The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

Download Report

    n-img-roi-cross

    Before You Go, Schedule Your Free Demo Today

    Valid Invalid number


    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.

    n-exit-img-roi-cross

    Thank you for your demo request

    We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing how our solution can meet your needs. Expect to hear from us shortly with scheduling details.

    Close

    us

    216.73.217.4

    What is PEP Compliance and Why do Financial Institutions Need it?

    PEP Compliance

    For Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), an inter-governmental body established in 1989, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) a canonical definition.

    According to the global financial regulator FATF (Financial Action Task Force), a PEP or a Politically Exposed Person is one who is or has been entrusted with a public office or function. It can include anyone from the Prime Minister of a country to a locally elected official in a small town. It also includes senior officials in administrative, legislative, military or other branches of a government – whether still serving or retired. All such people require financial services but are, at the same time vulnerable to financial crimes like corruption and money laundering. The financial services sector, therefore, classifies them as higher risk clients and implement the necessary PEP compliance measures to protect themselves from being implicated in such crimes.

    FATF has set standards to promote the implementation of regulatory measures to combat financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorist financing. Due to risks associated with exposed persons, FATF presents some recommendations according to which businesses need to take AML/CFT measures.

    However, it is not just financial institutions that require compliance and regulatory measures. Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) that includes audit and law firms, dealers of precious stones and metals, real estate agencies and trusts. PEPs are in a unique position of, and have a better opportunity to, accept bribes, embezzle funds and launder money. This makes them riskier for banks and other businesses to onboard as clients. But with the proper measures, it is possible for the financial sector to mitigate their risks.

    What is PEP Compliance?

    Once a financial institution or DNFPB has determined that their client (or potential client) is a PEP, it is important for them to implement the necessary AML/CTF (Anti Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing) measures to monitor the risk associated with their clients. Such measures include enhanced due diligence of clients, transaction monitoring and building risk profiles of clients to enable them to safeguard their business from being used for any kind of financial crimes. Implementing PEP compliance does not necessarily mean that a person or client is being scrutinised for involvement in criminal activity. It simply indicates that their risk level is higher than any other client the bank may have.

    Who May be Included in PEPs Lists?

    The FATF has increased its scrutiny over governments and financial institutions around the globe. As a result, banks and financial institutions are supposed to be vigilant in their business practices regarding customer verifications. The reason is no matter whether your business is knowingly or unknowingly facilitates a criminal entity, it would definitely be subjected to harsh regulatory fines in form of monetary loss or penalties such as imprisonment and business asset abandonment.

    FATF has classified the following entities as politically exposed;

    • Serving or retired/discharged official in the executive, legislative, administrative, military or judiciary departments of a government.
    • Senior officials of a political party with a significant following.
    • Executive members of a state-owned enterprise that is a business or corporation.
    • Immediate family members of all such individuals, above mentioned. This includes parents, spouse, siblings, children and spouses parents and/or siblings.

    All such types of PEPs are designated different levels of risk according to their involvement with a political or public office or position. These individuals can be domestic as well as foreign. A domestic PEP may include a senior official of a local political party, corporation, a politician or an official from a state institution. On the other hand, an individual is a foreign PEP if he/she holds a notable position in a foreign country.

    Why is PEP Compliance Necessary for Financial Institutions?

    All such individual who falls under the PEP definition must be classified according to their level of risk and hence be screened. Financial institutions have to implement some PEP AML measures in order to reduce their risks and liabilities. With the increased scrutiny from local and international financial regulatory authorities, it has become important for financial institutions to protect themselves from all kinds of fraud and financial crimes. Regulators like FATF and FinCEN have issued millions of dollars in sanctions and fines to financial institutions for not complying with AML laws and regulations. This in itself is a strong enough motivation for businesses to screen for politically exposed persons.

    After getting a clear picture of what is a PEP and assigning a risk rating by classifying the individual as high, medium or a low-risk individual, a financial institution must then implement ongoing due diligence measures. This can include anything from constant screening to the monitoring of transactions to maintaining risk profiles of such clients. Therefore, it deters the risk of fraudulent activities and suspicious transactions by assigning a risk rating and spotting suspicious identity beforehand. 

    Real-Time AML Screening

    Shufti offers comprehensive PEP compliance for the financial services sector and DNFPBs and covers over 200 jurisdictions around the globe. It uses more than 10,000 data sources, that are updated every 15 minutes, to screen PEP individuals all over the world. It runs AML screening checks in the background, without any delays and can relay results within 5 seconds. The advantage of customer screening against various updated data sources ensures that no criminal entity is overlooked. 

