OFAC Aml FAQs
Answers to common questions about OFAC sanctions and AML, and how list screening differs from anti-money-laundering controls.
TL;DR
TL;DR: AML programs detect suspicious activity, while OFAC screening checks the SDN List. They are separate obligations that work together, and SanctionsAI covers the screening side with a risk_score signal.
Screening vs AML
Anti-money-laundering (AML) programs monitor for suspicious transactions and customer risk, while OFAC screening compares counterparties against the SDN List. A clean AML review does not clear an SDN match, and a blocked party is a sanctions issue independent of money-laundering suspicion. SanctionsAI handles the OFAC side: sanctions_check for the list lookup and risk_score for a follow-up risk signal.
Common questions
- Does AML replace OFAC screening? No, they are complementary and separate.
- What data is screened? 947 OFAC-listed crypto wallets and 19,218 SDN names, synced hourly.
- How fast is the lookup? One HTTP call in under 100 ms, returning ALLOW or BLOCK.