Watchlist Checks
This document explains how to enable Watchlist Checks on the Passbase API
Monitor politically exposed persons (PEPs), and track risky behavior with adverse media and watchlist checks for a comprehensive customer due diligence, Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) programs. Create an AML Profile for each new Identity with the Transactional Screening feature, and receive alerts on a daily basis with the Ongoing Monitoring feature.
The Transactional Screening feature creates an AML Profile for each new Identity with
First Name
, Last Name
, and Date of Birth
data points extracted during processing. The AML profile runs the extracted data points through a PEP scanning of four classes, international sanctions, financial crimes and wanted lists in over 10,000 registers, across 190+ countries, as well as, adverse media exposure warnings. If the Identity is flagged with an AML event, the
WATCHLIST_MONITORING
webhook event is triggered, and the Identity's status is set to pending
for manual review. Click here to learn more about this webhook event.On the subscription settings page, you can enable the Transactional Screening within the AML Watchlist section by clicking the Enable button. That's it, you are all set!

Within the Passbase Dashboard Identity Auditor, you have the ability to re-run a watchlist check for each Identity with
First Name
, Last Name
, and Date of Birth
data points extracted. Check the Verification you wish to re-run a watchlist check for, scroll down to the Watchlist section, and click Re-Run Check.
The Ongoing Monitoring feature allows you to monitor AML Profiles 24/7 ensuring all updates are accessible to you as soon as they become available. Once Ongoing Monitoring is enabled, all new Identities with an AML Profile and a status of
pending
or accepted
, will be actively monitored every 24 hours (UK - GMT+1). You have control over which end users are actively being monitored within Passbase. Use the AML Profile API endpoints A to bulk add and remove Identities from the Ongoing Monitoring list. Click here to learn more about this API endpoint.
If the Identity is flagged with a new AML event, the
WATCHLIST_MONITORING
webhook event is triggered, and the Identity's status is set to pending
for manual review. Click here to learn more about this webhook event.On the subscription settings page, you can enable Ongoing Monitoring within the AML Watchlist section by clicking the Enable button. By enabling this feature, Passbase will begin monitoring all new Identities with an AML Profile, and a status of
pending
or accepted
. To retroactively add existing Identities to the Ongoing Monitoring list, you can leverage the AML Profile API endpoint.
To add Identities to the Ongoing Monitoring list, you can leverage the following patch API endpoint:
// Add identityAccessKey to ongoing monitoring
PATCH: https://api.passbase.com/verification/v2/watchlists/monitor
Parameter | Key | Value |
---|---|---|
Header Parameter Name | X-API-KEY | Secret API Key |
Query Parameters | identity_keys[] | identityAccessKey |
{
"monitored_identities": [
"29e4563a-fb8f-428d-ab18-360de105d6da",
"f84f79df-82f6-434e-8312-6b8b82c566ac",
"3b989328-7b93-428b-b8c9-e2825b1d5a23"
]
}
To remove Identities to the Ongoing Monitoring list, you can leverage the following patch API endpoint:
// Remove identityAccessKey from ongoing monitoring
PATCH: https://api.passbase.com/verification/v2/watchlists/unmonitor
Parameter | Key | Value |
---|---|---|
Header Parameter | X-API-KEY | Secret API Key |
Query Parameters | identity_keys[] | identityAccessKey |
{
"unmonitored_identities": [
"29e4563a-fb8f-428d-ab18-360de105d6da",
"f84f79df-82f6-434e-8312-6b8b82c566ac",
"3b989328-7b93-428b-b8c9-e2825b1d5a23"
]
}
The
WATCHLIST_MONITORING
webhook event is only available within the developer dashboard if the Transactional Screening feature is enabled.The
WATCHLIST_MONITORING
event will be triggered when an Identity's AML Profile returns as not clean from the Transactional Screening and Ongoing Monitoring watchlist checks. The value of the clean property will default to false
.{
"event": "WATCHLIST_MONITORING",
"key": "9b663f6d-a953-48a0-b288-e54ceed82b8b",
"clean": false,
"types": [
"warning",
"sanction",
"adverse-media-general",
"pep",
"adverse-media-narcotics",
"adverse-media",
"pep-class-2",
"adverse-media-violent-crime",
"adverse-media-sexual-crime",
"adverse-media-financial-crime",
"adverse-media-terrorism",
"adverse-media-fraud",
"pep-class-1"
],
"updated": 1618848473,
"created": 1618848473
}
false
, this is the default value of theWATCHLIST_MONITORING
event.
