Single screening
OFAC Check for People and Companies in Seconds
An OFAC check compares a name against the sanctions lists published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, mainly the SDN list, to confirm you are not dealing with a blocked person or company. OfacScanner runs it in seconds and saves the proof.
What is an OFAC check
An OFAC check is a search of a customer, vendor, payee or counterparty against the lists kept by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The main list is the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, usually called the SDN list. It names people, companies, vessels and aircraft whose property is blocked and with whom U.S. persons generally may not do business.
The rules apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are, to companies organized under U.S. law and their foreign branches, and to anyone physically in the United States. Many non-U.S. companies run the same check because they pay in dollars, use U.S. banks or sell to U.S. customers who ask for it in their contracts.
OFAC liability is strict. A company can be penalized for a prohibited transaction even if nobody knew the customer was listed. That is why a quick, documented check before you onboard, ship or pay is the basic control in every sanctions program.
How to run an OFAC check with OfacScanner
Four steps from a name to a saved result your auditor can read.
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01
Enter the name
Type the full name of the person or company. Add a country or a date of birth when you have it, because both help separate a real match from a namesake.
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02
Pick the type
Choose individual, organization, vessel or any. A person name is never scored high against a ship, which removes a common source of noise.
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03
Read the rating
You get Clear, Review, Likely match or Exact match, the top candidates with a 0 to 100 score, the alias that matched and the sanctions program.
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04
Keep the evidence
Every check stores the list version, the time, the user and the score breakdown. Download it as a PDF certificate or open it later from your history.
What a result looks like
Three example names and the rating each one gets. Ratings come from the score, the entity type and any date of birth or country you add.
Names you enter
- Northwind Freight Ltd, organization, Panama
- Maria Lopez, individual, born 1988
- Example Vessel Star, vessel
Rating you get
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Northwind Freight Ltd
No candidate above your threshold
41/100 Clear -
Maria Lopez
Common name, date of birth does not fit
74/100 Review -
Example Vessel Star
Alias match on a listed vessel name
91/100 Likely match
Example data for illustration. Real results show the listed entry, its program code, the list name and the date of the list version.
Why a better OFAC check saves hours
The free government search answers one name at a time and keeps nothing. These are the parts that matter once checks become a daily task.
Fuzzy matching that catches spelling
Names on the list are spelled many ways. Matching combines spelling distance, word order and sound, so Mohammed, Muhammad and Mohamad meet.
Aliases and transliteration
Every AKA on the list is searched, and Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese names are compared in Latin form as well.
Evidence for every check
List version, timestamp, user and score breakdown are saved with each result, ready for an examiner or a bank partner.
Fast false positive review
Mark a candidate as not a match with a reason. The decision is logged, and on Growth and higher it becomes a case your team can assign.
Fresh list data
OfacScanner checks the official OFAC files every 30 minutes and shows the date of the version used in each result.
Room to grow
When one name at a time is not enough, batch CSV screening and ongoing monitoring work on the same account.
When you need an OFAC check
Run a check at every point where money, goods or services start to move to a new party. Most teams check at onboarding, before the first payment or shipment, and again whenever a customer changes its name, owner or address.
A single check is a snapshot. The SDN list changes several times a month, so a customer who was clear at onboarding can be listed later. That is the reason regulators expect existing customers to be re-screened, which OfacScanner does automatically with sanctions monitoring.
- Before you open an account or approve a new customer
- Before you pay a vendor, a claim or a marketplace seller
- Before you ship goods or release a vehicle, property or loan
- When a customer record changes in a way that matters
- Whenever the OFAC lists change, for every customer you keep
OFAC check options compared
Three common ways to check a name and what each one leaves you with.
| Treasury search tool | Spreadsheet and manual search | OfacScanner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Names per check | One | One at a time | One, or a CSV file on Growth |
| Aliases and transliteration | Aliases, fuzzy score | Depends on the person | Aliases, transliteration, phonetic match |
| Saved proof | None | Screenshots, if anyone remembers | Evidence record and PDF per check |
| Re-checks after list updates | Manual | Manual | Automatic monitoring on Growth and higher |
| Global lists | OFAC only | Separate searches | UN, EU, UK, Canada, Australia on Growth and higher |
The official tool is described at our comparison with the Treasury search.
A clear result supports your decision
OfacScanner shows what the lists say and how close a name is. Your compliance team still decides whether to proceed, block or report. A strong program also covers ownership under the OFAC 50 percent rule, where a company owned 50 percent or more by blocked persons is blocked too, even when its own name is not on any list.
OFAC check questions
Another question? Write to [email protected].
Is an OFAC check required by law?
Which lists does an OFAC check cover?
How often should I run an OFAC check on a customer?
What do I do with a possible match?
How long should I keep proof of OFAC checks?
Keep exploring
Screen your first name in seconds
Type a person or company name, see the risk rating and top candidates from the current OFAC list, and keep the evidence when you sign up.
Results support your compliance decisions, and the final decision stays with your team. OfacScanner is not affiliated with OFAC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.