What is sanctions screening?

Sanctions screening is the process of checking your clients against official lists of sanctioned individuals and entities. If a client appears on a sanctions list, you cannot proceed with the transaction and may have additional reporting obligations.

Screening is a required part of your CDD process under the AML/CTF Act.

Which list does AML Simple check?

AML Simple screens clients against the DFAT Consolidated List — the official Australian government sanctions list maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The DFAT Consolidated List includes:

UN Security Council sanctions (international obligations)
Australian autonomous sanctions (Australia-specific measures)

The list is updated as changes occur. AML Simple re-fetches the current list automatically so your screenings use up-to-date data.

When do you need to screen?

Screen every client before you provide your designated service — that is, before you start working on a property transaction on their behalf.

You should also re-screen clients as part of ongoing monitoring. AML Simple can automate this on Professional and Agency plans.

What “clear” and “potential match” mean

Clear — the client’s name did not match any entry on the sanctions list. Record this result and proceed with your normal CDD process.

Potential match — the client’s name or other details are similar to an entry on the sanctions list. This requires further review before you can proceed. A potential match does not mean the client is sanctioned — many are false positives due to common names or similar spellings. See Reviewing a potential match for next steps.

How results are recorded

AML Simple records every screening result with a timestamp — who was screened, against which list, on what date, and the outcome. These records are retained for 7 years to meet your record-keeping obligations.

You can view screening history for any client from their client record.