World Check: What Is, How To Remove Your Data, What are the Lists

This guide is the most thorough resource on World Check Risk Intelligence you’ll find.

What’s the highlight?

I’ll take you through a detailed exploration of how the World-Check database works and the nature of its lists, using a series of screenshots from the customer area.

Are you curious about how to remove your data from World Check and the ways banks leverage it to fight financial crimes? If so, you’re going to find this guide invaluable.

Let’s dive in.

CHAPTER 1

What is World Check Risk Intelligence

In this chapter, we will delve into the fundamentals of World Check Risk Intelligence.

Initially, we will define what World Check actually is.

Additionally, I will elucidate the origins of this contentious database, widely utilized globally in the fight against financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorism.

What is World Check?

WorldCheck is an extensive database, essentially a digital repository containing vast amounts of personal data.

It is employed by banks worldwide as both a risk intelligence and risk management tool, with the primary goal of assessing the financial reputation of individuals or companies.

Are your name or your brand listed in WorldCheck?

If so, it could mean significant hurdles in opening bank accounts or accessing credit facilities.

The Story

The true story of World Check, the one that no one has (yet) told you, revolves around 3 main protagonists and really has an incredible value.

Let’s see in detail who designed, developed and finally purchased World Check.

David Leppan

David Leppan is the South African entrepreneur who came up with the idea of creating World Check.

In fact, he is one of the most powerful men in the world, since he knows the secrets of other influential and wealthy men.

Trivia: live in this Ibiza house.

During an interview with the New York Times, Leppan revealed the background that led to the birth of World Check:

I created World-Check with my ex-wife in 2000.

I was 24 years old, I worked for Thomson Financial and I was sales manager in Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Austria.

At the time, there was a Swiss banking scandal over money transfers by the Nigerian general Sani Abacha.

I was on a business trip and several major banks began to ask us if Thomson Financial had an early warning database to help them understand the financial risks associated with their clients around the world.

At that moment I saw an opportunity and within a few months I created our company with the online database.

Nikolaus Kimla

If David Leppan was the mastermind, Nikolaus Kimla was the arm of World Check.

Through his company Uptime ITechnology has developed the entire IT platform that supports the WorldCheck database.

Austrian by birth, Kimla still deals (among other things) with programming and updating ever better versions of the database.

Thomson Reuters

When a great idea is supported by a computer structure that works wonderfully, the market value skyrockets.

Especially considering that today data is worth more than money.

Outcome: On May 17, 2011, media giant Thomson Reuters (TRI) announced the purchase of World-Check, a London-based provider of information on financial crime and corruption prevention for businesses.

Today the Financial and Risk division of Thomson Reuters – which includes World Check – is called Refinitiv (actually LSEG).

The new company is controlled by the Blackstone Group, which in October 2018 acquired 55% of Thomson Reuters F&R for a record $ 20 billion.

We are talking about the largest digital financial intelligence database in the world.

The Databank

Immediately after the birth of World Check (in 2000), the September 11 attacks overwhelmed and diverted the course of global history.

From that day the priority of each bank and financial institution on the face of the Earth was to prevent financial risks and reputational crises on money movements related to Islamic terrorism.

And guess who they were talking to?

That’s right: at World Check, which at the time was the standard for anti-money laundering security.

It could not be otherwise, given that the company’s main consultant was Kenneth Rijock, better known as The Laundry Man, an international (repentant) money laundering guru.

Over the years the World Check Thomson Reuters database has become the main due diligence provider in terms of KYC (Know-Your-Customer) and PEP (Politically Exposed Persons), regarding individuals and entities with high financial risk.

Banks, credit and insurance financial institutions, government and intelligence services use WorldCheck’s filing and database to target crimes related to terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, arms and human trafficking.

To satisfy even the needs of smaller institutions and smaller companies – which do not have a team or the appropriate know-how for a manual check – since 2005 World Check has used software called Pythagoras, which automatically filters the names stored in the database is based on a series of pre-set parameters.

Just to give an example, it is a software also used by the Mediobanca Group.

CHAPTER 2

Navigating the World-Check Database

This chapter explores who can access and log in to the WorldCheck customer area and the criteria for filing within the database.

Does it function like a financial ‘Big Brother’, overseeing and controlling everything?

