Sanctions check don't hire
without knowing the odds
Unidentified sanctions expose your company to liability and hefty fines. Protect your prestige with cFIRST’s business-ready, effortless UK sanctions list checks.
What Is a Sanctions Check?
The UK maintains a robust sanctions regime for upholding international peace and national security. A sanctions search is a critical investigative process that verifies a candidate’s status against designated sanctions lists. These lists, compiled by governments and international bodies like the EU and the United Nations, identify individuals, companies, and countries subject to economic or trade restrictions. Sanctions checks in the UK are critical in ensuring compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA). cFIRST utilises advanced technology to access and cross-check a candidate’s details against global and UK sanctions lists.
Who is Required to Conduct Sanctions Checks in the UK?
Sanctions checks are no longer the exclusive domain of financial institutions. Regardless of industry, any company conducting business with international clients, vendors, or partners must incorporate sanctions list checks into their pre-employment and third-party screening processes. Businesses operating in sectors with a higher risk of money laundering or illicit activities, such as defence, trade in luxury goods, or precious metals, may face stricter scrutiny and a greater need for robust sanctions search.
Penalties for Compliance Failure with Sanctions Checks in the UK
- Breaching sanctions can lead to hefty fines reaching up to £1 million.
- In cases involving significant funds or deliberate actions, the penalty can be even steeper, reaching 50% of the involved amount.
- Individuals may face imprisonment for up to 10 years for the most severe offences.
- HM Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) can impose civil penalties for non-compliance on companies and their officers.
- Public disclosure of sanctions breaches can severely damage a company's reputation.
- Directors can be disqualified from holding positions in other companies.
- Companies may be barred from participating in public sector tenders.
Why cFIRST for Sanctions Checks?
- Enriched candidate data with appended additional identifiers to reduce false positives
- cFIRST platform handles high volumes, and adapts to growth
- User-friendly interface with customisable risk settings and workflows
- Access to a global network of high-quality, up-to-date sanctions data, including PEP lists, the UK Sanctions List, OFSI Consolidated List, UNSC Consolidated List, OFAC Sanctions List, etc.
- Optimised record management with a standardised format while preserving the original details
- Usage-based, pay-as-you-go pricing model
Seamless Sanctions Search
Compliance for Global Leaders
The ever-evolving world of sanctions compliance is a high-stakes endeavour. One wrong move—an overlooked match or an outdated list—could jeopardise your operations, financial standing, and brand reputation. cFIRST delivers an unrivalled level of certainty in this critical area and empowers you to operate with absolute confidence.
The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA)
This primary legislation forms the legal basis for UK sanctions implementation. It permits the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) to impose sanctions and maintain a consolidated list of parties subject to financial restrictions. cFIRST ensures your screening practices align with the latest OFSI directives.
The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (MLRs)
These regulations require certain businesses to implement customer due diligence (CDD) measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Sanctions screening is a vital component of CDD, and cFIRST helps you meet these obligations effectively.
The Serious Crime Act 2007
This Act establishes the offence of ‘failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion’, which can be relevant to sanctions breaches. cFIRST's detailed audit trails provide a strong defence by demonstrating your adherence to proper sanctions screening procedures.