    Businesses can implement these checks of their clients through three different screenings including ongoing screening, which is performed constantly for certain high-risk individuals. This allows them to receive an alert whenever a client is added or removed from a watchlist. Another type of screening performed by Shufti is through batch screening where a bank can feed their existing client list for AML checks and can get a comprehensive idea of which of their clients are included in PEP lists.

    To sum up, for businesses PEP compliance is more than mandatory. It is crucial to identify the risk associated with your onboarding customers. Therefore combating fraudulent actors and suspicious transactions that could be facilitated through your business and can subject regulatory penalties. Hence, to retain a business reputation, PEP compliance is very important. 

    Recommended For You:

    Related Posts

    Blog

    Indonesia’s First-ever Comprehensive Law on Data Privacy – the PDP Bill

    Being the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is experiencing enormous growth in the dig...

    Indonesia’s First-ever Comprehensive Law on Data Privacy – the PDP Bill Explore More

    Blog

    From Fraudsters to Artists – The Dire Need of AML Compliance for NFTs

    Over the past few years, NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens have become popular in the crypto sector. Ac...

    From Fraudsters to Artists – The Dire Need of AML Compliance for NFTs Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology

    Business Verification – Foolproof Ways to Secure Happy Customers

    Creating a winning customer experience can make for a significant competitive advantage for busin...

    Business Verification – Foolproof Ways to Secure Happy Customers Explore More

    Blog

    Financial Crimes and Romanian AML/KYC Landscape – How Shufti’s AML Screening Can Help

    Since the coronavirus outbreak, people worldwide have experienced things that no one could have a...

    Financial Crimes and Romanian AML/KYC Landscape – How Shufti’s AML Screening Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Social Media Platforms and Increasing Crimes – How Shufti’s ID Verification Services Can Protect

    The rise and evolution of social media have completely transformed the way people communicated an...

    Social Media Platforms and Increasing Crimes – How Shufti’s ID Verification Services Can Protect Explore More

    Blog

    Liveness Detection and IDV: An Overview of Biometric Facial Recognition

    Identity fraud and cybercrime have significantly surged in the past few years. Deepfake technolog...

    Liveness Detection and IDV: An Overview of Biometric Facial Recognition Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Digital Document Verification Giving Wing to Recruitment Sites

    Document Verification: In an industry that’s all about people, it’s critical that you know that a...

    Digital Document Verification Giving Wing to Recruitment Sites Explore More

    Biometric Technology, Blog

    Online Facial Recognition Could Drive a New Wave of Digital Transparency

    Online facial recognition is a much less explored territory when it comes to online identity veri...

    Online Facial Recognition Could Drive a New Wave of Digital Transparency Explore More

    Blog

    Travel Industry – Trends, Scams, and a Solution to Combat Fraud

    The modern world is filled with surprises for everyone nowadays. Be it individuals or enterprises...

    Travel Industry – Trends, Scams, and a Solution to Combat Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    Debunking the Top 5 Misconceptions about KYC Compliance

    Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance suffers from the issue of unintentional secrecy. Businesses h...

    Debunking the Top 5 Misconceptions about KYC Compliance Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Why You Need To Know Your Buyer

    Online payments are fast replacing cash transactions with the top payment companies harboring 1bi...

    Why You Need To Know Your Buyer Explore More

    Blog

    Top 5 Countries Impacted by Money Laundering – How Shufti Helps Mitigate the Risks

    Today, money laundering has permeated almost every regulated market and has become the most occur...

    Top 5 Countries Impacted by Money Laundering – How Shufti Helps Mitigate the Risks Explore More

    Blog

    Understanding Facial Identification: Face Verification vs. Face Recognition

    Many terms in the biometrics field are used interchangeably, particularly regarding facial verifi...

    Understanding Facial Identification: Face Verification vs. Face Recognition Explore More

    Blog

    GDPR Checklist – Practices to adopt as Business Norms

    It’s been a little over eight months since the GDPR came into effect on 25 May 2018. From that po...

    GDPR Checklist – Practices to adopt as Business Norms Explore More

    Blog

    Document Verification Services – The Secret Sauce to Keep Fraudsters Away

    Forging someone’s documents is something bad enough but selling them on the dark web is just rubb...

