vyayasan ONBOARDING SKILL.md - Complete Implementation
Author: Vyayasan Version: 1.0.0 Status: Production Ready - Final Locked Version
SKILL OVERVIEW
This SKILL defines the complete KYC onboarding workflow with mandatory Step 0 independent verification, case folder auto-creation, and locked template enforcement.
Trigger: /kyc-analyst:onboard [Customer Name] [Country]
Stagegate Enforcement: This skill enforces 17 mandatory stagegates with explicit analyst consent at each gate. See commands/onboard.md for the full stagegate specification.
MCP Integration: Uses ~~browser (Claude in Chrome) for web research, ~~excel (openpyxl) for dashboards, ~~pdf (fpdf2) for reports. See CONNECTORS.md for full connector reference.
STEP 0: MANDATORY INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
Why Step 0 is Mandatory
Regulatory Requirement: AMLD5 Article 10(a) and UK MLR 2017 Regulation 19 require independent verification using "reliable, independent source documents, data or information."
Analyst Compliance Duty: Analyst must verify customer declarations independently. Cannot rely solely on what customer claims - must verify through independent sources.
This Skill Enforces: No proceeding to traditional onboarding until Step 0 is complete and clear.
Step 0 Process Flow
COMMAND INVOKED
↓
CREATE CASE FOLDER (KYC-[DATE]-[TYPE]-[NAME]-[SEQ])
↓
BEGIN STEP 0 - INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
↓
SEARCH 1: Adverse Media ─→ DOCUMENT FINDINGS
SEARCH 2: Directorships ─→ DOCUMENT FINDINGS
SEARCH 3: PEP Status ────→ DOCUMENT FINDINGS
SEARCH 4: Professional Background → DOCUMENT FINDINGS
SEARCH 5: Sanctions/Crime ──→ DOCUMENT FINDINGS
↓
ANALYSIS & DECISION
↓
All Clear? → YES → Proceed to Step 1
↓ NO (DISCREPANCIES FOUND)
ESCALATE → Manager Review Required
Five Mandatory Searches - Detailed
SEARCH 1: ADVERSE MEDIA & NEWS
Objective: Identify any negative news, criminal records, regulatory violations, financial crime
Search Strategy:
Sources:
- Google News: "[Customer Name]" crime/fraud/scandal
- BBC News: "[Customer Name]" conviction
- Reuters: "[Customer Name]" regulatory action
- Companies House: Search for insolvency notices
- FCA Register: Check for regulatory action
- UK Media Index: General news scan
What to Document:
- Criminal records (yes/no)
- Regulatory violations (yes/no)
- Financial crime (yes/no)
- Bankruptcy/insolvency (yes/no)
- Adverse media (yes/no)
Decision Rule:
- All CLEAR → Continue to next search
- Any FINDINGS → Document, assess severity
SEARCH 2: COMPANY DIRECTORSHIPS
Objective: Identify ALL company involvement, directorships, beneficial ownership
Search Strategy:
Sources:
- Companies House: Direct officer search for [Customer Name]
- Companies House: Company search for any businesses
- Business registries: Director and shareholder registrations
- Corporate databases: Cross-verification
What to Document:
- Company name
- Position (director, shareholder, officer)
- Status (active/dormant)
- Appointment date
- Any conflicts or patterns
- Shell company assessment
Critical Findings - Escalate If:
- Multiple undisclosed directorships
- Director at company customer also works for
- Shell company patterns
- Beneficial ownership unclear
SEARCH 3: PEP STATUS (Politically Exposed Person)
Objective: Identify political exposure requiring Enhanced Due Diligence
Search Strategy:
Sources:
- UK Government PEP Database
- Electoral Commission (candidacy/office)
- International PEP Lists
- Government employee records
What to Document:
- Current political positions (yes/no)
- Previous political positions (yes/no)
- Family member PEP status (yes/no)
- Close associates with political exposure (yes/no)
Decision Rule:
- PEP identified → Triggers EDD
- Family PEP identified → Document relationship
- Clear → Continue
SEARCH 4: PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Objective: Verify occupation claims independently
Search Strategy:
Sources:
- LinkedIn: Employment history, current roles
- Company websites: Staff directory, team pages
- Business registry: Company ownership, director roles
- News: Business announcements, funding rounds
What to Document:
- Current employment (company, position, title)
- Employment status (employed/self-employed/director)
- Business activities claimed vs. verified
- Professional credentials
- Income sources identified
Critical Discrepancies - Escalate If:
- Declared self-employed but employed elsewhere
- Undisclosed business roles or directorships
- Business claims cannot be verified
- Source of funds misrepresented
- Pattern of non-disclosure evident
SEARCH 5: SANCTIONS & FINANCIAL CRIME
