Understanding the Risk Analysis Score

Risk analysis processing assigns a point value to each of these inputs depending on whether the input was provided and whether it matched a record in the Global Sentry database. The risk analysis score is the sum of these point values. Points are assigned as shown in this table.

Table 1. Risk Analysis Scoring Method

Input	No Data Provided	Matched	Did Not Match
Name	0	4	0
Address	1	2	0
ID	1	2	0
Date of Birth	1	2	0
Place of Birth	1	2	0
Citizenship	1	2	0
Nationality	1	2	0

Generally, each input that matches the database is assigned 2 points; Name is the exception. A name match scores 4 points. Name score is weighted higher following guidance from sources including OFAC, who indicate that a name match is more significant than other types of matches.

If an input is provided and does not match an entry on the database, it is assigned 0 points and has no effect on the overall risk level. This is consistent with guidance stating that a name match, coupled with a significant amount of additional data which does not match that entry in the database, should not be considered a "hit" against a particular list.

If an input is not provided, it is assigned a score of 1. This has the effect of identifying as higher risk those transactions where one or more inputs match the database, but there are some inputs which are not available for matching. For these types of transactions, the true risk level cannot be accurately calculated because of the missing data. Guidance from agencies such as OFAC suggests that in these cases you should attempt to obtain as much of the missing data as possible in order to return a more accurate assessment of the risk involved in the transaction.

Although higher scores indicate a higher risk transactions, the risk level alone is not always sufficient to determine the appropriate action. This is because different combinations of matched, not-matched, and not-provided inputs can result in the same score. To provide additional information to determine whether an interdiction is appropriate, the Global Sentry service also returns two indicators for each of the seven inputs that are used in matching. These indicate whether the input was provided and whether the input matched the database. This allows you to perform additional analysis on transactions that are in the middle of the risk spectrum to understand whether it is appropriate to report the transaction to the watch list authority, to flag the transaction as needing additional input data for an accurate risk assessment, to approve the transaction, or to take some other action.