KYC IDV and AML Exceptions Guide

This guide covers exceptions that can occur during IDV, AML, KYC, and Biometric processes. Use this reference to plan your internal processes for handling these scenarios.

Note: IDV vendors (Daon, Incode, Onfido) have built-in quality gates that prevent submission of poor quality images or fraudulent documents at capture stage. Many technical errors are handled by vendor SDKs before reaching FrankieOne.

Summary

Primary Resolution Approaches

Before diving into specific exceptions, these are the standard fallback approaches:

Approach	When to Use	Process
Request Alternative ID	Customer unable to verify with current document	Direct customer to provide different government-issued ID (e.g., if Passport failed, try Driver’s License)
Manual KYC Fallback	Automated verification failed after multiple retries	Collect document images via secure upload; process via manual KYC in FrankieOne portal
eKYC Form Fallback	Biometric/OCR automated flow failed	Direct customer to eKYC manual form to enter details and upload documents

Workflow Status Values

Understanding the workflow result statuses:

Status	Meaning	Typical Action
`PASS`	Successfully completed with passing recommendation	Proceed with onboarding
`REVIEW`	Results require manual examination	Check risks and step details
`FAIL`	Finished with failing recommendation	Reject or request retry
`INCOMPLETE`	Finished but results are partial	May need additional steps
`BLOCKED`	Cannot complete; manual review needed	Escalate to operations

Exception Categories at a Glance

Category	Typical Handler	Severity
Access Issues	Customer Support	Low
Document Issues	Customer Support	Low-Medium
OCR/Data Mismatch	Customer Support	Low-Medium
Biometric Issues	Customer Support/Operations	Medium
Technical Issues	Customer Support/TechOps	Low-Medium
KYC Failures	Customer Support	Medium
AML Matches	Compliance/Operations	High
Blocklist Matches	Compliance/Operations	High

Handler Reference

Handler	Description
Customer Support	Your customer-facing support/compliance team
Operations	Back-office operations team
Compliance	Compliance/risk team for regulatory matters
TechOps	Technical operations team
FrankieOne	Escalate to FrankieOne support

IDV - Access Issues

Exceptions related to customers accessing the verification flow.

URL Access

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Link Expired	Customer accessed verification link after expiry period	Customer Support	Generate and send new verification link; adjust expiry time if needed for customer’s use case
Link Not Working	Customer cannot access hosted verification URL	Customer Support	Verify stable internet connection; try different browser; send new link; provide alternative verification method if persistent

Browser Issues

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Browser Not Supported	Customer using outdated or incompatible browser	Customer Support	Direct customer to use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge (latest versions); provide mobile option as alternative

Network Issues

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Corporate Network Blocking	Customer’s workplace firewall blocking FrankieOne	Customer Support	Ask customer to try from personal device/network; coordinate with customer’s IT to whitelist FrankieOne domains; provide alternative method

IDV - Document Issues

Exceptions related to document capture and validation.

Document Quality

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Poor Image Quality	Document image too dark, blurry, or unclear	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: use good lighting; hold camera steady; ensure document fills frame; place on plain surface; retry capture
Glare or Shadows	Reflections or shadows obscuring document details	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: avoid direct overhead lighting; adjust angle; place document flat on dark surface; retry capture
Document Not Detected	System cannot recognize document in image	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: ensure entire document visible in frame; use plain background; avoid hands in frame; retry capture

Document Type

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Wrong Document Provided	Customer uploaded different document type than requested	Customer Support	Clarify which document types are accepted; request correct document type; provide list of acceptable alternatives
Document Not Accepted	Document type not supported for customer’s country	Customer Support	Explain which documents are accepted for their country; request alternative accepted document type

Document Validity

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Expired Document	Document has passed expiry date	Customer Support	Request current valid (non-expired) document; if customer has no valid ID, escalate to manual KYC with manager approval

Document Authenticity (IDV_DOCUMENT)

IDV document checks validate visual authenticity, image integrity, data validation, and document compromise status.

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Suspected Fraudulent Document	System detected potential document fraud or tampering (status: `SUSPECTED` or `REJECTED`)	Compliance/Operations	Reject application; flag for investigation; request alternative document; escalate to compliance team; may require in-person verification
Photocopied Document	Document appears to be photocopy, not original	Customer Support	Request photo of original physical document; explain requirement for genuine ID; may require manual review

IDV - OCR Issues

Exceptions related to data extraction and matching. OCR extracts data from documents (IDV_OCR), then comparison checks this against entity information (IDV_OCR_COMPARISON), flagging discrepancies via a mismatchMap.

