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The PEPs and Sanctions module in GBG GO allows you to screen individuals against global watchlists, including Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), 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.
VariantScreening scopeOngoing monitoringAdverse media
UK InstancePEPs, sanctionsNoNo
UK Instance (with OGM)PEPs, sanctionsYesNo
UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM)PEPs, sanctions, adverse mediaYesYes
PEPs and Sanctions StandardPEPs, sanctions, adverse mediaNoYes
PEPs and Sanctions Standard OGM PushNone (monitoring registration only)YesNo

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PEPs and Sanctions: UK Instance

The UK Instance variant screens a subject against PEP databases and sanctions watchlists using the UK screening infrastructure. This variant requires the subject’s full name. Date of birth, gender, and current address are optional but improve match accuracy and reduce false positives.

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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.

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PEPs and sanctions results

This capability provides the overall screening outcome, whether the subject matched any PEP or sanctions record.
CodeDescription
hitThe subject’s details matched one or more records in PEP databases or sanctions lists.
no_hitThe subject’s details did not match any records in PEP databases or sanctions lists. No further action is required for this screening check.
n/aThe screening could not be performed. This may occur if the input data was insufficient for the screening engine to run a meaningful check, or if the screening service was temporarily unavailable.

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Sanctions hit type

This capability returns the specific combination of identity elements that produced a match against a sanctions list. The match type indicates how strongly the subject’s submitted details correspond to a sanctioned individual’s record. 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.
CodeDescription
Full name, full address and DOB matchedThe subject’s full name, complete address, and date of birth all matched a sanctions record.
Full name, full address and year of birth matchedThe subject’s full name, complete address, and year of birth matched.
Full name and full address matchedThe subject’s full name and complete address matched.
Full name, DOB, city and country matchedThe subject’s full name, date of birth, city, and country matched.
Full name, DOB and country matchedThe subject’s full name, date of birth, and country matched.
Full name and DOB matchedThe subject’s full name and date of birth matched.
Full name, year of birth, city and country matchedThe subject’s full name, year of birth, city, and country matched.
Full name, year of birth and country matchedThe subject’s full name, year of birth, and country matched.
Full name and year of birth matchedThe subject’s full name and year of birth matched.
Full name, city and country matchedThe subject’s full name, city, and country matched.
A match was found against the full nameOnly the subject’s full name matched. No other identity elements were compared or available.
  • 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.
CodeDescription
A match was found against a known alternate identity aliasThe subject’s name matched a known alias of a sanctioned individual. No other identity elements were compared.
Identity alias, Full Address and DOB matchedAn alias match with the subject’s full address and date of birth.
Identity alias, Full Address and Year of Birth matchedAn alias match with the subject’s full address and year of birth.
Identity alias and Full Address matchedAn alias match with the subject’s full address.
Identity alias, DOB, City and country matchedAn alias match with the subject’s DOB, city, and country.
Identity alias, DOB and country matchedAn alias match with the subject’s DOB and country.
Identity alias and DOB matchedAn alias match with the subject’s date of birth.
Identity alias, Year of birth, City and country matchedAn alias match with the subject’s year of birth, city, and country.
Identity alias, Year of birth and country matchedAn alias match with the subject’s year of birth and country.
Identity alias and Year of birth matchedAn alias match with the subject’s year of birth.
Identity alias, City and Country matchedAn alias match with the subject’s city and country.
Not AvailableNo sanctions hit type is available. This is returned when the overall result is no_hit or n/a.

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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 Sanctions hit type above.

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Sanctions candidate score

This capability returns a confidence score for the top sanctions match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched sanctions record.
DetailDescription
TypeInteger
Range0–100
Default0
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.

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PEP candidate score

This capability returns a confidence score for the top PEP match, indicating how closely the subject’s details correspond to the matched PEP record.
DetailDescription
TypeInteger
Range0–100
Default0
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.

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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.
OutcomeConditionDescription
MATCHPEPs and sanctions result includes hitThe subject matched one or more PEP or sanctions records. The journey should route to a compliance review step where a human operator evaluates the match details, candidate scores, and hit types before making a decision.
NO MATCHPEPs and sanctions result includes no_hitThe subject did not match any PEP or sanctions records. The journey can proceed.
ERRORDefault (no conditions matched)The screening could not be completed.

