How do I find out if I am on the OFAC list?
You can check the presence of your name or company in the US sanctions lists for free and instantly through the official Sanctions List Search tool on the website of the US Department of the Treasury. You do not need registration or special access — the database is open to everyone. If the search shows a match, this is a signal for immediate analysis of the situation, as the consequences may include a complete freeze of assets and isolation from the global financial system.
What is the OFAC list and which lists are actually checked?
OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) is the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control. In fact, it is financial intelligence and a regulator that administers sanction programmes. For businesses and individuals, being included in the databases of this agency means losing access to transactions in dollars and cooperation with the majority of international banks.
There are several registers, but two are key for verification. The first and most critical is the SDN List (Specially Designated Nationals). Individuals and organisations included in this list are subject to blocking sanctions. Their assets within US jurisdiction are frozen, and American citizens and companies are prohibited from conducting any business with them. In practice, the ban is also adhered to by European and Asian banks, fearing secondary sanctions.
The second register is the Consolidated Sanctions List. This includes lists not associated with full blocking (Non-SDN), such as sectoral sanctions (SSI). Individuals on this list may face restrictions on raising financing or exporting technologies, but their assets are not always subject to freezing. Being included in the SDN puts an end to the possibility of opening an account in a reliable bank, using Visa/Mastercard cards, or conducting SWIFT transfers. Cryptocurrency exchanges are also required to conduct OFAC sanctions checks and block the wallets of sanctioned individuals.
How to independently check yourself on the OFAC list (step-by-step)
The verification procedure (OFAC verification) requires accuracy, as the search algorithm uses fuzzy logic. This means that the system looks not only for 100% matches but also for similar spellings.
To perform the OFAC check correctly, follow the algorithm:
- Go to the official source. Use only the Sanctions List Search tool (sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov). Third-party services may contain outdated data.
- Enter the data. In the “Name” field, indicate the first name and surname in Latin script. It is recommended to try several transliteration options (for example, Alexey and Aleksey), as the name may be recorded differently in the database.
– The “ID #” field allows searching by passport number, but most often the primary search is done by name.
– To reduce noise in the output, you can specify the country (Country) or sanctions programme, but for an initial check, it is better to leave these fields empty.
– The parameter “Minimum Name Score” is set to 100 by default. For a thorough check, it is recommended to lower it to 90 to see close matches. - Interpret the result.
– No Results: Nothing was found based on the specified criteria.
– Exact Match: Full match of the name and associated data.
– Possible Match : Partial match. In the search results, you need to reveal the details of the found record (click on the name). Verify the date of birth (DOB), place of birth (POB), citizenship, and passport details. If the name matches but the year of birth is different — this is not you.
What to do if a match is found
Detection of your name in the database (OFAC search) does not always mean that you are under sanctions. A common issue is a “False Positive” — a false alarm. There are thousands of people in the world with the same names. If Ivanov Ivan Petrovich is added to the OFAC watch list, banking algorithms may automatically block transfers for all Ivanov Ivans until a manual check is conducted.
Banks use automated screening systems. When a transaction passes through correspondent accounts, the system checks the participants of the transfer against the sanction list OFAC. At the slightest match, the payment is stopped “for manual review”. This is precisely why funds can be held up for weeks without explanation.
If you are sure that the match is false, it is necessary to provide the bank with documents confirming your identity: a scan of your passport, proof of address, and possibly a letter explaining that you are not the person from the SDN list. In complex cases, it may be required to obtain a special certificate or a legal opinion (Legal Opinion) proving the absence of any connection with the sanctioned person.
How does OFAC differ from other sanctions lists?
Understanding the jurisdiction of sanctions helps assess risks. The OFAC list is formed by the United States and has extraterritorial effect due to the dominance of the dollar. Any transaction in USD passes through an American correspondent account, which gives the US leverage over any bank in the world.
The European Union maintains its consolidated lists (EU Consolidated List). They are mandatory for compliance by EU citizens and companies. Unlike the USA, European sanctions are less frequently applied extraterritorially; however, major banks observe them globally.
The United Kingdom, after Brexit, administers its own list through HM Treasury (OFSI). It largely duplicates the lists of the EU and the USA but has its own unique entries. The UN sanctions list is mandatory for all member countries of the organisation, but it is generally much shorter and includes only individuals connected with terrorism or the proliferation of WMD.
Is it possible to find out about sanctions if the bank does not explain the reason?
Banks rarely tell the client directly: “We have blocked you due to a match with OFAC SDN.” This is related to the prohibition on disclosing information , which applies in many jurisdictions when there is suspicion of money laundering or sanctions evasion.
Usually, the client receives a dry notification about a “compliance decision” or that the account is under review. Indirect signs of problems with OFAC may include:
- Request for additional documents about beneficiaries or payment purpose for transfers in dollars.
- Refusal to conduct the operation specifically in foreign currency while rouble transfers are functioning.
- Questions from the bank about connections with certain individuals or companies that may be on the lists.
The real reason can only be understood through an independent audit of your connections and checking against databases. If the bank closes the account without explanation, there is a high probability that internal compliance has detected a toxic trace.
Common mistakes during OFAC check
Poor quality checks create a false sense of security. Many users make mistakes that later cost them frozen funds.
Typical oversights during screening:
- Search only by exact spelling. Ignoring transliteration variants (for example, using Yury instead of Iurii) results in not seeing the actual record in the register.
- Ignoring the list of aliases (AKA). The profile of a sanctioned individual often includes pseudonyms and nicknames. These must also be checked.
- Confusion between lists. People often check the Interpol database or local blacklists, thinking that this is a sanctions check. OFAC is a separate database.
- Trust in paid aggregators without double-checking. Commercial databases are convenient, but they are updated with a delay. The primary source is always more reliable.
- Lack of attention to related parties. Checking only oneself, but not one’s business partners or relatives, whose assets may be toxic for the bank.
If you have found yourself or your partner on the list, or faced a funds freeze, do not attempt to bypass restrictions through shell companies. This is interpreted as sanctions evasion and may lead to criminal prosecution in the USA. The best solution would be to consult specialised lawyers to obtain an OFAC licence or go through the delisting procedure.