Here, we delve into the workings of the WorldCheck database and address the controversies surrounding its existence.

Understanding How the World Check Database Works

The operation of the WorldCheck database is relatively straightforward.

The system collects data and news pertaining to potential financial risks from sources it considers reliable, focusing on both entities and individuals.

This information is then organized into profiles based on the type of associated criminal activity and added to the infamous lists.

However, this seemingly flawless mechanism has a fundamental flaw: the sources deemed authoritative are, in some cases, unreliable or of poor quality.

Accessing and Logging Into the Customer Area

To access the World-Check customer area, simply visit the official website and enter your login credentials.

Obviously access to the database goes through a rigorous verification process and the mandatory signing of a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

Once inside, you will be faced with the largest mass cataloging on the planet.

Scrolling through the lists, you will find both real and alleged criminals who ended up in there by mistake.

What are the filing criteria

All politically exposed individuals or entities who carry out suspicious transactions, within the limits of anti-money laundering legislation, end up in the WorldCheck database.

The data are extrapolated from over 100,000 respectable public sources (“credible and reputable open source information“) and are inserted in the central database managed by Refinitiv.

More specifically, the screening process analyzes and catalogs the so-called “Public Domain Data” – that is, personal information available to the public and generally on the Internet – in 240 countries worldwide and 65 languages.

What are the sources of World Check?

The “respectable sources” from which World Check captures your data are:

• Penalties or checklists
• Websites of judicial, regulatory or other authorities
• Political websites (parliamentarians, local government or individual politicians) and publications
• Reliable media and publications
• Sources of information made public by the person himself (website, blog or social media)

Welcome to the fantastic digital world, where there is a trace of whatever you do. Where the third-generation mafia offspring get caught for a selfie by the yacht.

There is always someone watching you on the internet.

What is a World Check report and what data it contains

By World Check report we mean a personal or business card, present in the database, which is presented in a highly structured format and contains the following data:

• Category
• Subcategory
• Creation date
• Social Security Number
• First Name
• Surname
• Alias
• Names
• Alternative Aliases
• Date of Birth
• Certificate of Death
• Further Information
• Passport
• Identity Card
• Company Numbers
• Source References
• Citizenship

Here is an example of a personal card on World Check.

A World Check report like this is drawn up from this tab.

Determining the Cost of a World Check Report

Assessing the exact cost of a WorldCheck report is challenging due to the numerous and diverse variables involved.

Each case requires individual consideration, making the process unlike purchasing standardized items like apples at a supermarket, where the cost is clear per kilo.

However, through services like ReputationUP, you can reliably find out if your name or company is listed in any of the databases.

CHAPTER 3

The World Check categories

In this chapter I will tell you what the World Check categories are and, where possible, how many profiles each category contains.

Also I will show you how they are defined.

This step is essential to understand the concept behind the World Check lists.

What are the World Check categories

Let’s see in detail all the 23 categories that make up the immense Refinitiv database.

Bank

This category includes:

• Shell bank
• Central banks of countries at risk
• State banks
• Banks subject to regulatory action or sanctions
• Unauthorized and / or bogus financial institutions disguised as banks

Blacklisted

This category includes:

• Any entity on the blacklist of internationally and / or regionally recognized control bodies (e.g. World Bank)
• Airplanes and airlines blacklisted in the EU

Countries

All nations reported as such by:

• World bank
• IMF
• FATF
• UN and EU (Embargo)

are considered at high risk.

Companies

The World-Check companies category covers all legal, commercial or state entities – including loose and fined entities – that are present on regulatory sites or official sanctions such as:

• OFAC
• ONU
• SEC
• UK FSA
• US FRB

Crime – Financial

This category includes any person found guilty or convicted for:

• Misappropriation
• Theft
• Fraud
• Money laundry
• Extortion
• Corruption
• Tax evasion
• Other financial, economic and property crime offenses

Crime – Narcotics

In this category you find:

• Persons found guilty or convicted of drug trafficking
• Individuals sanctioned or reported as international drug traffickers according to Kingpin Act

Global drug trafficking has an estimated annual value of between $426 and $652 billion.

Crime – Organized

This category includes every person found guilty or convicted of crimes related to or related to any organized crime group (e.g. Solntsevskaya Bratva, Yakuza, Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta, Sinaloa Cartel and many others …).