    Document Verification Services – The Secret Sauce  to Keep Fraudsters Away Explore More

    Blog

    Deutsche Bank’s Epstein Fine – Lesson for Financial Institution

    High-risk clients pose a serious threat to banks. Over the past few years, a significant number o...

    Deutsche Bank’s Epstein Fine – Lesson for Financial Institution Explore More

    Blog

    Industries that Need Digital Identity Verification and Why?

    With continuous improvements in technology, different industries of the world are streamlining th...

    Industries that Need Digital Identity Verification and Why? Explore More

    Blog

    Cryptocurrency Market and Financial Crimes: How to Handle Transaction Monitoring

    The adoption of cryptocurrencies by both individuals and businesses has exploded in the last 12 m...

    Cryptocurrency Market and Financial Crimes: How to Handle Transaction Monitoring Explore More

    Blog

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Identity Verification

    The digital age has offered unprecedented convenience and connection, but it has also introduced ...

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    The ‘What’ and ‘How’ of Address Verification Service

    The rising number of chargebacks and other fraudulent activities has led organisations to develop...

    The ‘What’ and ‘How’ of Address Verification Service Explore More

    Blog

    Why Digital Identity Verification is Booming – A Detailed Insight

    According to the report “Digital Identity & Document Verification Market & Technology Ana...

    Why Digital Identity Verification is Booming – A Detailed Insight Explore More

    Blog

    NFC Verification for Seamless Customer Onboarding

    As more than 80% of today’s smartphones have NFC technology, different industries are working tow...

    NFC Verification for Seamless Customer Onboarding Explore More

    Blog

    The Relentless Rise of Fraud in the FinTech Industry – How CDD Helps

    Fraud has always been on the rise ever since the advent of the FinTech industry. As perpetrators ...

    The Relentless Rise of Fraud in the FinTech Industry – How CDD Helps Explore More

    Blog

    Phishing Attacks and the Role of Two-Factor Authentication

    In today’s digital world, almost everything we do is on the internet, be it for official purposes...

    Phishing Attacks and the Role of Two-Factor Authentication Explore More

    Blog

    Art Market in the Frame of Money Laundering

    The highly volatile finance and crypto sector is not appealing for many investors, so they turn t...

    Art Market in the Frame of Money Laundering Explore More

    Blog

    Enhancing security in the cryptocurrency world with KYC verification

    Almost 20 years after the legislation on combating money laundering, regulators around the world ...

    Enhancing security in the cryptocurrency world with KYC verification Explore More

    Blog

    Cybersecurity vs User Experience – Knowing the Art of Balancing

    Several years of debate between cybersecurity and customer experience has driven most people craz...

    Cybersecurity vs User Experience – Knowing the Art of Balancing Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Identifying and Overcoming Challenger Banks’ Weaknesses

    There are approximately 77 challenger banks in Europe alone, the best range amongst the other reg...

    AML Screening – Identifying and Overcoming Challenger Banks’ Weaknesses Explore More

    Blog

    Top 5 Reasons Why Businesses Need Transaction Monitoring Solution

    Companies are moving towards digitisation, meanwhile, cybercriminals are mastering the art of exp...

    Top 5 Reasons Why Businesses Need Transaction Monitoring Solution Explore More

    Blog

    10 Frequently Asked Questions about Real-time Document Verification

    As we’re propelled deeper into digital transformation, techniques employed by scammers are ...

    10 Frequently Asked Questions about Real-time Document Verification Explore More

    Blog

    NFTs and Surging Crimes – How Shufti’s AML/KYC Solution Can Secure The Digital Ecosystem

    Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are by far one of the most popular topics right now. Artist Mike Winke...

    NFTs and Surging Crimes – How Shufti’s AML/KYC Solution Can Secure The Digital Ecosystem Explore More

    Blog

    5 Ways AI Takes Document Verification to the Next Level

    Data digitisation has made it accessible not only to legitimate users but also to cyber criminals...

    5 Ways AI Takes Document Verification to the Next Level Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Fathoming Financial Inclusion, Innovative KYC Solutions, and Integrity

    Identity – ensures active participation of an individual in social, political and economic ...

    Fathoming Financial Inclusion, Innovative KYC Solutions, and Integrity Explore More

    Blog

    FATF’s Stance on Digitizing FIUs and Adopting A Risk-Based Approach for VAs

    The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is tirelessly working to guide Financial Intelligence Unit...

