What is a sanctions evasion typology?

A sanctions evasion typology is a recognizable pattern of behavior that designated parties use to hide their identity and keep transacting.

TL;DR

TL;DR: Typologies are the recurring tricks used to dodge sanctions, such as layering ownership, and understanding them helps you build controls that catch them.

Common patterns

Evasion often relies on hiding who ultimately controls or benefits from a transaction. A designated party might use intermediaries, shell structures, or partial ownership below the reporting threshold. The 50 Percent Rule is designed to close the ownership gap, treating entities 50 percent or more owned by a blocked person as blocked themselves.

Why typologies matter

Because OFAC enforces with strict liability, intent is not required, and falling for an evasion scheme still creates exposure. Civil penalties start at $356,000 per violation. Recognizing a typology lets you design screening that catches the pattern rather than only the named entity.

Building controls against them

Screen every counterparty before payment, including wallet addresses, not just names. SanctionsAI checks 947 OFAC-listed wallets and 19,218 SDN names across 16 jurisdictions, synced hourly, and returns clean or flagged in under 100 ms. A hard gate before every transaction is the strongest defense against evasion patterns.