Crime – War

Any person found guilty or convicted of crimes against humanity, genocide or war crimes falls into this category.

Crime – Other

All persons found guilty or convicted of offenses alleged by FAFT-GAFI fall into other categories of crime.

Diplomatic

By diplomat we mean every individual who holds the position of:

• Ambassador
• Minister
• Minister-Counselor
• Attaché
• Lobbyist
• Consul general
• Honorary consulate
• Consols

Embargo

The Embargo category indicates all those countries or regions subject to sanctions or embargoes by international bodies such as the UN and the EU.

Ship Embargo

A ship ends up in this category when it has received or received the order not to sail from or not to dock at the port of the state in which it is located for reasons of embargo.

Individual

The individual category is one of the most controversial, since it often lists innocent people who do not deserve this type of media pillory.

The list includes:

• Any person accused, investigated, arrested, indicted, detained, interrogated or subjected to trial for crimes related to World-Check but not yet convicted
• Politically Exposed Persons (PEP Individual) 
• Individual who appears in a list of law enforcement, OFAC, Interpol or is reported as Disqualified Directors
• Close relative of a PEP individual

Legal

Among the legal professionals involved in risk related activities and accused of fronde we find:

• Lawyers
• Magistrates
• Judges
• General Prosecutors
• Other PEP legal professionals

Military

This category includes high-level military personnel (PEP) and military officers (non-PEP) reported due to the risk of preventive sentencing related to the military role.

Organization

Among the organizations listed on World Check you will find:

• United Nations agencies or regional bodies of the European Union
• Foundations
• Religious institutions
• Financial services authority
• Security and exchange fees
• University

Political Individual

The individual political category includes:

• Any person who holds or held a political position
• Any person who has been elected to a government or PEP position
• Any politically exposed person in a country where cabinet ministers, secretaries of state and the like are appointed and not elected (e.g., Kingdom or military state)
• Every leader of a political party

Political Party

In this World Check list, every registered political party that participates in the elections or is active in a specific country appears.

Port and Airport

The seaports and airports reported on the Refinitiv database are those located in a country or region listed as having a financial or commercial embargo (including asset freezing), arms embargo or sanctions against them issued by an internationally recognized organization ( e.g. UN, EU).

Religion

Any influential religious leader, or representative of a religious organization, with political, judicial, military, financial and administrative responsibilities is likely to see his name on the World Check Religion list. To understand: there is also Pope Francis.

Terrorism

The category of terrorism includes:

• Any person or entity arrested for terrorist offenses
• Any person or entity suspected of involvement in terrorist or terrorism-related activities
• Any person or entity convicted of terrorist offenses
• Any person or entity identified as wanted nationally or internationally by OFAC, UN, INTERPOL, FBI, CIA, EUROPOL and others.

Trade union

Any trade union that exercises substantial political influence or pressure and regularly mobilizes a large group of people engaged in industrial unrest is listed on World Check.

Ship

By ship is meant any:

• Non-embargoed or non-sanctioned seagoing ship which is directly or indirectly linked to or associated with a country, region or entity subject to an embargo or sanction;
• Maritime ship of special interest which is not directly linked to or associated with an embargoed country, region or entity but which carries related information or other relevant risk information.

CHAPTER 4

The World Check lists

This is a key chapter for those like you who want to understand, completely, what is behind the Refinitiv database.

I will show you what World Check lists are, how they work and why an individual or entity can undergo a category change and switch from one list to another.

Well, let’s get into it.

What are the World Check lists

Each category has a World Check list.

All World Check lists contain a list of names and acronyms of people or entities that – for the reasons explained in the previous chapter – are filed, after careful verification.

Even if the example is very risky, the most critical compare them to the lists of P2, therefore to lists of powerful figures who – in direct or indirect relationship with each other – commit crimes against the state and against property.

Particularly relevant are the World Check lists on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing.

How World Check lists work

Exploring why an individual or entity might experience a category shift and move from one list to another in WorldCheck is key to understanding its operational dynamics.

To clarify, let’s consider a practical example.

Example – Individual, Political or Diplomatic Category

Suppose a person is accused of an offense relevant to WorldCheck criteria but has not yet been convicted. In such a case, they will be placed in the ‘Individual, Political, or Diplomatic’ category (whichever is applicable) pending the outcome of their case.