    FATF’s Stance on Digitizing FIUs and Adopting A Risk-Based Approach for VAs Explore More

    Blog

    Japanese FSA to Beef Up AML Systems from Fiscal 2021

    Growth in South Asia has far exceeded that in any other country over the past few years and digit...

    Japanese FSA to Beef Up AML Systems from Fiscal 2021 Explore More

    Blog

    The Significance of Age Verification in the Digital Space

    With the innovation of technology, digital services among younger audiences are becoming increasi...

    The Significance of Age Verification in the Digital Space Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    Secure Online Gaming with Digital KYC

    Here is a scenario that shows the importance of having a digital KYC system integrated with your ...

    Secure Online Gaming with Digital KYC Explore More

    Blog

    Embedding online identity verification methods for enterprise security

    The internet knows a lot about us now. And businesses are using this information to verify our di...

    Embedding online identity verification methods for enterprise security Explore More

    Blog

    Metaverse and Money Laundering – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps

    For quite some time now, the world has been preparing itself for the latest development in multip...

    Metaverse and Money Laundering – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps Explore More

    Blog

    Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Financial Crimes and AML/KYC Regulations – How Shufti Can Help

    Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) emergence is providing a whole new segment to buy or sell digital crea...

    Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Financial Crimes and AML/KYC Regulations – How Shufti Can Help Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Reg Tech

    EU’s Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6)

    Summary: Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) highlights a stringent framework to combat...

    EU’s Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    How ID Verification via OCR can transform Digital World?

    ID verification is hailed as the ultimate savior for businesses operating multiple digital channe...

    How ID Verification via OCR can transform Digital World? Explore More

    Biometric Technology, Blog

    How eIDAS compliance is easier with Biometric Consent from Shufti pro?

    Biometric consent authentication is a brand new verification solution from Shufti, using an i...

    How eIDAS compliance is easier with Biometric Consent from Shufti pro? Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    ICOs and KYC Compliance

    With the surge in digitalisation of payments and crowdfunding; the need to set proper standards f...

    ICOs and KYC Compliance Explore More

    Blog

    Top 10 AML Trends to Watch for in 2022

    In 2021, the increasing scope of regulatory sanctions has affected businesses globally. The use o...

    Top 10 AML Trends to Watch for in 2022 Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    How Identity Verification Makes Remote Account Opening Efficient for Banks

    Banks have a lot to benefit from the remote account opening service as it allows them to bring a ...

    How Identity Verification Makes Remote Account Opening Efficient for Banks Explore More

    Blog

    Supplementing blockchain with KYC offers endless possibilities

    While you may be tempted to think that decentralized and anonymous blockchains are safe because t...

    Supplementing blockchain with KYC offers endless possibilities Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    Identity Theft Frauds – How can you stay a step ahead?

    Identity theft is ‘a hot potato’ these days. Every day we come across news of online fraud that h...

    Identity Theft Frauds – How can you stay a step ahead? Explore More

    Blog

    AML Solutions: Eliminating the Risks of Money Laundering

    Money laundering is a serious crime that can have serious and long-term consequences for your bus...

    AML Solutions: Eliminating the Risks of Money Laundering Explore More

    Blog

    5 Features of the Best Transaction Monitoring Solution

    Criminals are continuously devising sophisticated strategies to launder illegally-acquired money....

    5 Features of the Best Transaction Monitoring Solution Explore More

    Blog

    The Future of Identity Verification: Shufti CEO Shahid Hanif on Adaptability, Innovation, and Technology Leadership

    As fraud threats become increasingly sophisticated and regulatory landscapes evolve, businesses m...

    The Future of Identity Verification: Shufti CEO Shahid Hanif on Adaptability, Innovation, and Technology Leadership Explore More

    Blog

    Understanding the Difference Between Money Laundering and Embezzlement

    Money laundering and embezzlement are two financial offences involving the movement of significan...

    Understanding the Difference Between Money Laundering and Embezzlement Explore More

    Blog

    Breaking the KYC Remediation Cycle through a Risk-based Approach

    Banks have paid more than USD 30 billion over the past few years due to ineffective policies to c...

    Breaking the KYC Remediation Cycle through a Risk-based Approach Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti’s Journey Builder: Designing Identity Verification Made Simple 

    As financial regulations around the world become more complex and ever changing, businesses like ...

    Shufti’s Journey Builder: Designing Identity Verification Made Simple  Explore More

    Blog

    ID verification prevents 8 Security Issues of businesses

      The biggest concern for businesses, in terms of safety, nowadays is online or cybersecurit...