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PEPs and Sanctions: UK Instance (with OGM)

This variant performs the same PEP and sanctions screening as the UK Instance but adds Ongoing Monitoring (OGM) capability. When OGM is enabled, the subject’s details are registered for continuous re-screening against PEP databases and sanctions lists. If the subject’s status changes after the initial check, for example, if they are newly added to a sanctions list or newly identified as a PEP, the system flags the change automatically.

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Capabilities

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

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Sent to OGM

This capability indicates whether the subject’s details were successfully registered for ongoing monitoring.
ValueDescription
trueThe subject’s details have been sent to the ongoing monitoring service. The system will continuously re-screen the subject against updated PEP databases and sanctions lists and flag any future matches.
falseThe subject’s details were not sent to ongoing monitoring. This may occur if OGM registration failed due to a system issue, or if the module configuration does not have OGM enabled for this journey. This is the default value.

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Default outcomes

The default outcomes are identical to the UK Instance.

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PEPs and Sanctions: UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM)

This variant 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 reports of involvement in financial crime, fraud, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, or other criminal activity.

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Capabilities

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

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Adverse media hit type

This capability returns the result of the adverse media screening.
CodeDescription
Match found for nameThe subject’s name matched one or more adverse media records. The match indicates that negative media coverage has been found that may be associated with the subject. A compliance reviewer should evaluate the specific media sources and content to determine whether the coverage relates to the subject or is a false positive example, a different person with the same name.
Not AvailableNo adverse media match was found, or the adverse media check was not performed.

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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.

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PEPs and Sanctions: PEPs and Sanctions Standard

The Standard variant performs PEP screening, sanctions screening, and adverse media screening in a single check, with candidate scores for both PEP and sanctions matches. This variant is suitable for you, if you need to perform a combined PEP, sanctions, and adverse media check without the UK-specific screening infrastructure. It supports the same input requirements (full name required; gender, DOB, and address optional). Privacy auditing is enabled. The capabilities are functionally equivalent to the UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM) but without the OGM registration capability. For ongoing monitoring, use this variant in combination with the PEPs and Sanctions Standard OGM Push variant.

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Capabilities

The capabilities are the same as those documented for the UK Instance (with Adverse Media and OGM), excluding the Sent to OGM capability.

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Default outcomes

OutcomeConditionDescription
MATCHPEPs and sanctions result includes hitThe subject matched one or more PEP, sanctions, or adverse media records. Route to compliance review.
NO MATCHPEPs and sanctions result includes no_hitNo matches found. The journey can proceed.
ERRORDefault (no conditions matched)The screening could not be completed.

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PEPs and Sanctions: PEPs and Sanctions Standard OGM Push

The OGM Push variant registers a subject for ongoing monitoring without performing a screening check. It is designed to be placed after the PEPs and Sanctions Standard variant in a journey, so that subjects who pass the initial screening are automatically enrolled for continuous re-screening. This variant does not perform any PEP, sanctions, or adverse media checks itself. Its sole purpose is to push the subject’s details to the ongoing monitoring service. Use it in combination with the PEPs and Sanctions Standard variant to achieve the same screening-plus-monitoring workflow as the UK Instance (with OGM).

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Capabilities

The module returns a single capability.

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Sent to OGM

This capability indicates whether the subject’s details were successfully registered for ongoing monitoring.
ValueDescription
trueThe subject’s details have been sent to the ongoing monitoring service. The system will continuously re-screen the subject and flag any future PEP or sanctions matches.
falseThe subject’s details were not sent to ongoing monitoring. This may indicate a system issue or a configuration problem. This is the default value.

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Default outcomes

OutcomeConditionDescription
SuccessSent to OGM is trueThe subject was successfully registered for ongoing monitoring.
ERRORDefault (no conditions matched)The OGM registration could not be completed.