Upon conviction, this individual’s category will change, and they will be reclassified under the list corresponding to the specific Crime category of their conviction.

Conversely, if the conviction is overturned on appeal, the individual would revert to their initial category.

Thus, the key factor in determining a category change is the individual’s conviction status.

It’s important to note that for initial placement on a list, a mere charge of a crime by the oversight bodies mentioned in the chapter on WorldCheck categories is sufficient.

World Check Leak: when the lists go online

World Check Leak has been talked about every time the lists in the database have ended up online. And therefore available for download by any human being, including hackers, with a decent Internet connection.

Allow me to point out that since the Thomson Reuters financial and risk division – owner of World Check – was acquired by the Blackstone Group and changed its name to Refinitiv, there have been no more cases of leak and stolen data.

Let’s now look at the most striking and acclaimed case of World Check Leak.

The 2016 leak

How the World Check database works was understood on Thursday 28 June 2016, when Chris Vickery – an American cyber security expert – wrote a post on Reddit:

“Terrorism blacklist: I have a copy. Should it be shared? “

In a few hours the news of the World Check leak goes around the world.

Every hacker on the face of the earth sees the concrete possibility of downloading a list made up of 2.2 million people identified as “high risk”, included in the World-Check database between 17/03/2000 and 17/09/2014.

We are talking about information whose use, until then, was the exclusive prerogative of 49 of the 50 largest banks in the world, together with 300 government and intelligence agencies.

CHAPTER 5

World-Check One and financial crimes

Since its inception, fighting financial crimes has been the core business of World Check One.

In this chapter, I’ll show you how banks use the database to find out who committed financial crimes.

Objective: to prevent possible fraud to credit institutions.

Let’s go into more detail.

How banks and companies use World-Check One

World Check One is a tool used by international companies, banks, financial and credit institutions to efficiently select customers, collaborators, transactions and employees and avoid potential risks.

How?

Simple: if a customer is reported as suspect by World Check to the bank, further checks will be carried out and his application may be rejected.

This process serves to ensure that customers or other members associated with the bank have never been involved in any form of money laundering, political exposure or other illegal activities.

Once the customer passes the check screens imposed by World Check, he will then be approved as a bank customer and will be able to make financial transactions.

To combat financial crimes, banks use three World Check tools.

Anti-Money Laundering

According to the 2022 “PwC’s Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey“:

51% of surveyed organisations say they experienced fraud in the past two years, the highest level in our 20 years of research.

Money laundering grows hand in hand with financial crimes, since stolen money – to be spent – needs to be cleaned up and washed.

Faced with a scam of such proportions, the world’s governmental institutions that deal with economics and finance certainly don’t stand by.

AML Regulatory Strategy

The AML (Anti Money Laundering) regulatory strategy is to share an ever-increasing amount of information and data to prevent financial crime.

Unfortunately, however, state bureaucracy is often slow, cumbersome and devoid of the most advanced technological tools to win the war against the bad guys.

Here comes World-Check One, the anti-money laundering solution for professionals, launched by Thomson Reuters in 2014.

The operation is relatively simple: the database collects all the data from the sources we mentioned before and – through a screening program – simplifies the search for individuals, companies and states reported, accused or convicted of money laundering.

Anti Terrorism

Counter-terrorism (countering the financing of terrorism) means the fight against terrorist financing, the enormous flow of money that feeds the great machine of global terror every year.

Among the illicit activities whose funds are used to finance terrorist organizations, we find:

• Drug Trafficking
• Black oil market
• Facade companies such as car and taxi rental
• Cyber Crime

Just think that ISIS in 2014, its period of maximum expansion, invoiced 50 million dollars a month only from the illegal sale of oil and boasted an annual turnover of over 2 billion dollars.

Keep in mind that almost 200 terrorist organizations recognized as such by the authorities are all self-financing by committing financial crimes and laundering dirty money.

The Italian Secret Services also wrote about the relationship between Money Laundering (money laundering) and Money Dirtying (financing for terrorism) in the magazine Gnosis, underlining that:

“According to World Bank data, in 2006, total transactions made through money transfers worldwide were $ 93 billion.