Note: The system uses fuzzy matching logic (Levenshtein distance) to tolerate minor OCR errors before flagging mismatches.

Data Mismatch

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Name Doesn’t Match	Name on document doesn’t match entered information	Customer Support	Ask customer to verify spelling; check for legal name vs nickname; check for name changes (marriage, maiden name); request correction or alternative document
Date of Birth Doesn’t Match	DOB on document doesn’t match entered information	Customer Support	Verify DOB format (DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY); check for typos; request customer verify and correct; may require manual review
Address Doesn’t Match	Address on document doesn’t match entered information	Customer Support	Check for abbreviations (St vs Street); verify current vs previous address; request customer update to match document; may need previous address
Document Number Doesn’t Match	ID number doesn’t match entered information	Customer Support	Verify document number entry; check for common errors (O vs 0, I vs 1); request customer re-enter carefully

Data Extraction

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Cannot Read Document	System unable to extract data from document image	Customer Support	Request better quality image with clear readable text; ensure good lighting and focus; fallback to eKYC manual form if persistent

IDV - Biometric Issues

Exceptions related to liveness checks and facial matching. IDV results use statuses: CLEAR, SUSPECTED, or REJECTED.

Liveness Failed (IDV_FACIAL_LIVENESS)

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Liveness Check Failed	System could not verify customer is live person (status: `REJECTED`)	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: ensure good lighting; look directly at camera; follow on-screen prompts; remove glasses/hat if needed; retry capture
Suspected Fraud - Liveness	System detected potential spoofing attempt (status: `SUSPECTED`)	Compliance/Operations	Reject application; flag for fraud investigation; do not proceed with automated verification; escalate to compliance

Face Match (IDV_FACIAL_COMPARISON)

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Face Doesn’t Match Document	Selfie doesn’t match photo on document (status: `REJECTED`)	Customer Support/Operations	Verify customer using correct document; check for significant appearance changes; may require manual review; request more recent ID if available
Low Match Confidence	Insufficient confidence in face match (status: `SUSPECTED`)	Customer Support	Request better quality selfie with good lighting; ensure face clearly visible; retry capture; may require manual review

Image Quality

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Poor Selfie Quality	Selfie image too dark, blurry, or unclear	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: use good lighting; hold camera steady; look directly at camera; ensure face fills frame; retry capture

Obstruction

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Face Obscured	Face partially covered by glasses, hat, mask, or hair	Customer Support	Request customer remove obstructions (sunglasses, hat, scarf); ensure face clearly visible; retry capture

Detection

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Face Not Detected	System cannot detect face in image	Customer Support	Instruct customer to: position face in frame; ensure adequate lighting; look at camera; be alone in frame; retry capture

Appearance Change

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Significant Appearance Change	Customer looks very different from document photo	Operations	May be acceptable if due to aging, weight change, or styling; requires manual review by operator; may request more recent ID

IDV - Technical Issues

Technical exceptions during the verification process.

Camera Access

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Camera Permission Denied	Customer denied camera access in browser	Customer Support	Instruct customer to enable camera permission in browser settings; provide step-by-step guide; fallback to document upload option
No Camera Available	Customer’s device has no camera	Customer Support	Provide document upload option; suggest using device with camera (smartphone); fallback to eKYC manual form

Upload

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Upload Failed	Document or selfie upload failed	Customer Support	Check customer’s internet connection; try smaller file size; retry upload; try different browser; escalate if persistent

Processing

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Verification Taking Too Long	Processing stuck or timing out	Customer Support/FrankieOne	Ask customer to wait and retry; check system status; escalate to FrankieOne if widespread; provide alternative verification method
System Error	Generic technical error during verification	FrankieOne	Check system health and vendor status; retry; escalate to FrankieOne; provide alternative verification method to customer

KYC Exceptions

Exceptions during electronic KYC verification.

Verification Failed

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
KYC Failed - No Matches	Customer details don’t match any data sources	Customer Support	Verify customer entered correct details (spelling, DOB, address); request previous address; try alternative ID document; escalate to manual KYC
KYC Partial - Insufficient Matches	Some details matched but not enough for recipe requirements	Customer Support	Request previous address; verify all details correct; try alternative ID document; may require manual KYC
Government ID Verification Failed	ID document failed DVS or government verification	Customer Support	Verify document details entered correctly; check document is current and valid; try alternative government ID; escalate to manual KYC

Data Issues

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Name Not Found in Databases	Customer’s name not found in credit/electoral databases	Customer Support	Verify name spelling and format; check for recent name changes; request previous name; try alternative ID; may require manual KYC
Address Not Found in Databases	Customer’s address not found in databases	Customer Support	Request previous address; verify address format; check for recent moves; try alternative address; may require manual KYC
Date of Birth Not Found	Customer’s DOB not matching records	Customer Support	Verify DOB format and accuracy; check for typos; confirm with customer; may indicate data quality issue requiring manual KYC

