How does PEP screening work, and what does a PEP hit include?

PEP (politically exposed persons) screening is an optional add-on. Order it on a business search with the Order.Pep option to screen the business and its officers, or screen a single name with POST /pep/searches, where you control the similarity threshold and the number of matches returned.

A PEP record is not a sanction. It flags that a person holds or held a public position, or is closely connected to someone who does, which most compliance programs treat as a reason for enhanced due diligence rather than a decline.

Each PEP hit includes, where the source has it:

• Name and alternative names, and whether the record is a person or an organization.

• Positions held, each with a status of current, ended, or unknown.

• A risk category, for example head of government, legislative, judicial, military, state-owned enterprise, or relatives and close associates.

• Date of birth, birth place, gender, and date of death where known.

• Associated countries, political party, and links to the public sources the record was built from.

Because PEP databases are global and matched on name, common names return several candidates.

• Compare the date of birth and associated countries against what you know about the individual.

• Look at the positions. A record whose only position ended years ago, or is a municipal role in another country, is usually not the person in front of you.

• Screen individuals with their full name rather than a first and last name alone.