Objective: Confirm no sanctions matches or financial crime involvement
Search Strategy:
Sources:
- OFAC Specially Designated Nationals List
- EU Consolidated Sanctions List
- UK Sanctions Regime
- UN Security Council Consolidated List
- Interpol Database
What to Document:
- OFAC match (yes/no)
- EU sanctions (yes/no)
- UK sanctions (yes/no)
- UN sanctions (yes/no)
- Criminal convictions (yes/no)
- Interpol notices (yes/no)
Decision Rule:
- Any match → IMMEDIATE ESCALATION
- All clear → Continue
Step 0 Report Template
File Created: STEP_0_VERIFICATION_REPORT.md (LOCKED TEMPLATE)
Required Sections:
# STEP 0 VERIFICATION REPORT
## Search 1: Adverse Media
[Findings documented]
## Search 2: Directorships
[All companies listed with details]
## Search 3: PEP Status
[PEP assessment]
## Search 4: Professional Background
[Occupation and business verification]
## Search 5: Sanctions & Crime
[Sanctions screening results]
## DECISION GATE ANALYSIS
[Summary of findings]
## Material Misrepresentation Assessment
[If discrepancies found]
## Step 0 Decision: [PROCEED / ESCALATE]
[Decision logic]
## Certification
[Analyst sign-off]
Step 0 Decision Gate
PROCEED Criteria (All Required):
- ✓ All five searches completed
- ✓ No material discrepancies found
- ✓ Declarations verified or clarified
- ✓ No escalation triggers
- ✓ Step 0 Report signed off
ESCALATE Criteria (Any Found):
- ✗ Material misrepresentation identified
- ✗ Multiple undisclosed directorships
- ✗ Sanctions match found
- ✗ Financial crime indication
- ✗ PEP status requiring EDD
- ✗ Source of funds misrepresented
- ✗ Pattern of intentional non-disclosure
Step 0 Escalation Routing
Material Findings Escalate To:
- Primary: Compliance Manager (case assessment)
- Secondary: MLRO (if money laundering concern)
Information to Include:
- Customer name and ID
- Critical findings summary
- Regulatory basis for escalation
- Recommended actions
- Supporting evidence
Manager Decision Options:
- Proceed with EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence)
- Contact customer for clarification
- Decline relationship
- Refer for SAR consideration
STEP 1: TRADITIONAL ONBOARDING (Post-Step 0)
Proceeds Only If: Step 0 is complete and clear (or escalation resolved)
Collection Phase
Gather required information:
- Full personal identification (passport, ID)
- Current address verification
- Employment/business details
- Source of funds documentation
- Beneficial ownership (if applicable)
- PEP disclosure
- Sanctions screening confirmation
Documentation Phase
Create case documents:
- Customer profile
- Risk assessment
- Due diligence summary
- Evidence file
Approval Phase
- Compliance manager review
- MLRO sign-off (if required)
- Final approval decision
CASE FOLDER AUTO-CREATION
Naming Convention
KYC-[YYYYMMDD]-[TYPE_CODE]-[CUSTOMER_NAME]-[SEQUENCE]
Components:
- YYYYMMDD: Application date
- TYPE_CODE: ONB (onboarding), SCR (screening), REF (refresh), RAS (risk), AML (monitoring)
- CUSTOMER_NAME: Last name (max 20 chars)
- SEQUENCE: 001, 002, 003, etc. (handles multiple applications same date)
Example: KYC-20260202-ONB-SMITH-001
Automatic Folder Structure
Plugin creates (automatically):
001_CASE_METADATA/
├── CASE_METADATA.md (LOCKED TEMPLATE)
002_STEP_0_VERIFICATION/
├── STEP_0_VERIFICATION_REPORT.md (LOCKED TEMPLATE)
├── 001_Adverse_Media/
│ └── Search_1_Findings.md
├── 002_Directorships/
│ └── Search_2_Findings.md
├── 003_PEP_Status/
│ └── Search_3_Findings.md
├── 004_Professional_Background/
│ └── Search_4_Findings.md
└── 005_Sanctions_Crime/
└── Search_5_Findings.md
003_EVIDENCE/
├── Identification documents
├── Address verification
├── Employment confirmation
└── Source of funds documentation
004_AUDIT_TRAIL/
├── AUDIT_TRAIL.md (LOCKED TEMPLATE)
005_ESCALATIONS/
├── ESCALATION_BRIEF.md (if applicable)
└── Manager Decision.md (if applicable)
006_COMMUNICATIONS/
├── Customer correspondence
└── Customer clarification requests
KYC_[CustomerName]_Findings_Report.xlsx
├── Executive Summary sheet
├── Step 0 Results sheet
├── Discrepancies sheet
└── Risk Assessment sheet
LOCKED TEMPLATES - IMMUTABLE FORMAT
Template 1: CASE_METADATA.md
Purpose: Single source of truth for case identification
Structure (Locked):
# CASE METADATA - LOCKED TEMPLATE
## CASE IDENTIFICATION
Case ID, Type, Customer, Application Date, Analyst
## CUSTOMER DETAILS
Name, Email, Nationality, Residence, DOB, Passport
## DECLARED BUSINESS PROFILE
[Customer's declared information]
## CASE STATUS TIMELINE
[Chronological updates with dates]
## CASE STATUS
[Current status]
## RISK ASSESSMENT
[Geographic %, Customer %, Product %, Channel %]
