Partnership to Tackle Fraud, Money Laundering

Customers of the second-ranked British property portal are benefiting from a new partnership that streamlines customer verification and anti-money laundering checks.

Smartsearch is now integrated with Alto, Zoopla’s cloud-based software offering for real estate agents. The digital solution provides customer verification without the need for physical documentation.

It uses public information and credit agency records to create a digital identity, meaning that Alto customers are protected against fraud, and comply with the United Kingdom’s tough money laundering laws.

Andy Marshall, Chief Commercial Officer at Zoopla added: “The customer experience is imperative to Alto’s functionality. Designed to deliver a seamless service to our agent partners who use Alto, this integration with SmartSearch is a real milestone on our journey.

He added that Zoopla been very impressed by the ease of use of the SmartSearch system.

"It provides a one-stop-shop for our anti-money laundering checks and the searches can be completed in seconds, providing a big benefit to our customers.”

John Dobson, Chief Executive Officer of SmartSearch, said that it is essential for everyone involved in property transactions to be sure they are using the latest technology to prevent money laundering and fraud.

“Criminals are using cutting-edge technology to create fraudulent documents and it’s imperative that everyone involved in the property purchase process is using the most effective methods to prevent money laundering," he said.

SmartSearch is a leading U.K. provider of anti-money-laundering software. Its anti-money-laundering verification platform conducts individual and business searches with automatic worldwide sanction and PEP screening. It is the only organisation in the U.K. with the ability to verify individuals and companies in the U.K. and internationally all in a single platform via a browser or API, with full Sanction, PEP and adverse media screening, and then ongoing monitoring.