You can find a further description of the response values below:
Key | Data type | Description |
---|---|---|
event | string | The type of event that triggered this webhook. |
key | string | The UUID of the Identity which triggered this webhook. This will help you link back to your user as well as query our backend API for the details of the Identity. |
clean | boolean | Whether the Identity is clean or appears on the adverse media and/or watchlist checks. |
types | array | List of watchlist checks returned if Identity appears on the adverse media and/or watchlist checks. |
created | integer | UNIX timestamp, when the AML Profile was created |
updated | integer | UNIX timestamp, when the AML Profile was updated. |
After receiving the
WATCHLIST_MONITORING
webhook event, it is time to use the Passbase API, to retrieve the details of this verification with the identity access key
. The watchlist check data for each Verification is accessible using the below Passbase API endpoints. You can find more information about the endpoints in our API explorer, and you can use one of our server-side libraries to interact with the Passbase API.
// List all identities
GET: https://api.passbase.com/verification/v1/identities
// Get identity for a specific id / key
GET: https://api.passbase.com/verification/v1/identities/{id}
The response of the API will have the following parameters:
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
listings | Watchlist check findings |
media | List of media entries, with the date, title and url parameters |
sources | Array of listing sources (eg. sanction lists) |
types | What kind of alert or warning is associated with the entity (eg. sanction, pep, warning) |
clean | Boolean indicate if the verification watchlist check is clean |
{
"id": "29884359-fb70-478b-ba06-53d48b210aa0",
"status": "declined",
"score": 89,
"created": 1603444489,
"updated": 1617107557,
"owner": {
"email": "[email protected]",
"first_name": "Bernie",
"last_name": "Madoff"
},
"resources": [
{
"id": "cd7f5b2c-6029-4b7a-bd78-ac343f50edf4",
"status": "processed",
"created": 1621017766,
"updated": 1621017769,
"type": "NATIONAL_ID_CARD",
"datapoints": {
"authority": "United States Department of State",
"place_of_birth": "MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A.",
"nationality": "us",
"sex": "male",
"date_of_expiry": "2017-09-30",
"date_of_issue": "2007-09-30",
"date_of_birth": "2000-01-01",
"face_match_factor": 0.8,
"id_authenticity_factor": 0.94,
"last_name": "Madoff",
"first_names": "Bernie Lawrence",
"country": "US"
},
"resource_files": [...
]
}
],
"watchlist": {
"clean": false,
"listings": {
"company-am": {
"name": "company AM",
"aml_types": [
"adverse-media-general",
"adverse-media-fraud",
"adverse-media"
],
"country_codes": [
"US"
]
},
"complyadvantage-adverse-media": {
"url": "https://complyadvantage.com",
"name": "ComplyAdvantage Adverse Media",
"aml_types": [
"adverse-media-terrorism",
"adverse-media-sexual-crime",
"adverse-media-fraud",
"adverse-media-financial-crime",
"adverse-media-violent-crime",
"adverse-media-general",
"adverse-media-narcotics",
"adverse-media"
],
"country_codes": [
"BY",
"PT",
"DE",
"RU",
"BR",
"CH",
"ES",
"CN",
"YE",
"UA",
"PA",
"US",
"CL",
"GH",
"IL",
"FR",
"ZW",
"GB",
"CM"
]
},
"us-securities-exchange-commission-litigation-releases": {
"url": "http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases.shtml",
"name": "United States SEC Litigation Releases",
"aml_types": [
"warning"
]
}
},
"media": [
{
"url": "https://ria.ru/20181223/1548429047.html?in=t",
"date": "2018-12-23T00:00:00Z",
"title": "\"Мы не сторонники разбоя\": мошенники, которых вспоминали в этом году - РИА Новости, 23.12.2018"
},
{
"url": "https://www.metro.us/he-kind-of-looks-like-a-dick-transcripts-reveal-pharma-bro-jury-selection-a-challenge/",
"date": "2020-02-28T00:00:00Z",
"title": "'He kind of looks like a dick:' Transcripts reveal 'Pharma Bro' jury selection a challenge - Metro US"
},
{