    ID verification prevents 8 Security Issues of businesses Explore More

    Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Identity & KYC, Reg Tech

    Significance of AML Compliance in Money Services Business

    The financial sector landscape is evolving with the advent of the FinTech industry. Many revoluti...

    Significance of AML Compliance in Money Services Business Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog

    Danske Bank Scandal: Banks Under Strict AML Scrutiny of FSA

    Money laundering is becoming a global phenomenon. As per the United Nations Office on Drug and cr...

    Danske Bank Scandal: Banks Under Strict AML Scrutiny of FSA Explore More

    Artificial Intelligence, Blog

    Why Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Taking Over—It’s Helping Us Thrive

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed from a futuristic concept into a critical part of ou...

    Why Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Taking Over—It’s Helping Us Thrive Explore More

    Blog

    Financial Crimes and Romanian AML/KYC Landscape – How Shufti’s AML Screening Can Help

    Since the coronavirus outbreak, people worldwide have experienced things that no one could have a...

    Financial Crimes and Romanian AML/KYC Landscape – How Shufti’s AML Screening Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Identity Verification and Prevailing Crimes – How Shufti’s Proof of Verification Services Can Help

    With growing digitization, emerging technologies, and increased use of online transactions, a hug...

    Identity Verification and Prevailing Crimes – How Shufti’s Proof of Verification Services Can Help Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Cybercrimes Rise 5 times in 4 years and Continue to Soar!

     A rapid stride in the tech world over the years has increased cybercrimes immensely. According t...

    Cybercrimes Rise 5 times in 4 years and Continue to Soar! Explore More

    Blog

    California Privacy Rights Act – What Businesses Must Do to Comply

    The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), also known as Proposition 24, was approved on November ...

    California Privacy Rights Act – What Businesses Must Do to Comply Explore More

    Blog

    Build Trust and Secure Online Dating Platforms with Identity Verification Solutions

    Online dating scams, such as the one filmed in the recent Netflix Original documentary “ The Tind...

    Build Trust and Secure Online Dating Platforms with Identity Verification Solutions Explore More

    Blog

    10 High-Risk Jurisdictions for Money Laundering According to FATF

    Innovations like stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) created quite the hype in the past ye...

    10 High-Risk Jurisdictions for Money Laundering According to FATF Explore More

    Blog

    MiCA Goes Global: How to Stay Ahead with a Future-Ready Compliance Strategy

    What Is MiCA? At the end of 2024 and just weeks after the crypto market reached an all time high ...

    MiCA Goes Global: How to Stay Ahead with a Future-Ready Compliance Strategy Explore More

    Blog

    A Brief Overview of the Cryptocurrency Landscape in the US and Canada [2022]

    The adoption of cryptocurrency throughout the world has ignited the launch of new markets and reg...

    A Brief Overview of the Cryptocurrency Landscape in the US and Canada [2022] Explore More

    Blog

    ID Verification for High-Potential Digital Fraud Cases

    Instances of digital frauds and payment scams are highly damaging for banks and financial institu...

    ID Verification for High-Potential Digital Fraud Cases Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Combating Money Laundering in Luxury Vehicle Dealings

    Financial criminals usually look for priceless items like art, antiquities, as well as luxury veh...

    AML Screening – Combating Money Laundering in Luxury Vehicle Dealings Explore More

    Blog

    Covid Test Verification To Facilitate Tourism Worldwide

    Due to the coronavirus pandemic, tourism has been adversely affected and the entire travel sector...

    Covid Test Verification To Facilitate Tourism Worldwide Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC (VKYC) | Identity Verification and Fraud Prevention

    In the last few years, the verification industry has experienced remarkable expansion. As our tec...

    Video KYC (VKYC) | Identity Verification and Fraud Prevention Explore More

    Blog

    Surging Crimes in NFT Marketplaces – Setting New Security Standards Using Shufti’s AML Solution

    The emergence of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) has created new investment opportunities for business...

    Surging Crimes in NFT Marketplaces – Setting New Security Standards Using Shufti’s AML Solution Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology

    Fraud Prevention in Fintech Industry

    The FinTech industry has really made its mark in the last couple of years. FinTechs have been pro...

    Fraud Prevention in Fintech Industry Explore More

    Take the next steps to better security.

    Contact us

    Get in touch with our experts. We'll help you find the perfect solution for your compliance and security needs.

    Contact us

    Request demo

    Get free access to our platform and try our products today.

    Get started