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The Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and Sanctions module in GBG GO allows you to screen individuals against global watchlists, including PEP databases, sanctions lists, and adverse media. This module helps you comply with regulatory requirements and mitigate risks associated with onboarding high-risk individuals. This module helps your organisation meet regulatory compliance requirements, particularly for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) obligations. It compares customer information against international databases to identify potential matches. Some variants also support Ongoing Monitoring (OGM), which continuously re-screens registered subjects against updated watchlists. For guidance on configuring and testing the module, see Understanding the PEPs and Sanctions module.
“UK” in the UK Instance variant names refers to where the screening service is hosted, not the nationality or residency of the subject being screened. These variants work for subjects of any nationality.The UK Instance variants are being phased out and replaced by PEPs and Sanctions Standard. Use a Standard variant for new journeys.
Screens a subject against PEP databases and sanctions watchlists using the UK screening infrastructure. Requires the subject’s full name; date of birth, gender, and current address are optional but improve match accuracy and reduce false positives.

Capabilities

The module returns a structured set of result codes grouped into capability categories. Each category surfaces specific risk signals, match outcomes, and compliance flags that downstream evaluation logic can act on.

PEPs and sanctions results

The overall screening outcome, indicating whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.

Sanctions hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with sanctioned individuals.
  • Full name matches: These codes indicate matches where the subject’s submitted full name corresponded to a record on a sanctions list.
  • Alias matches: These codes indicate matches where the subject’s details corresponded to a known alternate identity alias of a sanctioned individual, rather than the individual’s primary name.

PEPs hit type

This capability returns the specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a PEP database. The match types are identical to the sanctions hit type. The same set of full-name and alias match codes apply, but against PEP records rather than sanctions lists.PEP databases include current and former heads of state, senior government officials, military leaders, judges, central bank board members, ambassadors, and senior executives of state-owned enterprises, as well as their close family members and known associates.The full list of match type codes is the same as the Sanctions hit type above.

Sanctions candidate score

A confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found.A higher score indicates greater confidence that the subject is the sanctioned individual. A score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found, which aligns with the no_hit result.

PEP candidate score

A confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no PEP match was found.The scoring logic mirrors the sanctions candidate score. A higher score indicates greater confidence in the match. A score of 0 indicates no PEP match was found.

Default outcomes

The module is pre-configured with the following default outcomes, which can be used in evaluation and routing logic within the journey designer.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the UK Instance module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON
Performs the same PEP and sanctions screening as the UK Instance but adds Ongoing Monitoring (OGM). When OGM is enabled, the subject’s details are registered for continuous re-screening against PEP databases and sanctions lists, and any future status change is flagged automatically.

Capabilities

This variant returns all the same capabilities as the UK Instance, plus:

Sent to OGM

Indicates whether the subject’s details were successfully registered for ongoing monitoring, so the subject is continuously re-screened against updated PEP databases and sanctions lists.

PEPs and sanctions results

The overall screening outcome, indicating whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.

Sanctions hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with sanctioned individuals.

Peps hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a PEP database. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with PEP records.

Sanctions candidate score

A confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found.

PEP candidate score

A confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no PEP match was found.

Default outcomes

The default outcomes are identical to the UK Instance.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the UK Instance (with OGM) module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON
Extends the UK Instance (with OGM) by adding adverse media screening. In addition to checking PEP databases and sanctions lists, it searches news and media sources for negative coverage associated with the subject, such as involvement in financial crime, fraud, corruption, money laundering, or terrorist financing.

Capabilities

All capabilities from the UK Instance (with OGM) apply, plus:

Adverse media hit type

The result of the adverse media screening, indicating whether negative media coverage was found that may be associated with the subject.

PEPs and sanctions results

The overall screening outcome, indicating whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.

Sanctions hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with sanctioned individuals.

Peps hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a PEP database. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with PEP records.

Sent to OGM

Indicates whether the subject’s details were successfully registered for ongoing monitoring, so the subject is continuously re-screened against updated PEP databases and sanctions lists.

Sanctions candidate score

A confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found.

