Batch OFAC screening of your customer file
Screen your whole file against OFAC's published lists on your schedule. We automate the downloads, matching, and record of each run. An analyst clears every potential match.
- SDN download
- Verified
- Consolidated download
- Verified
- Weak aliases
- Excluded, per policy
- Records screened
- Sample run
| Customer | Score | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Sample, Dana | 91 | Analyst |
| Test Trading LLC | 74 | Analyst |
How it runs.
Onboarding checks miss the file you already hold when lists change. A failed download can look like a clean result.
Lists and your file
SDN and Consolidated files, plus your core, loan, or CRM export.
Your dataCheck and match
A failed or short download stops the run. Matches are scored.
AutomatedAnalyst clears
Each potential match checked against the OFAC entry.
A personDated record
List version, date, what was screened, each decision.
Automated
OFAC SDN and Consolidated files / XML / CSV / Loan or core system exports / CRM
The rules and limits.
- Files, not search
- OFAC FAQ 287 says Sanctions List Search "should not be utilized by automated systems" running continually. Matching uses the published files.
- Formats
- SDN and Consolidated lists come in XML, CSV, fixed-field, and delimited files. OFAC changed its XML namespaces in May 2024.
- Frequency
- OFAC says firms decide how often to download, and it cannot advise on automated system design.
- Weak aliases
- Marked differently by format. OFAC says excluding them is a risk-based decision, so that setting is yours.
- A real match
- FAQ 5 covers assessment. Blocked property or a rejected transaction must be reported to OFAC within 10 business days.
What a person does.
- An analyst clears every potential match. The system never decides who is a sanctions target.
- A person decides any blocking, rejection, or OFAC report.
- Your compliance team sets frequency, thresholds, and alias treatment.
Where we stand: we have not shipped this exact check. It uses the same pattern as our bulk status work.
Common questions.
Does it use OFAC's Sanctions List Search?+
No. Automated matching uses the list files. An analyst can use the search tool by hand when reviewing a match.
Does this replace our sanctions screening vendor?+
Not necessarily. Vendors can be right at volume or for payments. This fits a team checking its existing file inside its own systems.
Does it make us compliant?+
No software can. OFAC does not prescribe a tool or a frequency. Your compliance team and counsel decide what your program needs.
Sources
- OFAC FAQ 287: Sanctions List Search and automated systems
- OFAC FAQs on list file formats and downloads
- OFAC FAQ 5: Assessing a potential match
- OFAC FAQ 123: Weak aliases
- OFAC notice: XML namespace change, May 7, 2024
General information, not legal, tax, or compliance advice. Rules change; confirm against the current source and your own advisers.
Bring us your version of this.
Intro calls are 30 minutes, free, and useful even if we never work together. We'll be honest about whether this is the right fit for your finance team.