Compliance & Risk
By Ohmyfin Organisation Editorial Team · Published 2026-05-21 · Updated 2026-05-22
OFAC (the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control) maintains the SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list — the single most consequential sanctions list in global finance. Any payment touching a US correspondent is screened against it.
The SDN list contains roughly 9,500 individuals and entities as of mid-2026. Updates happen weekly or more often during geopolitical events.
OFAC also maintains program-specific lists (Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, etc.) and sectoral sanctions lists (SSI list — restricts but does not block).
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US extraterritorial reach: any USD transaction touching the US correspondent banking system is subject to OFAC screening, regardless of which countries the sender or beneficiary are in. This is why a Pakistan-to-Brazil USD wire is screened against OFAC.
False positives: any name matching even fuzzily to an SDN listing flags. Common-name false positives ("Mohammad", "Wang", "Rodriguez") are frequent. The screening bank reviews; legitimate parties release.
Mitigation: provide complete structured beneficiary data (full name, date of birth where appropriate, complete address with country code). Names matching SDN entries with different DOB or address release faster.
Sectoral sanctions (Russia, especially): not blocking but restrictive. Some products / counterparties allowed; others not. Banks check both SDN and SSI for Russian-related flows.
Key takeaways
OFAC SDN list ~9,500 entities, updated weekly.
Any USD touch = OFAC screening.
False positives common on common names — release on review.
Provide complete structured data to reduce false positives.
SSI list (Russia) = restrictive, not blocking.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check OFAC myself before sending?
Yes — OFAC publishes the SDN search tool free. Pre-checking high-value beneficiaries is good practice.
What if I am added to OFAC by mistake?
You can file a removal request. The process is slow (months to years) and requires legal representation. Rare for ordinary individuals.
Does the EU have an equivalent?
Yes — the EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions list, plus member-state national lists. UK has HMT OFSI. Each is screened by relevant banks.
Are crypto exchanges OFAC-screened?
Yes — major regulated crypto exchanges (Coinbase, Kraken) screen against OFAC and block listed wallets.
Payment Located
SWIFT GPI Network · Real-time status
Payment Not Found
No record found in SWIFT GPI or any correspondent banking data
Fraud Awareness Notice
If you received a payment document from a third party, verify directly with your own bank before releasing goods or funds. Fake MT103 / pacs.008 confirmations are widely used in advance-fee scams. See our fraud guide →
Monitor for 7 Days — Free
We re-check every few hours and notify you the instant this payment appears — no account, no spam.
Watching — we'll email you the moment it appears.
Not sure what to do next?
Ask SwiftMate, our SWIFT assistant, for guidance on payment delays, rejections, and next steps.
Payments can appear hours after initiation — try again later