AML

Understanding AML screening

What is AML screening?

AML screening is a process of filtering the possibility of risk related to money laundering or terrorist financing. You can differentiate a good customer to move on to the next onboarding step, and who needs a further review.

Red Flag

What does 'Red Flag' mean?

The standard for AML screening is 'Is there anyone in the database who has similar identity information over a certain score?'. Please refer to the AML Screening Threshold for details. ARGOS informs of an applicant whose score exceeds the threshold and calculates the similarity score based on name, birth date, and nationality. If it is 'similar', the Red Flag may pop up, so another person with similar identity information or a person with the same name may be screened.

It does not mean that the applicant has a money laundering risk, but the applicant has similar data to someone in AML database so needs further review to see if it is the same person.

What needs to be done with Red-Flagged users?

AML screening results are guided in two ways. The first is the result: 'No Matches(Not Screened)' when no matching results are found from the database, and 'Red Flag' if there is a result. The second is the risk icon classifying the type. AML Risk Icons explain why the person is involved in money laundering and for what reason.

Generally, we recommend the next onboarding process for red-flagged users as follows.

1. Verify that the applicant and the person in the AML report are the same. (Compare the face when provided in the report)

2. Establish criteria for classifying customers based on the risk icons. For example, insolvency is good to go but politicians(PEP) are not.

3. When you can't judge that it's someone else, generally they are considered as the same person.

Is it possible to get 'Red Flag' even if it's not the same person?

The AML result is determined by the number that calculates the similarity of the information. If any result exceeds the score (AML threshold), the screening results will be marked as 'Red Flag'.

Therefore, even if they are not the same person, they can be matched in AML screening.