PEP candidate score

A confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no PEP match was found.

Default outcomes

The default outcomes are identical to the UK Instance. The adverse media hit type is available for use in custom evaluation rules but is not included in the default outcome conditions.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM) module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON
Performs PEP screening and sanctions screening in a single check, returning candidate scores for both PEP and sanctions matches, without the UK-specific screening infrastructure. Requires the subject’s full name; gender, date of birth, and address are optional. For ongoing monitoring, use in combination with the PEPs and Sanctions Standard OGM Push variant.

Capabilities

The capabilities are the same as those documented for the UK Instance.

PEPs and sanctions results

The overall screening outcome, indicating whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.

Sanctions hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with sanctioned individuals.

Peps hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a PEP database. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with PEP records.

Sanctions candidate score

A confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found.

PEP candidate score

A confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no PEP match was found.

Decision score

A confidence score for the top match across all datasets. A higher score indicates greater confidence in the match, while a score of 0 indicates that no match was found.

Default outcomes

The module is pre-configured with the following default outcomes, which can be used in evaluation and routing logic within the journey designer.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the PEPs and Sanctions Standard module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON
Performs PEP screening, sanctions screening, and adverse media screening in a single check, returning candidate scores for both PEP and sanctions matches. Requires the subject’s full name; gender, date of birth, and current address are optional but improve match accuracy and reduce false positives.

Capabilities

The capabilities are the same as those documented for the UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM), excluding the Sent to OGM capability. This variant returns the PEPs and sanctions results, sanctions hit type, PEPs hit type, adverse media hit type, sanctions candidate score, and PEP candidate score.

PEPs and sanctions results

The overall screening outcome, indicating whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.

Sanctions hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with sanctioned individuals.

Peps hit type

The specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a PEP database. The module checks against both the subject’s full name and any known alternate identity aliases associated with PEP records.

Adverse media hit type

The result of the adverse media screening, indicating whether negative media coverage was found that may be associated with the subject.

Sanctions candidate score

A confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no sanctions match was found.

PEP candidate score

A confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record. A higher score indicates greater confidence; a score of 0 indicates that no PEP match was found.

Decision score

A confidence score for the top match across all datasets. A higher score indicates greater confidence in the match, while a score of 0 indicates that no match was found.

Default outcomes

The module is pre-configured with the following default outcomes, which can be used in evaluation and routing logic within the journey designer.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the PEPs and Sanctions Standard with Adverse Media module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON
Registers a subject for ongoing monitoring without performing a screening check. Designed to be placed after the PEPs and Sanctions Standard variant so that subjects who pass the initial screening are automatically enrolled for continuous re-screening.

Capabilities

The module returns a single capability.

Sent to OGM

Indicates whether the subject’s details were successfully registered for ongoing monitoring, so the subject is continuously re-screened against updated PEP databases and sanctions lists.

Default outcomes

The module is pre-configured with the following default outcomes, which can be used in evaluation and routing logic within the journey designer.

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the PEPs and Sanctions Standard OGM Push module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON

Capabilities

PEPs and sanctions results

Overall Hit or No Hit

PEPs and sanctions risk capabilities

Risk capabilities for DOB and Country

Subject restricted

Subject is under COPPA age limit and we legally can not do business with this individual.

Trust USA risk capabilities

Trust USA Risk Capabilities

Trust USA result capabilities

Trust USA Result Capabilities

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the US instance (Name and DOB) module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON

Capabilities

PEPs and sanctions results

Overall Hit or No Hit

PEPs and sanctions risk capabilities

Risk capabilities for DOB and Country

Subject restricted

Subject is under COPPA age limit and we legally can not do business with this individual.

Trust USA risk capabilities

Trust USA Risk Capabilities

Trust USA result capabilities

Trust USA Result Capabilities

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit data to the US instance (Name Only) module for processing.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response returned by the module.
JSON

Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit subject details to the PEPs and Sanctions module for screening.
JSON

Sample response

The following is a sample response for a subject that matched PEP and adverse media records.
JSON