The Duplicate Identity Checker app will help you merge Identities where they have been double loaded.
Records and relationships attached to the duplicate Identity will be merged with the Identity you are choosing to retain.
You can then safely remove the duplicate Identity.
Open the Duplicate Identity Checker
Looking for Duplicates
There are three levels of search available;
- Possible
- Possible duplicates are where the Identity surname match and the first forename begins with the same character
- Probable
- Probable duplicates are where the Identity surname and the first forename match.
- Strong
- Strong duplicates are where the Identity surname and both forenames match.
Set the Match Type and click the next button.
The app will search through your identities and stop on the first potential match. The top half of the screen is the Identity we are comparing and the bottom half of the screen displays potential duplicates
There can be multiple potential duplicates for each record you are comparing. In the example shown above, we have potential match between ;
- Mr John Smith DOB 01/01/1960 Address 135 Main Road with
- Mr John Smith DOB 01/01/1960 Address Surf and Surf
These two identities have the same names and date of birth, they are most likely the same individual. You can use the right hand panel display to compare further information you hold about these identities, the address, phone and email records. If you need to drill down, a mouse right click on either Identity will allow you open Identity Maintenance. From there you can review their DD records if there are any.
There is a second potential duplicate of John Smith in the example but he has a different DOB and so is likely not the same individual. This record can just be ignored.
What to do when you find a duplicate
Before you merge and remove a duplicate, you really must be 100% sure the Identities are in fact a duplicate. Start by comparing the name – the surname, forenames, initials. and date of birth. Then compare the addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. If the Identity has Due Diligence records you can view these to confirm things further.
The merge and removal process is straight forward. Right mouse right click on the duplicate record to display the option menu, these are;
- Edit Identity
- Merge Details
- Remove Match
Use the Edit Identity option to make any changes you need prior to merging.
Next use the Merge Details option to merge all records and relationships held by the duplicate with the Identity you are retaining. You can verify the merge as the merged records will display on the retained Identity tab.
Finally use the Remove match option on the duplicate record. This will be removed for the database permanently,
There are some rules about what and how records are merged.
The address, phone , e-mail and due diligence records all have a unique description to indicate what they relate to. This is called a Type.
Some example’s of Types;
- A address type of ‘Home’ indicates it is the Identities home address.
- A phone type of ‘Work’ indicates it is the Identities work phone
- An e-mail type of ‘Personal’ indicates it is the Identities personal e-mail address
- A due diligence type of ‘Passport’ indicates it is the Identities passport record
You can have an unlimited number of addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and due diligence records so long as each record has a unique Type description.
The merge program will not merge records where the same Type exists on each record. If duplicate Types exist, you need to ascertain the various records held on the Identity being retained are the ones you wish to keep. Use the Edit Identity option to make any changes you need.
Hint: When you are working in the Identity Duplicate screen the column ‘Ver’ indicates the Identity has been verified for AML purposes. That is good indicator the Identity information is correct and up to date. This is the Identity you should consider retaining.