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Input payload

The following is a sample payload used to submit subject details to the PEPs and Sanctions module for screening.
JSON
{
  "resourceId": "<resourceId>",
  "context": {
    "config": {
      "datasets": ["PEP", "SAN"]
    },
    "subject": {
      "identity": {
        "firstName": "<string>",
        "lastNames": ["<string>"],
        "dateOfBirth": "<YYYY-MM-DD>",
        "currentAddress": {
          "locality": "<string>",
          "country": "<ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code>"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
FieldRequiredDescription
config.datasetsYesSpecifies which screening datasets to run against. Accepted values are "PEP" (Politically Exposed Persons) and "SAN" (Sanctions). Pass one or both values.
identity.firstNameYesFirst name of the subject.
identity.lastNamesYesArray containing the last name(s) of the subject.
identity.dateOfBirthNoDate of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format.
identity.currentAddress.localityNoTown or city of the subject’s current address.
identity.currentAddress.countryNoCountry code in ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 format, for example, "GBR".

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Sample response

The following is a sample response for a subject that matched PEP and adverse media records.
JSON
{
  "response": {
    "advice": {
      "decision": "hit",
      "sanctions_hit": "Not Available",
      "pep_hit": "Full name and year of birth matched",
      "adverse_media_hit": "Match found for name",
      "sent_to_ogm": true,
      "pep_candidate_score": 99,
      "customDecision": null
    },
    "note": {
      "pep_match_details": [
        {
          "fullname": "Jonathan Edward William Clarke",
          "aliases": [
            "Jon Clarke",
            "Jonathan Clarke",
            "J.E.W. Clarke",
            "Jonathan W. Clarke"
          ],
          "addresses": [
            {
              "lines": ["12 Parliament Square"],
              "locality": "Westminster",
              "country": "GB",
              "superAdministrativeArea": "Greater London"
            },
            {
              "lines": ["4 Whitehall Court"],
              "locality": "London",
              "country": "GB",
              "superAdministrativeArea": "Greater London"
            }
          ],
          "dates": [
            {
              "type": "Birth",
              "date": "1971-03-22"
            }
          ],
          "tier": 2,
          "personId": 48821,
          "gender": "Male",
          "nationality": "GB - United Kingdom"
        }
      ],
      "adverse_media_match_details": {
        "sanctionsType": "NM",
        "subjectName": "Jonathan Edward Clarke",
        "inputName": "Jonathan Edward Clarke",
        "processedDate": "2025-11-04 09:23:11",
        "details": [
          {
            "sourceID": "1021",
            "subjectMatched": "Jonathan Clarke",
            "text": "Senior minister Jonathan Clarke faces questions over undisclosed property interests amid renewed calls for transparency in public office declarations.",
            "score": "97",
            "category": "ALLNM",
            "url": "https://www.fakenewsdaily.co.uk/politics/clarke-property-interests",
            "textHeading": "Senior minister Jonathan Clarke faces questions over undisclosed property interests",
            "newsOutlet": "fakenewsdaily.co.uk"
          },
          {
            "sourceID": "1022",
            "subjectMatched": "Jonathan Edward Clarke",
            "text": "A parliamentary inquiry has been launched following allegations that Jonathan Edward Clarke failed to register overseas financial interests in line with current conduct rules.",
            "score": "95",
            "category": "ALLNM",
            "url": "https://www.fakegazette.co.uk/news/parliamentary-inquiry-clarke",
            "textHeading": "Parliamentary inquiry launched over Clarke overseas financial interests",
            "newsOutlet": "fakegazette.co.uk"
          },
          {
            "sourceID": "1023",
            "subjectMatched": "Jon Clarke",
            "text": "Former trade secretary Jon Clarke has been linked to a lobbying firm that received government contracts during his tenure, according to documents obtained under freedom of information laws.",
            "score": "93",
            "category": "ALLNM",
            "url": "https://www.faketribune.co.uk/investigations/clarke-lobbying-contracts",
            "textHeading": "Former trade secretary linked to lobbying firm that received government contracts",
            "newsOutlet": "faketribune.co.uk"
          }
        ],
        "pageNumber": 1,
        "totalItems": 3,
        "totalPages": 1
      }
    },
    "outcome": "MATCH"
  }
}