"url": "https://www.jungewelt.de/loginFailed.php?ref=/artikel/361218.finanzskandal-aktion%C3%A4re-mit-fracksausen.html",
"date": "2019-08-21T00:00:00Z",
"title": "21.08.2019: Aktionäre mit Fracksausen (Tageszeitung junge Welt)"
},
{
"url": "https://ag.ny.gov/node/31631",
"date": "2020-05-19T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Attorney General Cuomo Sues Bank Of New York Mellon Unit For Deceiving Clients In Connection With Madoff-related Investments | New York State Attorney General"
},
{
"url": "https://www.watoday.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/australian-barrister-embroiled-in-the-us-s-largest-tax-evasion-case-20201018-p56690.html",
"date": "2020-10-18T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Australian barrister embroiled in the US's largest tax evasion case"
},
{
"url": "https://www.lesechos.fr/finance-marches/marches-financiers/bernard-madoff-lascension-et-la-chute-du-docteur-faust-de-wall-street-238038",
"date": "2018-12-11T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Bernard Madoff, l'ascension et la chute du docteur Faust de Wall Street | Les Echos"
},
{
"url": "https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/24/bernie-madoff-asks-doanld-trump-reduce-150-year-sentence/1822587001/",
"date": "2019-07-25T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Bernie Madoff asks Doanld Trump to reduce 150-year sentence"
},
{
"url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bernie-madoff-victims-receive-millions-more-n1188006",
"date": "2020-04-20T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Bernie Madoff victims to receive millions more"
},
{
"url": "https://www.slguardian.org/dafur-s-funding-west-bank-settlements/",
"date": "2018-11-26T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Dafur $'s Funding West Bank Settlements – Sri Lanka Guardian"
},
{
"url": "https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8868493/NYC-mayor-Bill-Blasio-DENY-sale-Mets-Steve-Cohen-2013-fraud-case.html",
"date": "2020-10-22T00:00:00Z",
"title": "De Blasio could DENY Mets sale to Steve Cohen due to 2013 fraud case | Daily Mail Online"
},
{
"url": "https://www.herald.co.zw/democracy-the-bread-butter-matters-of-society/",
"date": "2019-10-11T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Democracy: The bread, butter matters of society | The Herald"
},
{
"url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/09/new-york-southern-district-donald-trump-inauguration-prosecutors",
"date": "2019-02-09T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Do New York prosecutors pose the greatest threat to Donald Trump? | US news | The Guardian"
},
{
"url": "https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/prosecutors-urge-denial-of-early-prison-release-for-madoff",
"date": "2020-03-04T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Federal prosecutors say Ponzi schemer Madoff should not be released early from prison | Fox Business"
},
{
"url": "https://www.newschannel5.com/news/political/national/get-out-of-jail-inmates-fearful-of-virus-argue-for-release?_amp=true",
"date": "2020-03-18T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Get out of jail? Inmates fearful of virus argue for release"
},
{
"url": "http://www.townandcountrytoday.com/world-news/get-out-of-jail-inmates-fearful-of-virus-argue-for-release-2176454",
"date": "2020-03-19T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Get out of jail? Inmates fearful of virus argue for release - TownAndCountryToday.com"
},
{
"url": "http://www.afn.by/news/i/188034",
"date": "2019-04-24T00:00:00Z",
"title": "JP Morgan заплатит более $2 млрд, чтобы замять дело о связях с Мэдоффом | США Банки | АФН | Белорусские новости | Республика Беларусь | Минск"
},
{
"url": "http://www.afn.by/news/i/187518",
"date": "2019-03-07T00:00:00Z",
"title": "JPMorgan Chase может выплатить более $1 млрд штрафа по делу Мэдоффа | США Банки | АФН | Белорусские новости | Республика Беларусь | Минск",
