# Sanctions Screening

> Design and operate sanctions screening controls for customers, payments, and counterparties — including list management, alert handling, and escalation. Use when building or reviewing sanctions compliance processes in banking, fintech, or cross-border business.

- Skill: `itsual/sanctions-screening` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add itsual/sanctions-screening`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/itsual/sanctions-screening/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: itsual (https://skillmd.com/u/itsual)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/itsual/sanctions-screening

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# Sanctions Screening

## Overview

Sanctions screening prevents dealings with prohibited parties and jurisdictions. Effective programs combine quality list data, tuned matching, skilled alert disposition, and clear escalation.

## When to Use

- Customer and beneficial-owner screening at onboarding and refresh
- Payment and transaction screening
- Counterparty and vendor screening
- Sanctions program design or tuning reviews

## Core Practices

- Source and update sanctioned-party lists from authoritative feeds
- Define screening points (onboarding, periodic, before payment)
- Tune matching to balance true hits vs false positives
- Document alert investigation and disposition rationale
- Escalate true matches through defined approval channels
- Restrict or exit relationships when required
- Test controls and maintain audit trails

## Principles

- False-negative risk is existential; false-positive floods destroy effectiveness
- List quality and timely updates are foundational
- “Name match” is not automatic guilt — investigation discipline matters
- Governance must cover model/tuning changes to matching logic

## Verification

- [ ] Screening coverage points are defined and complete
- [ ] Alert handling has documented standards and quality checks
- [ ] Escalation and blocking paths are tested