PEP and Sanctions Screening

The PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) and Sanctions Screening API allows you to screen individuals against global watchlists to identify potential compliance risks. This endpoint checks for matches against PEP databases and various sanctions lists.

Prerequisites

To use this service, you must contact Taktikal support to obtain a valid flowKey for your account. This flow key is required for all screening requests and ensures proper tracking and compliance.

Contact Support: hjalp@taktikal.is

Endpoint

POST /api/watchlist/person

Request Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
countryCode	string	Yes	Two-letter ISO country code (e.g., "US", "SE", "GB")
firstName	string	Yes	First name of the person to screen
middleName	string	No	Middle name (not available in all watchlist services)
lastName	string	Yes	Last name of the person to screen
originalName	string	No	Recommended: Full name in original script (Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, etc.) - provides better matching results
dateOfBirth	string	No	Date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format
gender	string	No	Gender ("Male" or "Female")
flowKey	string	Yes	Unique flow identifier for tracking
MatchRate	number	No	Percentage threshold 1-100 indicating match confidence (default: 75)

Parameter Notes

• OriginalName: Using the person's name in their native script (e.g., Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese) significantly improves matching accuracy. If you cannot separate the name into First/Middle/Last components, use originalName instead.
• MatchRate: A percentage from 1-100 where 1% is not close and 100% is very close. Lower values return more potential matches but may include false positives.

Example Request

curl --location 'https://onboarding.taktikal.is/api/watchlist/person' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Basic YOUR_BASE64_ENCODED_CREDENTIALS' \
  --data '{
    "countryCode": "RU",
    "firstName": "Vladimir",
    "lastName": "Putin",
    "dateOfBirth": "1952-10-07",
    "flowKey": "0xx0c8f4xxe3",
    "MatchRate": 75
  }'

Response Format

The API returns a JSON response containing screening results:

{
  "errors": [],
  "id": [
    {
      "id": "b56a2eb7-15df-41eb-9fa1-6aab837e16e5"
    }
  ],
  "date": [
    {
      "date": "2025-09-26T09:40:05.9120000Z"
    }
  ],
  "match": [
    {
      "category": "PEP/SIP",
      "categories": [
        "Politically Exposed Person (PEP)",
        "Special Interest Person (SIP) - Sanctions Lists"
      ],
      "match_rate": 100.0,
      "matchedFields": [
        "PrimaryName",
        "DOB",
        "Country"
      ],
      "gender": "Male",
      "deceased": false,
      "firstName": "Vladimir",
      "middleName": "Vladimirovich",
      "lastName": "Putin",
      "fullName": "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin",
      "images": [
        "https://www.acurisriskintelligence.com/cdn/content/ari0202017/Qjtmeq5VJ.PNG"
      ],
      "dateOfBirth": "07 Oct 1952",
      "countries": [],
      "placeOfBirth": "Saint Petersburg, Russia",
      "primaryLocation": "Russia",
      "generalInfo": {
        "nationality": "Russian"
      },
      "furtherInformation": [
        "Listed as a sanctioned individual by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine",
        "Currently listed as a sanctioned individual by the EU",
        "Currently listed as a sanctioned individual by OFAC",
        "Currently listed as a sanctioned individual by HMT"
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "description1": "Politically Exposed Person (PEP)",
          "description2": "PEP Tier 1"
        },
        {
          "description1": "Special Interest Person (SIP)",
          "description2": "Sanctions Lists"
        }
      ],
      "roles": [
        {
          "title": "President | Presidency of the Russian Federation",
          "status": "Current",
          "country": "Russia"
        }
      ],
      "officialLists": [
        {
          "keyword": "Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)",
          "description": "Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)",
          "isCurrent": true
        },
        {
          "keyword": "European Union Council (EU)",
          "description": "European Union Council (EU)",
          "isCurrent": true
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "status": [
    {
      "status": "Finished"
    }
  ],
  "request": {
    "countryCode": "RU",
    "firstName": "Vladimir",
    "lastName": "Putin",
    "dateOfBirth": "1952-10-07",
    "matchRate": 75,
    "flowKey": "0xx0c8f4xxe3"
  },
  "flowkey": "0xx0c8f4xxe3"
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
errors	array	Array of any errors encountered during processing
id	array	Unique identifier for the screening request
date	array	Timestamp when the screening was performed
match	array	Array of potential matches found
match[].category	string	Primary match category (e.g., "PEP/SIP")
match[].categories	array	Detailed categories of the match
match[].match_rate	number	Confidence percentage of the match (0-100)
match[].matchedFields	array	Fields that contributed to the match
match[].gender	string	Gender of the matched person
match[].deceased	boolean	Whether the person is deceased
match[].firstName	string	First name from watchlist
match[].middleName	string	Middle name from watchlist
match[].lastName	string	Last name from watchlist
match[].fullName	string	Complete name from watchlist
match[].images	array	URLs to profile images if available
match[].dateOfBirth	string	Date of birth from watchlist
match[].placeOfBirth	string	Place of birth information
match[].primaryLocation	string	Primary location/country
match[].generalInfo	object	General information including nationality
match[].furtherInformation	array	Additional context and sanctions details
match[].descriptions	array	Category descriptions and tiers
match[].roles	array	Current and former positions/roles
match[].officialLists	array	Sanctions lists the person appears on
status	array	Processing status information
request	object	Echo of the original request parameters
flowkey	string	Echo of the provided flow key

