Sanctions Screening
Overview
Sanctions screening is the process of checking customers, transactions, and counterparties against government and international sanctions lists. These lists are maintained by authorities such as OFAC (US), UN, EU, and HM Treasury (UK). Screening ensures financial institutions do not do business with prohibited individuals, companies, or jurisdictions.It is a cornerstone of AML/CFT compliance, as failures can result in multi-million-dollar penalties and reputational damage. Modern screening systems apply fuzzy matching, transliteration handling, and context scoring to reduce false positives while maintaining accuracy. Sanctions screening is applied at onboarding, during transactions, and as part of continuous monitoring. Banks, fintechs, and payment providers use it globally to safeguard against sanctions breaches and protect financial system integrity.
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AML Screening
Screen users against Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), watchlists, sanctions lists, adverse media, and more through one-time screening and advanced monitoring.
Criminal Screening
Perform thorough background checks and verify criminal records to maintain compliance and strengthen onboarding security.
Database Verification
Instantly verify user information by connecting to trusted databases across jurisdictions for accurate, compliant, and faster onboarding.
FAQ
What is sanctions screening?
A compliance process to block transactions involving prohibited persons, companies, or jurisdictions.
Why is it critical?
Breaches can cause regulatory fines, reputational harm, and national security risks.
How is it performed?
Automated tools match customer/transaction data against sanctions lists with fuzzy logic.
Who enforces sanctions?
National regulators (OFAC, HM Treasury) and international bodies (UN, EU).