Credit Header

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Credit Header Failed	Customer details don’t match credit bureau records	Customer Support	Inform customer this doesn’t affect credit score; verify details correct; request previous address; try alternative verification method; escalate to manual KYC

Technical

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Data Source Unavailable	Verification data source temporarily unavailable	FrankieOne	Check vendor status; retry when available; use backup data source if configured; notify customer of delay; provide alternative method

AML Exceptions

Exceptions from Anti-Money Laundering screening. AML screening checks against four categories: PEPs, Sanctions, Adverse Media, and Regulatory/Law Enforcement Watchlists.

Screening Hits

When AML returns a HIT result, compliance teams must classify the match.

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
PEP Match Detected	Customer matched to Politically Exposed Person list	Compliance/Operations	Flag for compliance review; gather additional information; conduct enhanced due diligence; classify via API as `TRUE_POSITIVE_ACCEPT` or `TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT`
Sanctions Match Detected	Customer matched to sanctions list (OFAC, UN, EU, DFAT, etc.)	Compliance/Operations	Immediate escalation to compliance; do not proceed with onboarding; conduct thorough investigation; classify as `TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT` unless confirmed false positive
Adverse Media Match	Customer matched to negative news (financial crime, fraud, etc.)	Compliance/Operations	Flag for compliance review; investigate media reports; assess risk level; classify appropriately
Watchlist Match	Customer matched to law enforcement or regulatory watchlist	Compliance/Operations	Escalate to compliance immediately; conduct investigation; gather additional information; classify based on risk assessment

AML Hit Classification

Use the PATCH /v2/individuals/{entityId}/results/aml endpoint to classify matches:

Status	When to Use
`FALSE_POSITIVE`	Match is a different person
`TRUE_POSITIVE_ACCEPT`	Confirmed match; risk acceptable
`TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT`	Confirmed match; reject applicant
`UNKNOWN_ACCEPT`	Identity unclear; proceeding anyway
`UNKNOWN_REJECT`	Identity unclear; declining

Note: Re-run the workflow after classification as statuses may change.

Review Required

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Potential AML Match - Low Confidence	Possible match but low confidence (likely false positive)	Compliance/Operations	Review match details; compare customer information using DOB, nationality, country; classify as `FALSE_POSITIVE` if confirmed; document decision
Multiple AML Hits	Customer matched multiple screening lists	Compliance/Operations	High priority escalation to compliance; conduct comprehensive investigation; enhanced due diligence required; senior approval needed; classify each match individually

Technical

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
AML Screening Failed	Technical error during AML screening	FrankieOne	Check AML vendor status; retry screening; escalate if persistent; do not proceed until screening complete

Ongoing Monitoring

AML Ongoing Monitoring continuously screens entities after onboarding. When risk status changes, alerts are triggered requiring review.

Blocklist & Duplicate Exceptions

Exceptions from internal matchlist/blocklist and duplicate detection.

Matchlist/Blocklist Matches

When a matchlist check returns a HIT, a BLOCKLISTED issue is generated.

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Blocklist Match Detected	Customer matched to internal matchlist/blocklist	Compliance/Operations	Review blocklist reason; verify match accuracy; classify as `FALSE_POSITIVE` or `TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT` via API
Fraud Blocklist Match	Customer matched to known fraudster list	Compliance/Operations	Reject application immediately; classify as `TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT`; flag for investigation; do not proceed with onboarding

Classification Options:

FALSE_POSITIVE - Match is incorrect, no risk
TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT - Match confirmed, reject entity

Note: After classification, re-run the workflow. If all hits are marked FALSE_POSITIVE, the step changes to CLEARED and the BLOCKLISTED issue is removed.

Duplicate Detection

When the DUPLICATE step finds a match, a DUPLICATE issue is generated and the workflow typically goes to REVIEW.

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Duplicate Entity Detected	Customer appears to already exist in system	Operations	Review potential duplicate; compare matched fields (name, DOB, document numbers); classify appropriately

Classification Options:

FALSE_POSITIVE - Not a duplicate, no relationship created
TRUE_POSITIVE_ACCEPT - Confirmed duplicate; marks the older entity as duplicate
TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT - Confirmed duplicate; marks the newer entity as duplicate

Note: After classification, re-run the workflow so the DUPLICATE step can reassess and update the overall status.

Fraud Check Exceptions

Exceptions from the FRAUD workflow step, which evaluates email, phone, device, and IP risk.