Match Categories

The API screens against multiple categories of risk. The category field in the response indicates the primary match type using the following classifications:

Category Types

Category	Full Name	Description
PEP	Politically Exposed Person	Current and former government officials, senior political party members, high-ranking military officers, heads of state-owned enterprises
Sanction	Sanctioned Person	Individuals under international sanctions (UN, EU, OFAC, HMT, etc.)
RCA	Relative or Close Associate	Family members, close relatives, or known associates of PEPs
POI	Person of Interest	Individuals flagged for regulatory or compliance monitoring
SIP	Special Interest Person	Persons requiring enhanced due diligence for various compliance reasons
TER	Terrorism Related	Individuals associated with terrorism or terrorist organizations
SIE	Special Interest Entity	Companies or organizations requiring enhanced monitoring
SOE	State Owned Enterprise	Government-controlled companies or entities

Combined Categories

The response may contain combined categories (e.g., "PEP/SIP") when a person matches multiple risk types. The categories array provides detailed descriptions of all applicable classifications.

Risk Assessment by Category

High Risk:

• Sanction - Requires immediate attention and potential transaction blocking
• TER - Terrorism-related matches require strict compliance measures

Medium-High Risk:

• PEP - Enhanced due diligence required
• SIE/SOE - Additional scrutiny for entity relationships

Medium Risk:

• RCA - Associated persons requiring careful evaluation
• SIP - Special monitoring and documentation needed

Monitoring Required:

• POI - Ongoing surveillance and periodic review recommended

Match Rate Threshold

The MatchRate parameter controls the sensitivity of the screening:

• 90-100%: Exact or near-exact matches only
• 80-89%: High confidence matches with minor variations
• 70-79%: Medium confidence matches allowing for more variation
• 60-69%: Lower confidence matches, may include false positives
• Below 60%: Not recommended, high risk of false positives

Error Handling

Common HTTP Status Codes

Code	Description	Resolution
200	Success	Request processed successfully
400	Bad Request	Check request parameters and format
401	Unauthorized	Verify API credentials
429	Too Many Requests	Implement rate limiting
500	Internal Server Error	Contact support

Error Response Format

{
  "error": "Invalid date format",
  "message": "dateOfBirth must be in YYYY-MM-DD format",
  "code": "INVALID_DATE_FORMAT"
}

Best Practices

1. Use appropriate match thresholds: Start with 75% for balanced accuracy
2. Store flow keys: Use unique flow keys for audit trails
3. Handle false positives: Implement manual review processes for matches
4. Regular updates: Watchlists are updated daily
5. Data privacy: Follow local regulations for storing screening results

Compliance Considerations

This API is designed to support AML/KYC compliance requirements:

• Results should be reviewed by compliance officers
• Document screening decisions and rationales
• Maintain audit trails of all screening activities
• Consider local privacy and data protection laws
• Regular policy reviews and threshold adjustments

Implementation Examples

JavaScript

const response = await fetch('https://onboarding.taktikal.is/api/watchlist/person', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Basic ' + btoa('companyKey:apiKey'),
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    countryCode: 'RU',
    firstName: 'Vladimir',
    lastName: 'Putin',
    dateOfBirth: '1952-10-07',
    flowKey: '0xx0c8f4xxe3',
    MatchRate: 75
  })
});

const result = await response.json();

if (result.match && result.match.length > 0) {
  console.log(`Found ${result.match.length} match(es)`);
  result.match.forEach(match => {
    console.log(`Match: ${match.fullName} (${match.match_rate}% confidence)`);
    console.log(`Categories: ${match.categories.join(', ')}`);
  });
} else {
  console.log('No matches found');
}

Python

import requests
import base64

# Encode credentials
credentials = base64.b64encode(b'companyKey:apiKey').decode('utf-8')

response = requests.post(
    'https://onboarding.taktikal.is/api/watchlist/person',
    headers={
        'Authorization': f'Basic {credentials}',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    json={
        'countryCode': 'RU',
        'firstName': 'Vladimir',
        'lastName': 'Putin',
        'dateOfBirth': '1952-10-07',
        'flowKey': '0xx0c8f4xxe3',
        'MatchRate': 75
    }
)

result = response.json()

if 'match' in result and len(result['match']) > 0:
    print(f"Found {len(result['match'])} match(es)")
    for match in result['match']:
        print(f"Match: {match['fullName']} ({match['match_rate']}% confidence)")
        print(f"Categories: {', '.join(match['categories'])}")
else:
    print("No matches found")

Support

For technical support or compliance guidance, contact:

• Technical Support: hjalp@taktikal.is
• Compliance Queries: hjalp@taktikal.is