There is no doubt that, through these centers, capital travels to terrorist organizations. “

In 2024, this information is extremely relevant given the ongoing developments in the Middle East.

Internationally, the regulatory vademecum for the prevention and contrast of terrorist financing is the International Convention against the financing of terrorism of 8 December 1999.

Basically, if the control bodies of the United Nations and the European Union “designate” a person guilty of activities in support of countries that threaten international peace and security, the same person suffers the freezing of funds and economic resources .

And here World-Check One comes into play, as an efficient and immediate screening tool to find any traces of terrorist financing.

The database collects all data from official sources and makes them available to customers who need to read that data.

After all, are we or are we not in the era in which information is worth more than gold?

For Refinitiv, which is now a subsidiary of LSEG, this information is worth $ 9 billion, i.e. the company’s turnover in 2022.

Understanding Due Diligence in the Context of World-Check

The term “Due Diligence” originates from the Latin phrase debita diligentia, meaning ‘due diligence‘ or ‘required carefulness’.

In the context of World-Check, it refers to the investigative and analytical process used to scrutinize data and information related to any financial or economic operation.

Consider this practical example: Company X seeks a $300 million loan from Bank Y.

In this scenario, Bank Y will utilize World-Check to perform due diligence. This involves identifying any individuals or entities associated with Company X that have been implicated in financial crimes.

The goal is to minimize financial risk, especially the risk of lending a substantial sum to a company that may later be unable to repay it.

With the information gathered, Bank Y is equipped to make an informed decision on whether to approve the loan and accept the financial risks associated with Company X.

World-Check One’s screening platform enables the creation of advanced due diligence reports, offering comprehensive insights necessary for informed business decisions.

CHAPTER 6

Unveiling the Ownership of WorldCheck

Having explored the significance of WorldCheck data, it’s crucial to identify who controls this vast repository. The entity managing these data holds considerable power.

So, who owns WorldCheck?

Indeed, as mentioned earlier in this guide, WorldCheck was founded and initially developed by an independent entity, but it was later acquired by Thomson Reuters. Following this acquisition, the Blackstone Group took over, rebranding it as Refinitiv.

However, the question remains: Who are the key players behind these corporate names? Who truly controls your data?

To unravel the ownership of the world’s largest database, we employed the most effective investigative technique: FOLLOW THE MONEY.

What is Refinitiv

Refinitiv is the company that manages World Check today.

Born in 2018, it is the result of a joint venture between Blackstone Group LP, which holds the majority stake (55%) and Thomson Reuters, which has the minority stake (45%).

Ergo your data is in hand, with the due percentages, to Blackstone Group and Thomson Reuters.

Who controls Thomson Reuters

Let’s start with the minority share.

Thomson Reuters Corporation is a Canadian multinational listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (TRI).

Its shares are held by a number of institutional investors and mutual funds including Royal Bank of Canada, Vanguard Group, Inc., Parnassus Fund, JP Morgan ETF Tr-BetaBuilders Canada ETF and others.

President and CEO of TRI is Stephen John Hasker.

Who controls Blackstone Group

And we come to those who hold the majority stake of Refinitiv, therefore of World Check, and therefore of the data present in the database.

The Blackstone Group, L.P. it is a killer whale of world finance, with assets under management of over 457 billion dollars.

The equivalent of the GDP of three countries like Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador combined.

It has significant shares in globally recognized groups, including Hilton Worldwide, Thomson Reuters, Versace.

But Who Controls The Controller Blackstone Group?

The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BX) and among the owners of its shares we find institutional investors – such as Swedbank, Renaissance Investment Group, Tocqueville Asset Management L.p. – and several US funds (Income Fund of America Inc, American Balanced Fund, Growth Fund Of America Inc, American Funds Insurance Ser-Asset).

Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder is Stephen Allen Schwarzman, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, current board member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, the U.S. government also has its own representative on the BX Board: I’m talking about Kelly A Ayotte, Republican senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017.

CHAPTER 7

How to remove your data from World Check

In this chapter I will show you how to remove your data from World Check.

You will find out in what circumstances it is possible to do so and what are the regulations to appeal to.

I will also tell you how to check if your name is on the list.

How to remove your data from World Check?

