CallID is a web-based service that can be used on a subscription or pay-as-you-go basis. It has numerous applications and complements Callcredit's existing, highly successful identity checking service CallML, which is restricted to use in anti-money laundering applications.

CallID, for example, can help confirm the consumer's identity when suppliers are taking on new customers, when large retail transactions are processed over the web, or when companies take on new staff.

Registered users simply log on to the CallID website and input an individual's details - name, address, date of birth etc. - plus details of any ID documents that have been provided. CallID then verifies the details against a variety of public and proprietary information sources, delivering an online report of the matches found.

Datasets used include County Court Judgment and bankruptcy records, the edited Electoral Roll, and a number of other specialist datasets including files of deceased people and known terrorists.

Graham Lund, Callcredit's product director, commented: "Identity checking is a sensible precaution in numerous situations and CallID makes it a simple and cost-effective online process that any company can implement."