We are prioritising your funds' safety at 4fund.com. We are fair to our Users, and we expect the same from the Organisers of the fundraisers. That is why we are conducting a multi-stage verification, which we will tell you a little more about.
First of all, we have to point out that we distinguish two types of verification - verification of the User's identity and verification of the fundraisers' description, which are two completely separate processes. It may happen that a User who already has their profile verified will be asked for additional verification of a specific fundraiser - this is perfectly normal. Below you will find details of both types of validation.
Verification of the User's identity
The first step is the verification of User data. This is necessary to be able to accept payments at all. The first step is to fill in an identification form - this can be found under "Account verification" in the User Account menu. The form will require you to enter other verification data.
Verification based only on the data entered by the User could raise reasonable doubts - how can you be sure that the data entered is correct? Therefore, the next step of verification, which permanently unlocks the possibility of collecting donations and making payments to the fundraiser's account, is sending scans of documents and going through a liveness check (video and biometric verification). If the data provided in the form turns out to be false, we will have to delete the User's Account. Profiles of verified organisers receives a blue reliability icon:
Verification of the fundraisers' description
Verification of the fundraisers' description is essentially undertaken at four points:- at the launch of a promotion;
- when the balance of a given fundraiser exceeds EUR 5,000;
- when a User collects more than EUR 12,500 on all the fundraisers;
- if we receive a report of abuse or have doubts about the fairness of the collection, regardless of the amount raised.
In case of purchasing the premium feature or Facebook advertising, verification of the fundraiser description will be required to begin the promotion. In other cases, until the verification process is complete, the ability to withdraw the funds collected will be withheld. So if you're planning a larger campaign and want to avoid a later payout block, it's worth undertaking verification of your fundraising right from the start.
And what is verification? First of all, it is to confirm that the purpose stated in the description of the fundraiser is genuine. The type of documents required depends on the portrayal of the specific collection. It is difficult to give one exact rule for what we will need. However, we will cite the most common examples of required verification documents depending on the type of fundraiser:- in the case of fundraisers for medical treatment - a minimum of two medical documents confirming all diagnoses from the description of the fundraiser. Importantly, each paper must be stamped and signed by a medical doctor;
- when verifying fundraisers after fires and accidents - here you are required to provide us with a report from the fire brigade or police confirming the incident;
- in fundraisers for animal treatment costs - one document confirming the diagnosis from the description of the fundraiser, signed and stamped by the vet;
- in case of a collection launched for the benefit of a specific organisation - if you are collecting funds to support an animal shelter or orphanage, for example, it is necessary to send the consent of the organisation in question for verification;
- if the goal of the fundraising exceeds EUR 35,000, an estimate of the treatment, renovation or project in question must also be provided;
- if the fundraiser is for the benefit of a third party - in addition to the above-mentioned documents, it is also necessary to send the relevant consent of the beneficiary or his/her parent/legal guardian, as well as a scan of his/her identity document.
All verification documents must be attached via a dedicated form in the fundraiser view. In this way, we guarantee that the data contained in the papers is fully secure.
Once verification is complete, editing of the fundraiser description is blocked (any new information can be posted in the "Updates" tab). In the case of charitable fundraisers, a reliability icon will additionally appear on the collection page stating "The Organiser verified the description with proper documents.", which increases Donator confidence.
If the Organiser of the fundraiser does not send the required documentation or the submitted documentation does not dispel the doubts of our Security Department, the account may be blocked and, in case of reasonable suspicion of fraud, reported to the prosecution. In case the collection fails the verification, the collected funds are returned to the Donators. In addition, our administration may take measures to prevent the creation of new accounts using the personal data of a given User.
The verification procedures at 4fund.com may seem cumbersome or overly elaborate, but we do it all to gain the trust of our Donators. There is no room for scams or unclear situations - we operate transparently and honestly and expect the same from the fundraisers. Thanks to this policy, hundreds of thousands of Users have trusted us, and their help has reached people in real need.
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