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For users · Privacy and trust

I did not ask to be verified

What it means when a Persona verification appears that you did not request, and how to tell if a request is real.

This guide is for individuals going through a Persona-powered identity verification flow. While we’ve included helpful tips, the verification was set up by the business, service, or organization that asked you to verify. They use Persona as a tool, and they ultimately decide what’s required and can assist with your specific situation, if you’re having trouble.

You usually asked in a roundabout way

Most verification requests you did not expect come from something you actually did: you opened an account, made a purchase, were hired, or signed in somewhere, and that company started a verification as part of it. You asked for it indirectly, not by name.

See if the link came from an email or text from the company you were just dealing with, or from their app or website directly. If the request came from a company you have genuinely never dealt with, treat it like an unsolicited message and do not enter your details.

Places you can check

  • Did the request arrive while you were in that company’s app?
  • Is the sender address one that company really uses?
  • Does the verification flow ask for the usual things, a government ID and a selfie, and nothing else?

When to say no

If you are not sure a request is real, do not scan your ID and do not share the link. The business that supposedly sent it will have a normal customer-service channel, and asking them directly is safer than entering your details on a link you cannot account for. See Is Persona a scam? for how to check.

Still having trouble?
Our support team can help you finish your verification.
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