"The topic of AI is increasingly coming up in sales and onboarding conversations with property professionals"
- Olly Thornton-Berry - Thirdfort
Demand for digital ID tools among estate agents has grown significantly, according to client due diligence platform Thirdfort, as concerns intensify over identity fraud linked to artificial intelligence. The company reported a 48% year-on-year rise in uptake of its technology among estate agents, driven by a surge in fraud cases facilitated by AI-generated documents.
Figures from Cifas’ Fraudscape 2025 report highlight a 5% increase in reported identity fraud cases compared to 2023. Identity fraud continues to be the most common form of fraud, with online channels accounting for 86% of cases. The data suggests that digital-first processes, while offering convenience, are increasingly being targeted by fraudsters using AI-driven impersonation tactics.
With online threats growing, estate agents are turning to enhanced verification tools to reduce risk. Thirdfort’s system combines ID verification with multi-layered security to confirm the authenticity of documents. The platform also screens for documents that have been reported lost or stolen, and verifies that submitted information is legitimate.
“The topic of AI is increasingly coming up in sales and onboarding conversations with property professionals,” said Olly Thornton-Berry, co-founder and CEO of Thirdfort. “Yet whilst it’s becoming easier for criminals to create convincing fake documents, we have specific protocols in place to protect against these risks.
“Thirdfort’s identity verification solutions use NFC-based ID verification and biometric chip reading to extract and validate data, performing 'liveness' checks by matching a user’s facial scan with the photo on their passport chip.”
