PEP Settings
PEP (Politically Exposed Person) settings control how Strise screens entities for PEP and RCA (Related Close Associate) status, including which sources are used, matching parameters, scoring weights, and retention periods.
PEP Screening
Entity Scope
PEP screening follows the same entity scope pattern as sanctions screening:
| Entity Type | Screening Behavior |
|---|---|
| Companies | Persons with roles in your companies are screened for PEP status |
| Persons (roles) | Directly screened for PEP status |
| Owners | Screened for PEP status |
| Beneficial Owners | Screened for PEP status |
| Subsidiaries | Persons in subsidiaries may be screened based on configuration |
| Related Entities | Connected persons may be screened |
PEP Sources
Strise offers two PEP data providers:
| Source | Coverage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trapets | Nordic countries (NO, SE, DK, FI) | Deep Nordic PEP and RCA coverage, including Nordic political structures. |
| Dow Jones | Global (including the Nordics) | Broad global PEP and RCA coverage. Requires a feature toggle because of the additional cost per team. |
Trapets is enabled by default. Dow Jones is available per-team once the feature toggle is enabled. Results from both sources are deduplicated and merged.
Routing Modes
Two modes control how hits from the enabled sources are combined:
- Country-routed (default) — Hits are filtered by the countries tied to the entity. Trapets is used when there are Nordic connections; Dow Jones is used when there are non-Nordic connections. Entities with connections to both regions are screened against both sources.
- Source-fixed — Country-based routing is disabled and the entity is always screened against a specific source (either Trapets, Dow Jones, or both), regardless of the entity’s country signals.
Matching
Minimum Fuzzy Name Match
The fuzzy name match threshold for PEP screening:
| Parameter | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Fuzzy Name Match | 90% — 100% | 97% |
- Higher values produce fewer matches with higher precision.
- Lower values produce more matches with broader recall.
Scoring
PEP match scoring uses a weighted system similar to sanctions scoring.
Data Field Weighting
| Data Field | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | 100 | How closely the person’s name matches the PEP database entry |
| Birth Date | 100 | Match on full date of birth |
| Birth Year | 100 | Match on year of birth only (used when full date is not available) |
| Country | 50 | Match on nationality, country of residence, or country of political role |
Suggested True Match Threshold
| Parameter | Default |
|---|---|
| Suggested True Match Threshold | 80% |
Matches above this threshold are flagged as suggested true matches.
Missing Name Penalty
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Missing Name Penalty | Optional penalty applied when a name component is missing from the match comparison (e.g., middle name not present). When enabled, the match score is reduced if the PEP database entry has name components that the entity does not. |
This option helps reduce false positives when PEP entries have more detailed name information than the entity being screened.
PEP/RCA Retention Period
The retention period controls how long a person retains their PEP or RCA status after they leave their political role:
| Parameter | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| PEP/RCA Retention Period | 18 months | 0 — 600 months |
- After a person leaves a PEP role, they continue to be flagged as a former PEP for the duration of the retention period.
- RCA status follows the same retention period as the associated PEP.
- Setting the retention to 0 months means persons lose their PEP/RCA status immediately upon leaving their role.
- Regulatory requirements in most jurisdictions mandate a minimum retention period (typically 12—18 months).
How Changes Affect Monitoring
When you modify PEP settings:
- Changing sources: Entities will be re-screened against the updated source configuration. New matches may generate alerts, removed matches may generate resolution alerts.
- Changing the fuzzy match threshold: May surface new matches or resolve existing ones.
- Changing scoring weights: Existing match scores will be recalculated.
- Changing the retention period: Affects when former PEPs and RCAs are declassified. A longer period keeps persons flagged longer; a shorter period may immediately declassify persons who have exceeded the new retention window.
Default Settings Summary
| Setting | Default Value |
|---|---|
| PEP Sources | Trapets (Dow Jones available via feature toggle) |
| Minimum Fuzzy Name Match | 97% |
| Name Weight | 100 |
| Birth Date Weight | 100 |
| Birth Year Weight | 100 |
| Country Weight | 50 |
| Suggested True Match Threshold | 80% |
| Missing Name Penalty | Disabled |
| PEP/RCA Retention Period | 18 months |