Overview

Verify checks members against politically exposed person (PEP) and sanctions watchlists as part of your verification policies. When it finds a possible match, it flags the result and holds the verification. The member can't go any further until someone reviews what came up and decides whether they're clear to proceed.

That decision sits with you. A flag isn't a verdict, it's a prompt to look closer. Sometimes the match is a false positive, where two people happen to share a name. Sometimes it's a real match that's still an acceptable risk once you've done your checks. Either way, the call needs a person behind it and a record of why it was made.

You'll follow these steps whenever a member shows Approval required against their PEP / Watchlist status, which usually means they've matched a PEP listing or a sanctions list.

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Approving is final
‍Approving a result clears the flag for good. Once you approve, the member won't be matched against that same result again, so make sure your enhanced due diligence is genuinely complete first. If you're not certain, leave the result flagged and check with your compliance team before going ahead.

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Open the flagged verification

1. In the top navigation, click Verify.
2. In the secondary navigation, under Verification management, click Verifications to open the list of verifications.
3. Search for the person and open the verification you need to review. Flagged ones show Approval required against their status.

When the verification opens, a red banner across the top spells out what's happened: the member has matched a PEP or sanctions watchlist, and you'll need to review the results before deciding whether they can proceed.

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Review the results

Before you approve anything, take a proper look at what's been flagged. The Verification Details card shows you the essentials, including the member number, the policy that was run, and the matched Name.

Scroll down to PEP / Watchlist Results to see each match. For every result you'll find its Status, the Type of listing (for example, a sanction or a PEP), the Match score showing how confident the match is, the Matched name, and a Description of where the listing comes from.

For the full picture, click View report to open the detailed match report, or View member in the top right to check the member's record. This is the point where you carry out whatever enhanced due diligence your policies call for.

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A high match score isn't the whole story
‍A 100% match means the details line up exactly, but it still doesn't tell you whether it's the same person. A common name can score high against someone you've never dealt with. The report and the member record are what help you tell them apart.

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Approve a result and clear the flag

Once you've done your checks and you're satisfied the member can proceed:

1. In PEP / Watchlist Results, click Approve against the result you want to clear.
2. The Clear PEP / Watchlist flag window opens, showing the Watchlist result you're clearing.
3. From the Reason dropdown, choose why you're clearing it: False positive, Acceptable risk, or Other.
4. In the Comments box, describe the due diligence you've carried out. This is your audit trail, so be specific.
5. Click Approve to clear the flag. Changed your mind? Click Cancel to close the window without making any changes.

If the member matched more than one result, repeat these steps for each one. The flag only fully clears once every result has been approved.

After you approve

Clearing the flag doesn't push the member through on its own. They'll need to attempt the transaction or process again, so let them know they're good to try once more.

That's it. The flag is cleared and saved against the member, with your reason and comments recorded on the History tab. The member won't be matched against that same result again, so they'll pass straight through next time.