The techniques herein are directed generally to providing access control and identity verification for communications when receiving a communication at an entity to be verified. In one embodiment, a receiving device receives a communication from an initiating device on a communication channel, wherein the initiating device is configured to determine whether an identity associated with the receiving device is verified by a verification service. The receiving device verifies the identity through a verification service client application on the receiving device, and conveys, to the verification service over a verification channel, that the identity associated with the receiving device is verified, wherein the verification service is caused to convey, to the initiating device over the verification channel, that the identity is verified. The communication then continues with the initiating device on the communication channel, wherein the initiating device manages the communication according to the identity being verified.