Security Benefit works with ID.me to verify the identity of users registering for online access to their Security Benefit accounts. The role of ID.me is exclusively regarding identity verification. Identity verification helps combat attempted fraud and reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your Security Benefit financial accounts. This article explains how to verify your identity for Security Benefit.
About identity verification
Verifying your identity with ID.me includes remote verification of physical IDs, mobile network operator (MNO) data, and fraud and compliance checks. ID.me uses machine vision, proprietary rules, a rich document library, and AI to determine authenticity of ID documents by scanning, parsing, and extracting content from driver's licenses, state IDs, and passports.
Once your identity has been verified by ID.me, you will be asked to share certain information with Security Benefit to access their site and services. Security Benefit will receive your first and last name, email address, and postal code. Documents and selfies are not shared.
Before you verify
To verify your identity for Security Benefit, you’ll need to provide specific information and up-to-date documents. We recommend gathering any necessary documents before you begin the verification process. To verify, you’ll need:
- A mobile phone that has a camera or a computer with a webcam
- Email address (must be the same one used with your Security Benefit account)
- Government photo ID (driver's license, state-issued ID, passport, or passport card)
- U.S. phone number
- Current U.S. address
How to verify
Follow the steps below to verify your identity for Security Benefit.
1. Visit Security Benefit’s site
To get started:
- Visit securitybenefit.com and select Sign in.
- Sign in with your Security Benefit, or select REGISTER YOUR ACCOUNT ONLINE and follow the prompts to enter your information to create an account.
- Select Verify with ID.me.
2. Sign in or create an ID.me account
If you have an ID.me account, sign in using your email address and password. Otherwise, create a new ID.me account.
To create a new ID.me account:
- Enter your email address and password, then select Create account. The email you use to create an ID.me account must be the same one used with your Security Benefit account.
- Confirm your email address. For more information, visit Confirming your email address.
- Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) to further protect your account. For step-by-step instructions for setting up MFA, select one of the following MFA methods:
3. Verify your identity
To verify your identity, you need to provide a valid ID document, like a driver’s license or passport, and either a phone number or a video selfie.
To begin, select the photo ID document that you want to submit from the list of available options: driver’s license or state-issued ID, passport, or passport card.
After choosing your preferred ID document option, take photos of your documents. You have the option to either take a photo of your document(s) using a mobile phone with a camera or upload photos from your device.
For step-by-step instructions on how to take and upload photos of your documents, visit Taking photos of your documents.
Video selfie
You may be asked to take and submit a video selfie to help ID.me verify your identity by ensuring the picture of your face matches the photo on the submitted ID document. If you are required to take a video selfie, ID.me will automatically prompt you to complete this step when clicking the link that was sent in the text message.
Troubleshoot your video selfie
You may have been prompted to upload a video selfie after entering your phone number. If you had trouble with your video selfie, try again following these tips:
- Keep the camera directly in front of your face–too high or too low won’t capture your face.
- Avoid clothing, like hats, scarves, masks, or anything else that can hide your face.
- Ensure you're the only person visible in the video selfie.
- Whether it’s natural light or from a lamp, for example, ensure the light is in front of you.
- If you notice glare, step back from the light source.
Verify on a video call
If you tried to verify your identity using Self-Service and it wasn’t successful, you may have the option to finish verifying on a video call with a Video Chat Agent. During this process, you’ll be asked to upload photos of your identification documents and show the physical documents to an ID.me Video Chat Agent.
You may need to show:
- Two primary documents or
- One primary and one secondary document
For a complete list of eligible primary and secondary documents, visit Primary and secondary identification documents. For steps to complete video call verification, visit Verifying your identity on a video call.
4. Share your information
After ID.me has successfully verified your identity, you will see “We’ve verified your identity!” Next, you’ll be asked to share your verified information with Security Benefit. To share your information, select Allow.
If you verified over a video call, you will receive an email with next steps. Follow the instructions in the email to share your information with Security Benefit.
After you have allowed ID.me to share your information with Security Benefit, you will automatically be redirected back to your Security Benefit account profile page.