Fraud Hits

When fraud checks return a HIT result, issues are generated with category: FRAUD.

Exception	Type	Handler	Suggested Approach
Risky Email Address	`FRAUD_EMAIL_ADDRESS`	Customer Support/Operations	Review email indicators (disposable domain, age, reputation); may request alternative email; classify via API
Risky Phone Number	`FRAUD_PHONE_NUMBER`	Customer Support/Operations	Review phone indicators (VoIP, carrier risk); may request alternative number; classify via API
Risky Device	`FRAUD_DEVICE`	Operations/Compliance	Review device signals (emulation, characteristics); higher risk—may require manual review
Risky IP Address	`FRAUD_IP_ADDRESS`	Operations/Compliance	Review IP indicators (VPN, geolocation mismatch); assess if legitimate use case

Risk Levels

Fraud checks return risk levels: LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, or UNACCEPTABLE.

Fraud Hit Classification

Use the PATCH /v2/individuals/{entityId}/results/fraud endpoint to classify fraud detections:

Status	When to Use
`FALSE_POSITIVE`	Signal is incorrect
`TRUE_POSITIVE_ACCEPT`	Risk acceptable despite fraud signal
`TRUE_POSITIVE_REJECT`	Applicant rejection warranted

Note: Results automatically become MARKED_INVALID or STALE when associated data (email/phone) is modified or deleted.

Biometrics - Vendor Specific

Vendor-specific biometric exceptions.

Exception	Description	Handler	Suggested Approach
Biometric Verification Failed	Generic biometric failure from vendor	Customer Support	Request customer retry with better lighting and positioning; try alternative ID document; escalate to manual KYC if persistent failures
Vendor Service Unavailable	Biometric vendor temporarily unavailable	TechOps	Check vendor status page; retry when available; use backup vendor if configured; notify customer of delay; provide alternative method

Manual Override

IDV results can be manually overridden via PATCH /v2/individuals/{entityId}/results/idv by updating the manualStatus field. Results automatically invalidate (STALE or MARKED_INVALID) when underlying entity data changes post-verification.

Quick Reference: Escalation Paths

Support

Documentation: docs.frankieone.com
Support: Contact your FrankieOne representative

Onboarding Guides

Developers

​Summary

​Primary Resolution Approaches

​Workflow Status Values

​Exception Categories at a Glance

​Handler Reference

​IDV - Access Issues

​URL Access

​Browser Issues

​Network Issues

​IDV - Document Issues

​Document Quality

​Document Type

​Document Validity

​Document Authenticity (IDV_DOCUMENT)

​IDV - OCR Issues

​Data Mismatch

​Data Extraction

​IDV - Biometric Issues

​Liveness Failed (IDV_FACIAL_LIVENESS)

​Face Match (IDV_FACIAL_COMPARISON)

​Image Quality

​Obstruction

​Detection

​Appearance Change

​IDV - Technical Issues

​Camera Access

​Upload

​Processing

​KYC Exceptions

​Verification Failed

​Data Issues

​Credit Header

​Technical

​AML Exceptions

​Screening Hits

​AML Hit Classification

​Review Required

​Technical

​Ongoing Monitoring

​Blocklist & Duplicate Exceptions

​Matchlist/Blocklist Matches

​Duplicate Detection

​Fraud Check Exceptions

​Fraud Hits

​Risk Levels

​Fraud Hit Classification

​Biometrics - Vendor Specific

​Manual Override

​Quick Reference: Escalation Paths

​Support

Summary

Primary Resolution Approaches

Workflow Status Values

Exception Categories at a Glance

Handler Reference

IDV - Access Issues

URL Access

Browser Issues

Network Issues

IDV - Document Issues

Document Quality

Document Type

Document Validity

Document Authenticity (IDV_DOCUMENT)

IDV - OCR Issues

Data Mismatch

Data Extraction

IDV - Biometric Issues

Liveness Failed (IDV_FACIAL_LIVENESS)

Face Match (IDV_FACIAL_COMPARISON)

Image Quality

Obstruction

Detection

Appearance Change

IDV - Technical Issues

Camera Access

Upload

Processing

KYC Exceptions

Verification Failed

Data Issues

Credit Header

Technical

AML Exceptions

Screening Hits

AML Hit Classification

Review Required

Technical

Ongoing Monitoring

Blocklist & Duplicate Exceptions

Matchlist/Blocklist Matches

Duplicate Detection

Fraud Check Exceptions

Fraud Hits

Risk Levels

Fraud Hit Classification

Biometrics - Vendor Specific

Manual Override

Quick Reference: Escalation Paths

Support