Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening for AML/CTF compliance. Required under AUSTRAC obligations for financial services, gaming, and remittance businesses hiring or onboarding individuals with political connections.
Overview
A Politically Exposed Person (PEP) is an individual who holds or has held a prominent public function — including heads of state, senior politicians, senior government officials, judicial officers, senior military officers, and senior executives of state-owned enterprises. Close family members and known associates of PEPs are classified as Related Persons (RPs) and subject to similar scrutiny.
Under AUSTRAC's AML/CTF Rules, regulated entities are required to conduct enhanced customer due diligence on PEPs, including assessing the source of funds and applying ongoing monitoring. In an employment context, PEP screening is essential for roles with access to financial systems, regulatory information, or procurement decisions — where a politically connected employee could present corruption or conflicts-of-interest risk.
Refchecks screens individuals against a comprehensive PEP database covering domestic and international PEPs across more than 200 countries. Results are delivered in real time, with clear, possible match, and confirmed match classifications identical to the sanctions screening workflow.
What's Included
Covers domestic and international PEPs across 200+ countries. Includes current and former PEPs, close family members, and known associates (related persons).
PEP checks return results within seconds. Suitable for onboarding workflows where real-time compliance screening is required.
Screening methodology and documentation align with AUSTRAC's guidance on PEP due diligence under the AML/CTF Act 2006 and AML/CTF Rules.
Screens not only the individual but flags when they are a known associate or family member of a PEP — covering the "related person" category required under AML rules.
Every PEP screen is logged with full audit details. Supports AUSTRAC reporting obligations and internal compliance documentation.
Process
Enter name, date of birth, nationality, and any known aliases. Additional identifiers improve match accuracy and reduce false positives.
The system matches against a comprehensive PEP database including current and former political figures, their family members, and known associates.
Results are classified as Clear, Possible Match, or Confirmed PEP/Related Person. Possible matches are queued for review with match evidence.
Confirmed PEPs trigger enhanced due diligence workflows. All results are logged for AUSTRAC compliance reporting.
Turnaround & Pricing
Turnaround Time
Real-time (seconds)
Per screen
From $8
Bundle with sanctions screening for complete AML compliance coverage.
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