Real-time PEP and sanctions screening for banks
Understanding the present state of pKYC
Perpetual KYC (pKYC) adoption has been seen as a game-changer in how banks deliver Know Your Customer (KYC). To understand where the industry now…
Automated screening and high-quality KYC data access via a single platform.
EC360 helps banks detect risk faster by automating politically exposed person (PEP) and sanctions screening using real-time, golden-source data. Encompass provides continuous monitoring, reduces false positives, and delivers fully auditable decision trails — integrated with your existing case management or CLM workflows.
Why automate PEP and sanctions screening?
Manual screening processes are not fit for purpose. For many financial institutions managing complex entity structures, global clients and evolving regulations, speed, accuracy and compliance are non-negotiable.
With EC360, you can:
Reduce false positives and investigation time by automating entity screening in real time.
Identify and monitor high-risk individuals and entities across global PEP and sanctions lists (OFAC, UN, HMT, EU).
Ensure compliance with AML and financial crime regulations while maintaining complete auditability for every decision.
Eliminate manual data entry by integrating trusted data sources directly into your screening and risk workflows.
Deliver a faster, smoother customer onboarding process by embedding automated screening directly into KYC process.
How Encompass delivers smarter screening
Real-time screening
Encompass integrates with trusted global lists (e.g. OFAC, UN, HMT, EU, DFAT) and adverse media in real-time, ensuring you screen against the most up-to-date data available from leading providers.
Golden-source data aggregation
Screen against the most reliable PEP and sanctions databases from premium providers — all within one audit-ready system.
Dynamic Corporate Digital Identity (CDI) profiles
A full ownership structure including PEPs and screening results is collated as part of a CDI profile, complete with full data provenance and audit trail.
Defensible audit trails
Every decision is time-stamped, attributed, and linked to source data. Ideal for responding to FATF, FCA, AMLD6, and SEC requirements.
Plug-and-play integrations
Seamlessly integrate with your CLM, CRM, and banking core platforms, including Pega, and Capgemini’s pKYC Catalyst.
Built for complex, high-risk banking environments
Our platform is trusted by:
- Global and Tier 1 banks seeking seamless, scalable sanctions and PEP screening across multiple jurisdictions.
- Challenger and Commercial banks automating risk level management at speed.
- Compliance and AML leaders aiming to prove regulator readiness and reduce cost-to-serve.
- Technology and Ops teams integrating screening directly into CLMs and onboarding platforms.
Use cases
- Real-time PEP screening
- Automated sanctions screening
- Ongoing monitoring of high-risk customers
- Integration into perpetual KYC programs
Discover the further product features
FAQs
What is PEP and adverse media screening?
Politically exposed person screening (PEP) and adverse media screening are critical components of any robust Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance program. These processes help financial institutions identify individuals and entities that present a higher risk of involvement in suspicious activity such as money laundering, terrorist financing, or other financial crimes.
A PEP is someone who holds a prominent public function, such as a government official, senior executive, or judge, and may be more vulnerable to bribery, corruption, or abuse of power. Screening for PEPs, their close associates, and their families helps banks uncover elevated risk and apply appropriate due diligence.
Adverse media screening complements this by scanning global news sources for negative news and reputational red flags, enabling institutions to monitor for early signs of illicit behavior.
By automating these processes, banks can mitigate risk, reduce manual data entry, and ensure audit-ready compliance.
Do immediate family members of PEPs need to be screened?
Yes. Immediate family members of politically exposed persons, including spouses, children, siblings, and parents, are classified as high-risk due to their potential access to wealth and influence stemming from the PEP’s role. As part of anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations, financial institutions are required to identify, verify, and monitor these individuals.
Regulations like the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and guidance from global bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) mandate enhanced due diligence on family members to help detect high-risk individuals and mitigate exposure to money laundering schemes.
How does Encompass reduce false positives?
We combine golden-source public data with client records and customer information to build dynamic, contextualized profiles. This ensures screening is entity-specific rather than name-matched only. This, in turn, significantly reduces false positives.
Can this integrate with our existing systems?
EC360 is proven to integrate with CLM, CRM, and banking core platforms, including Pega, and Capgemini’s pKYC Catalyst.
How does automated screening help financial institutions mitigate risk?
Automated screening allows banks to identify high-risk individuals, sanctioned entities, and politically exposed persons in real time. By eliminating reliance on outdated, manual batch processes, financial institutions can reduce exposure to regulatory breaches and mitigate risk at every stage of the customer lifecycle.
How does Encompass support AML compliance with global regulations?
The EC360 platform screens entities in real-time against all major global sanctions lists and maintains full audit trails as required. It is designed to support frameworks like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as well as AMLD6, FCA, and SEC.
What are the key steps in managing AML risk throughout the customer lifecycle?
Key steps include verifying identity at onboarding and account opening, conducting ongoing monitoring to detect changes in risk profiles, and performing periodic reviews aligned with regulatory expectations. By continuously assessing risk and strengthening the customer relationship over time, financial institutions can achieve more effective risk mitigation, ensure long-term compliance and improve client experience.