"pdf_url": "http://complyadvantage-asset-development.s3.amazonaws.com/bcddc7a3-6cde-477d-85d4-18b5ea86e773.pdf"
},
{
"url": "https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/11/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-jail-site-draws-complaints/1981132001/",
"date": "2019-08-11T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Jeffrey Epstein suicide: Jail site draws complaints"
},
{
"url": "https://rabble.ca/babble/international-news-and-politics/living-sars-cov-2-era-distancing-wash-hands-wear-mask-protect?page=4",
"date": "2020-05-23T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Living in the SARS-CoV-2 era (distancing, wash hands, wear mask to protect others, but OK to go outside) | Page 5 | rabble.ca"
},
{
"url": "https://rabble.ca/babble/international-news-and-politics/living-sars-cov-2-era-physical-distancing-good-hygiene-masks?page=4",
"date": "2020-05-01T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Living in the SARS-CoV-2 era (physical distancing, good hygiene, masks but OK to go outside) | Page 5 | rabble.ca"
},
{
"url": "https://www.lesechos.fr/finance-marches/marches-financiers/madoff-les-gagnants-dedommageront-les-perdants-1250443",
"date": "2020-09-30T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Madoff : les gagnants dédommageront les perdants | Les Echos"
},
{
"url": "https://www.batemansbaypost.com.au/story/6676538/madoff-eyes-dying-personal-freedom-plea/?cs=6911",
"date": "2020-03-12T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Madoff eyes 'dying, personal' freedom plea | Bay Post-Moruya Examiner | Batemans Bay, NSW"
},
{
"url": "https://www.dn.pt/dinheiro/amp/madoff-pede-a-trump-uma-reducao-da-pena-de-150-anos-11148984.html",
"date": "2019-07-25T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Madoff pede a Trump uma redução da pena de 150 anos"
},
{
"url": "https://www.insider.com/ap-madoffs-former-secretary-seeks-early-release-from-prison-2018-12",
"date": "2018-12-24T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Madoff's former secretary seeks early release from prison - Insider"
},
{
"url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/us-supreme-court-rebuffs-investors--bid-to-block-madoff-trustee-lawsuits-12793196",
"date": "2020-06-01T00:00:00Z",
"title": "US Supreme Court rebuffs investors' bid to block Madoff trustee lawsuits - CNA"
},
{
"url": "https://mr-7.ru/articles/15389/",
"date": "2020-02-12T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Два американских афериста отправлены в тюрьму: один на 20, другой – на 130 лет › Новости Санкт-Петербурга › MR-7.ru"
},
{
"url": "https://www.rospres.com/crime/3347/",
"date": "2019-04-05T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Новости Руспрес - «Пирамида» Мэдоффа – это покруче, чем МММ Мавроди"
},
{
"url": "http://afn.by/news/i/120695",
"date": "2018-12-04T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Суд США постановил конфисковать у Мэдоффа 170 млрд долл. | США Криминал | АФН | Белорусские новости | Республика Беларусь | Минск",
"pdf_url": "http://complyadvantage-asset-development.s3.amazonaws.com/7119feb6-b7bf-4642-8d64-6356d3ff7900.pdf"
},
{
"url": "https://iz.ru/1019967/2020-06-05/sud-v-ssha-otkazalsia-dosrochno-osvobodit-smertelno-bolnogo-aferista-medoffa",
"date": "2020-06-05T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Суд в США отказался досрочно освободить смертельно больного афериста Мэдоффа | Новости | Известия | 05.06.2020"
},
{
"url": "http://www.ng.ru/news/568269.html",
"date": "2019-03-29T00:00:00Z",
"title": "Финансист-мошенник Мэдофф прибрал к рукам торговлю какао в тюрьме / Новости / Независимая газета"
}
],
"sources": [
"us-securities-exchange-commission-litigation-releases",
"company-am",
"complyadvantage-adverse-media"
],
"types": [
"adverse-media",
"adverse-media-financial-crime",
"adverse-media-fraud",
"adverse-media-general",
"adverse-media-narcotics",
"adverse-media-sexual-crime",
"adverse-media-terrorism",
"adverse-media-violent-crime",
"warning"
]
},
"metadata": null
}