For people who received a check link

You’ve been asked to verify your identity

A firm you’re dealing with, such as an estate agent, solicitor, accountant or financial adviser, has sent you an AML Buddy link. UK law requires the firm to confirm who you are before it can act for you. It’s a normal step, and it doesn’t mean anyone suspects you of anything.

Link
Valid for 14 days
The link works for 14 days after the firm sends it. If it has expired, ask the firm for a new one.
Cost
You never pay AML Buddy
The firm pays for the check. There is no payment step inside the check.
Your data
Stored in the UK, encrypted
Your information is stored in the UK and encrypted, and it is used for the firm’s anti-money laundering checks.

Why UK firms must check who you are

Estate and letting agents, solicitors and conveyancers, accountants, bookkeepers, tax advisers and many financial firms are covered by the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (MLRs). The businesses in scope are listed in regulation 8.

Before these firms act for you, they must carry out customer due diligence. In plain terms, they must:

identify you and verify your identity using documents or information from a reliable, independent source (regulation 28);
assess the risk, which includes checking you against sanctions lists and for politically exposed person (PEP) status;
keep a record of the check, normally for five years after the relationship or transaction ends (regulation 40).

When the checks are needed is set out in regulation 27. If a firm cannot complete them, it must not go ahead (regulation 31). Every client is checked, so being asked is not a judgement about you.

What it means for you

You are…	Why you’re being checked
Buying a home	Once the seller accepts your offer, the estate agent is treated as having a business relationship with you too (regulation 4), so it must check you. Your conveyancer checks you separately.
Selling a home	You are the estate agent’s client, so the agent must check you before acting for you.
Renting or letting a home	Letting agents must run these checks on lets where the rent is £10,000 a month or more (since 30 June 2026). Right to Rent and tenant referencing are separate checks.
A client of an accountant, bookkeeper or tax adviser	The firm must check new clients before it starts work. A new accountant will check you even if your old one already did.
A client of a solicitor or conveyancer	Solicitors must check clients for property, company and other financial work covered by the MLRs.
A client of a financial adviser	Advisers covered by the MLRs must check who you are before they act for you.

Each firm is responsible for its own checks. That is why you may be asked more than once, for example by your estate agent and by your conveyancer.

What you’ll be asked for, and what you never will

The check asks for

A photo of your ID document. Use a valid photo ID. If you’re not sure which documents you can use, ask the firm before you start.
A selfie, so it can be matched to the photo on your ID.
Your address, which is matched against your details.
Possibly a few short questions if a name or address match is unclear, for example when you share a name with someone on a sanctions or PEP list.

AML Buddy never asks for

Passwords or PINs
Your online banking login
Your full card number or security code
A payment for the check
Money to be moved or transferred

If a message or phone call asks for any of these “for AML checks”, stop and contact the firm on a number you already have.

How to know the link is genuine

You were expecting it. It comes from a firm you’re already dealing with, usually soon after you instruct it or have an offer accepted.
It never asks for payment, passwords or bank logins. If it does, stop and contact your firm.
The firm can confirm it. If in doubt, call the firm on a phone number you already have, from its website or your paperwork, not one given in the message.

Your link is personal to you, so please don’t forward it. AML Buddy can’t see the details of your sale, purchase or account. For questions about your matter, contact the firm directly.

How the check works

Open the link the firm sent you.
Photograph your ID, following the on-screen guide.
Take a selfie.
Confirm your address.
Answer any follow-up questions, if a match needs clarifying.

The firm then receives a timestamped report of the check for its records. Have your ID to hand and allow a few minutes somewhere with good light.

If a photo or selfie doesn’t work

Problem	What to try
ID photo blurry or rejected	Lay the document flat on a plain, dark surface. Keep all four corners in the frame and the text sharp.
Glare on the document	Turn off the flash, move away from overhead lights and remove any plastic cover or sleeve.
Selfie not accepted	Face a window or a light. Remove sunglasses and hats, hold the phone at eye level and keep still.
Camera won’t open	Allow camera access when your phone asks. If you said no, change it in your phone’s settings and try again.
Link has expired	Ask the firm to send a new link. Links work for 14 days after they are sent.
Your name or address changed recently	Tell the firm before you start. It may ask for extra evidence.

Still stuck? Contact the firm that sent you the link. It can send you a new one.

Your data

Stored in the UK. Verification information is stored on AWS in the United Kingdom.
Encrypted. Data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2 or higher). See security and compliance.
The firm is in charge of it. The firm that sent the link is the controller of your verification information. Zenoo Ltd, which runs AML Buddy, processes it on the firm’s instructions.
Used for anti-money laundering purposes. The law limits how personal data collected for these checks can be used (regulation 41).
Kept as the law requires. The firm decides how long to keep its records. The MLRs require it to keep them for five years after the relationship or transaction ends, then delete them unless another law requires otherwise.
Your rights stay with you. You can ask the firm for a copy of the information it holds about you (subject access request). If you contact us at privacy@amlbuddy.com, we’ll pass your request to the firm. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Full details are in our privacy policy.

Asked for proof of funds or source of funds too?

For a property purchase or a larger transaction, the firm may also ask where your money comes from: for example bank statements showing your deposit building up from salary, a gift letter, or a sale completion statement. This is a separate request from the ID check and comes from the firm itself, usually your conveyancer.

Ask the firm for a written list of what it needs, and send documents in the form it asks for. Our guide explains the difference between source of funds and source of wealth and the evidence firms usually ask for.

Wondering who pays for these checks? Read who pays for AML checks when buying a house.

Questions people ask

Is this link genuine or a scam?

A genuine link comes from a firm you are already dealing with, usually when you expect it. If you were not expecting it, or anything feels wrong, contact the firm on a phone number or email address you already have for it, not the details in the message, and ask whether it sent the link. AML Buddy never asks for passwords, PINs, bank logins, full card numbers or a payment.

Why does my estate agent need my ID if I’m the buyer, not their client?

Under the Money Laundering Regulations, once the seller accepts your offer the estate agent is treated as having a business relationship with you as well as with the seller (regulation 4), so it must check who you are.

My solicitor has already checked my ID. Why do I need to do it again?

Each regulated firm is responsible for its own checks. Your estate agent, your conveyancer and other firms involved may each need to check you separately, even for the same purchase.

Do I have to pay for the check?

Not to AML Buddy. The firm that sent the link pays for the check, and you will never be asked for payment inside it. Some firms charge their own clients an admin fee for compliance checks in their terms of business; if so, the firm should tell you before you commit.

What happens if I don’t complete the check?

If a firm cannot complete its checks, the law says it must not start or continue the business relationship or transaction (regulation 31). In practice, the firm cannot act for you until the check is done.

My link has expired. What should I do?

The link works for 14 days after the firm sends it. If it has expired, ask the firm to send you a new one.

Why am I being asked extra questions after the check?

Sometimes a name or address is similar to a record on a sanctions or politically exposed person (PEP) list. If a match is unclear, you may be asked a few short questions so the firm can see why it was cleared. Many people share a name with someone on a list, so this is routine.

Who can see my information, and how long is it kept?

The firm that asked you to verify receives the result. Zenoo Ltd, which runs AML Buddy, processes your information on the firm’s instructions. The firm decides how long to keep its records; the Money Laundering Regulations require it to keep them for five years after the business relationship or transaction ends (regulation 40).

Sources

Checked on 24 October 2026. This page explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice.

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