To fully answer this question, allow me to consider a case study – that of the Finsbury Park Mosque against Thomson Reuters – which highlighted the reputational damage suffered by those who are mistakenly added to the World-Check database.

The Finsbury Park Mosque Case Study

The Finsbury Park Mosque, located in North London near the Emirates Stadium, has a history marked by media scrutiny and controversy.

Inaugurated in 1993 with Prince Charles of England in attendance, the mosque faced several accusations, including suspected involvement in financing terrorism.

These allegations led to its closure in 2003, lasting for two years before it reopened in 2005. Today, it stands as one of the most active Islamic centers in England.

The WorldCheck Connection

The situation took a notable turn in 2014 when HSBC, a leading global banking group, closed the mosque’s bank account and barred it from opening others with associated banks.

The mosque narrowly avoided financial collapse thanks to the support of a small Islamic banking institution.

The root cause of this blockade was the mosque’s listing in the WorldCheck database.

HSBC used this database for Customer KYC profiling and due diligence to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism regulations.

However, the information about Finsbury Park Mosque in WorldCheck was outdated, based on events prior to the mosque’s 2005 reopening.

This obsolete data no longer reflected the mosque’s current status or activities.

The Legal Battle

The mosque, aided by a reputable online company, embarked on a prolonged legal struggle against Thomson Reuters, seeking to remove its profile from the database.

In 2017, the mosque emerged victorious.

Its right to be forgotten and to privacy was acknowledged, leading to the removal of its profile from WorldCheck.

The Impact of Outdated Information

This case illustrates how outdated or harmful information in World Check can trigger a reputational crisis with severe financial implications.

It underscores the importance of not only seeking removal from WorldCheck but also proactively managing and removing detrimental court records or information that could harm an individual’s or entity’s reputation.

How To Remove Your Data from World-Check: A Step-by-Step Guide

The case of the Finsbury Park Mosque demonstrates two critical points about removing data from World-Check:

1. Achieving Removal from World-Check:
   • It is entirely possible to remove data from World-Check through legal means, without resorting to illegal tactics like hacking.
   • This process typically requires the expertise of an online reputation management company like ReputationUP. Such companies have specialized teams with comprehensive knowledge of the Right to be Forgotten and International Privacy Regulations.
2. Prevention is Better Than Cure:
   • The key strategy is to eliminate the sources that feed information to World-Check, thus removing any basis for your inclusion in the database.
   • This involves repairing your online reputation and removing negative online content that might be used by government and official sources, which World-Check might subsequently categorize as criminal activity.

To successfully remove your name from World Check, it’s crucial to avoid companies making unrealistic promises and instead seek assistance from serious and qualified professionals, such as those at ReputationUP.

When it is possible to remove data from World-Check

According to Andrea Baggio, CEO and Founder of ReputationUP, it is possible to unsubscribe from World Check in eight out of ten cases:

“80% of the profiles on Refinitiv’s database are based on old, obsolete, harmful, defamatory and contrary to the GDPR principle in Europe and its US equivalent.”

Then you can update them or remove them entirely.

In fact, when sensitive personal data is processed without consent and without satisfying only one of the exemptions provided by the Privacy Guarantor or by the Data Protection Authority (DPA), there is a real risk that the data is processed illegally.

At this point, a company like ReputationUP takes the field, verifying:

• If your name is on the list
• If your profile is illegal
• What is the path to request the deletion or updating of the profile.

As in the case of the Finsbury Park mosque.

Based on current privacy laws, the right to be forgotten and the retention of sensitive data, you are entitled to:

• Request a complete copy of all your profile information on World Check
• Request the updating and correction of this information if you think it is incorrect or incomplete
• Request the deletion of the profile

How do I verify if my name is on the list

This is the easiest and fastest part.

Fill in this form and ReputationUP will check – with speed and discretion – if your name is on the list.

You have a team of reputational and legal experts who can assist you if you want to assert your right to be forgotten, in compliance with the GDPR and according to the legal lines established by the Privacy Guarantor.

CHAPTER 8:

Best World Check Alternatives

Did you really think that World Check was the only database that sells your data to those who request it?

In this chapter I will tell you who the major competitors of World Check are.

You will also find out how these alternative data providers classify your information and for what purposes they use it.

