week) and suitable for anyone with a UK bank account. Many other people are already doing it to earn extra income and there is no financial risk on your part.

Payments will be sent by their customers to your bank account. Your task is to check the amount matches up to a list of invoices, once confirmed, you then transfer the money to another account using details provided by the company. You would keep a 10% processing fee as your payment for each transfer.

How comfortable would you feel receiving money into your account and transferring it for them?
Very uncomfortable
Uncomfortable
Neutral
Comfortable
Very comfortable
Assume you have accepted the role. How much would the earnings have to be to make you feel the role was worth doing?
£10
£25
£50
£100
£250
£500+

Payment identity checks

Now imagine that some of the payments entering your account will be paused by the bank that sends the customer payments (not paused by the company you work for). The bank asks you to complete an identity check (which includes providing an image of your passport or driving licence, a selfie to match the details and confirmation of your address) using an independent identity service.
For each earnings level below, would the role still be worth doing if an identity check were required?
Amount received 10% processing fee (your earnings) Weekly earnings (4 transactions) Not worth doing with identity check Not sure Still worth doing with identity check
£100£10£40/week
£250£25£100/week
£500£50£200/week
£1,000£100£400/week
£2,500£250£1,000/week
£5,000£500£2,000/week

Identity check: overall

Overall, how does the requirement for an identity check affect how you feel about the job role?
If you would like to explain your answer, you can do so here. (Optional)

Your experience

The next few questions ask about things you may have seen or experienced. There are no right or wrong answers.
Have you ever been offered money to receive funds into your bank account and transfer them to someone else?
Do you know anyone (a friend, family member, or acquaintance) who has been asked to do this?
Where have you seen offers like the ones described in this survey? Select all that apply.

Awareness

Have you heard the term "money mule" before?
Which of the following do you think could happen to someone whose bank account is used to receive and move money for someone else? Select all that apply.

Important information

Please read the following carefully

Sometimes criminals ask people to receive money into their bank account and then send it to another account. The person receiving the money may be told it is part of a job, a favour for a friend, an investment, or a way to earn extra cash.

In reality, the money may come from fraud or other crime. A person who allows their account to be used in this way is known as a "money mule." This is a criminal offence, even if the person did not know where the money came from.

The consequences can include a criminal record, up to 14 years in prison, having bank accounts closed, difficulty getting credit, loans, or a mortgage in the future, and a fraud marker recorded against your name.

Now that you have read this, think back to the scenarios described earlier. How would your answers change?
How likely would you now be to let a friend use your account to receive and send money?
Definitely would not
Probably would not
Not sure
Probably would
Definitely would
How likely would you now be to accept an online role that involves receiving payments and sending them to another account?
Definitely would not
Probably would not
Not sure
Probably would
Definitely would
If an identity check were also required, would that change your answer further?

Thank you

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses will help us understand how people make decisions about payments and identity verification.

The scenarios in this survey were based on real methods used by criminals to recruit people into moving money. If anything in this survey has raised concerns, please speak to your bank or someone you trust.