## NEXT STEPS
[Ordered action items]
Modification Rule: Sections locked, content within sections editable
Template 2: STEP_0_VERIFICATION_REPORT.md
Purpose: Regulatory compliance evidence
Structure (Locked):
# STEP 0 VERIFICATION REPORT - LOCKED TEMPLATE
## SEARCH 1-5 SECTIONS
[Each with structured findings]
## STEP 0 DECISION GATE ANALYSIS
[Summary and decision logic]
## CERTIFICATION & SIGN-OFF
[Analyst certification]
Modification Rule: Format locked, findings editable
Template 3: AUDIT_TRAIL.md
Purpose: Immutable chronological log
Structure (Fully Locked):
# AUDIT TRAIL - IMMUTABLE LOG
## CHRONOLOGICAL ACTION LOG
[Timestamped table of all actions]
## FINDINGS SUMMARY
[Summary of findings]
## REGULATORY COMPLIANCE NOTES
[Compliance requirements met]
Modification Rule: Auto-generated, non-editable
EXCEL REPORT AUTO-GENERATION
Plugin creates professional Excel report with:
Sheet 1: Executive Summary
- Case ID, Customer, Date, Status
- All five searches with results
- Key findings
- Decision: PROCEED or ESCALATE
Sheet 2: Step 0 Searches
- Search 1-5 results in detail
- Severity assessment
- Sources documented
Sheet 3: Discrepancies (if any)
- Declared vs. Actual comparison
- Discrepancy analysis
- Severity levels
Sheet 4: Risk Assessment
- Geographic risk %
- Customer risk %
- Product risk %
- Channel risk %
- Overall risk level
QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKPOINTS
Checkpoint 1: Step 0 Completeness
- All five searches documented
- All findings entered with sources
- Discrepancies identified
- Decision gate applied
Checkpoint 2: Documentation Accuracy
- Case folder properly named
- Locked templates enforced
- Excel report generated
- Audit trail created
Checkpoint 3: Regulatory Compliance
- AMLD5 Article 10 requirements met
- UK MLR Regulation 19 compliance
- FCA guidance followed
- Independent sources used
Checkpoint 4: Decision Logic
- PROCEED decision justified
- ESCALATE decision documented
- Manager escalation routed
- Next steps clear
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
❌ Mistake 1: Accepting customer declarations without independent verification ✓ Correct: Complete all five searches regardless of what customer says
❌ Mistake 2: Skipping Step 0 for "low-risk" customers ✓ Correct: Step 0 is mandatory for ALL customers
❌ Mistake 3: Using single search instead of five ✓ Correct: All five searches required; each adds unique information
❌ Mistake 4: Modifying locked template format ✓ Correct: Locked templates maintain consistency; modify content, not format
❌ Mistake 5: Proceeding with onboarding despite critical findings ✓ Correct: Escalate when discrepancies found; don't override decision gate
WORKFLOW DECISION TREE
START ONBOARDING
↓
CREATE CASE FOLDER
↓
BEGIN STEP 0
↓
┌─── SEARCH 1: ADVERSE MEDIA
│ ↓
│ Findings? → NO → Continue
│ ↓ YES
│ Document → Continue (to Search 2)
│
├─── SEARCH 2: DIRECTORSHIPS
│ ↓
│ Findings? → NO → Continue
│ ↓ YES
│ Document → Continue (to Search 3)
│
├─── SEARCH 3: PEP STATUS
│ ↓
│ PEP? → NO → Continue
│ ↓ YES
│ Document → Continue (to Search 4)
│
├─── SEARCH 4: PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
│ ↓
│ Discrepancies? → NO → Continue
│ ↓ YES
│ Document → Continue (to Search 5)
│
└─── SEARCH 5: SANCTIONS/CRIME
↓
Matches? → NO → STEP 0 COMPLETE
↓ YES
IMMEDIATE ESCALATION
STEP 0 ENFORCEMENT IN PLUGIN
Built-In Gating:
Cannot proceed past Step 0 unless:
✓ All five searches completed
✓ Report generated and signed
✓ Decision documented
✓ Escalation (if needed) routed
This ensures:
- No onboarding without independent verification
- All findings captured and documented
- Regulatory compliance automatic
- Audit trail created
- Manager review triggered for escalations
SUMMARY: YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
As Analyst:
- ✓ Execute each of five searches independently
- ✓ Document findings with sources
- ✓ Identify discrepancies
- ✓ Review Step 0 report
- ✓ Follow decision gate
- ✓ Escalate when required
As Manager:
- ✓ Review escalations
- ✓ Assess critical findings
- ✓ Make proceed/decline/EDD decision
- ✓ Document decision in case file
- ✓ Sign off completion
As Compliance:
- ✓ Audit case folders
- ✓ Verify locked templates maintained
- ✓ Review audit trails
- ✓ Spot-check findings accuracy
- ✓ Ensure regulatory compliance
Developed by: Vyayasan Version: 1.0.0 Date: 12 February 2026 Status: Production Ready - Final Locked Version
Stagegate Reference: See commands/onboard.md for full 17-stagegate workflow specification.
Connector Reference: See CONNECTORS.md and MCP_INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md for MCP tool integration.