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Global Sanctions Lists

Overview

Global sanctions lists enumerate persons, entities, vessels, and sectors subject to economic or trade restrictions by authorities such as the UN, EU, OFAC, HMT, and national regulators. Screening customer and counterparty data against these lists is a central AML and CFT requirement. Effective programs use fuzzy and phonetic matching, transliteration handling, and context filters to reduce noise while preventing misses.

Lists must be refreshed frequently and applied at onboarding, periodic KYC refresh, and in real time for transactions. Institutions should document risk-based tuning, manage delistings or updates promptly, and record rationale for overrides. Strong governance includes model validation, audit trails, and quality metrics. Failing to detect sanctioned exposure can lead to severe penalties, de-risking by partners, and reputational damage.

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Explore tools that help you onboard, monitor, and verify with confidence

AML Screening

Screen users against Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), watchlists, sanctions lists, adverse media, and more through one-time screening and advanced monitoring.

Database Verification

Instantly verify user information by connecting to trusted databases across jurisdictions for accurate, compliant, and faster onboarding.

Criminal Screening

Perform thorough background checks and verify criminal records to maintain compliance and strengthen onboarding security.

Related Terms

Sanctions Screening

Watchlist Screening

Jurisdiction Screening

FAQ

What makes screening accurate?

High-quality data, name normalization, fuzzy thresholds tuned by risk, and secondary attributes like DOB or address to confirm or dismiss potential matches.

How often should lists update?

Daily or faster where feasible. Automate updates, re-screen affected portfolios, and capture change logs to satisfy auditors.

How to manage false positives?

Use reason codes, whitelist rules with expiry, and reviewer training. Track overturn rates to refine thresholds and data quality.

How do sectoral sanctions differ?

They restrict certain activities or instruments rather than full blocking. Map product controls to the specific prohibitions and document decisions.