Dow Jones Risk & Compliance

With the exception of the Sport Intelligence tool, an ad hoc tool for those sports organizations that want to monitor risk in relation to an event, the Dow Jones Risk & Compliance works as a World-Check.

It is a business data provider and collects information through a system called Factiva, a news aggregator that analyzes over 32,000 sources – paper and online newspapers, magazines, televisions, radio broadcasts, photos, videos – in 28 languages.

We are very far from the figures of World Check (100 thousand sources, 240 countries, 64 languages).

World Compliance

WorldCompliance Online Search Tool was born under the hat of RELX plc, the British public company that first acquired Lexisnexis (legal-financial database) and then Accuity (financial reputation company).

They claim to manage a database with 1.8 million profiles, of which it is possible to have a total screening for 50 risk categories, including Foreign Officials and State Enterprises.

It is not clear or specified in detail which and how many sources WorldCompliance uses for the listing of profiles.

Ofac

Unlike the other competitors, which are private companies, the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) is a United States financial intelligence agency that applies economic and commercial sanctions to enemies of the United States, i.e. to entities and individuals who they threaten national security and foreign policy.

The most interesting aspect is that OFAC offers a public search tool called the Sanction List Search.

From the tool it is possible to download both the SDN list (Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List) and the Non-SDN list (all individuals belonging to the Palestinian Legislative Council, a sort of Palestinian Parliament).

The others

The data market is so vast that it includes dozens of competitors, not all of which deserve particular attention.

For the more curious, I recommend taking a look at the complete list of Data Providers and Screening Software published by Eric A. Sohn on MrWatchlist.com

FAQ

What is Thomson Reuters World-Check?

Thomson Reuters World-Check is a comprehensive risk and reputation assessment service. It assists executives and shareholders in making informed decisions about the reputation, risk, and performance of companies and managers. Built on the Thomson Reuters data and analysis platform, it offers users a detailed and transparent evaluation of a company’s reputation.

What lists are included in World-Check?

World-Check is a database of companies and individuals globally. It incorporates lists from various sources, including government agencies, regulatory bodies, and private intelligence and security firms. The database covers entities listed on stock exchanges, those blacklisted or on the Specially Designated Nationals List, and individuals or groups linked to terrorism and other illegal activities.

How do you use World-Check?

World-Check is a vast database providing verified information on individuals and companies. It’s used for background checks and history verification, assisting in informed decision-making for investors, consumers, and others. The database is utilized for various purposes, from research to risk assessment.

What is Refinitiv World-Check?

Refinitiv World-Check is a set of tools developed by Refinitiv, based on the World-Check platform. It enables users to conduct background checks, create criminal records, and perform advanced searches, including aliases and multi-language aliases, to identify and manage risks.

How do you find out if someone is politically exposed?

To determine if someone is politically exposed, research their companies or assets. You’ll need to ascertain if the individual is a high-profile person, often through a Reputation Score assessment.

How can I verify my name or someone else’s in World-Check?

To verify a name in World-Check, you would typically need assistance from a company like ReputationUP, which specializes in AML Checks and Risk Screening.

How do I remove my name from World-Check?

To initiate the process of removing your name from World-Check, contact a specialized service like ReputationUP. They can verify if your name is in the database and guide you through the removal process.

Is World-Check reliable?

World-Check is widely used by banks, police forces, security services, and major corporations, including some of the world’s largest financial institutions, underscoring its reliability and trustworthiness.

Conclusions

Thank you and congratulations on reaching the end of this comprehensive guide on World Check. Your journey through this guide signifies a deep and thorough understanding of a crucial topic in today’s digital and financial world.

Throughout this guide, we have covered:

• What World Check is
• How the database functions
• The lists within World Check
• Steps to remove oneself from World Check
• Its applications and uses
• Verifying if your name is listed

This guide, encompassing 9 chapters, is enriched with various images, including unique infographics, a video, and several maps. Across over 6000 words, a fundamental principle has been highlighted.

To prevent a system like World Check from collecting and retaining false or outdated information about you — which can lead to significant financial issues like bank account closures, asset freezes, and restricted financial mobility — it’s essential to proactively manage your online reputation.

Remember, in the digital age, your online footprint is as significant as your actions in the physical world, and maintaining a positive online presence is key to avoiding unwarranted complications in your personal and professional life.