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43. Does a financial institution need to scan names against OFAC's list of targets upon account opening or can it wait for 24 hours to receive a report from its software vendor on whether or not there is a hit?

Answer

There is no legal or regulatory requirement to use software or to scan. There is a requirement, however, not to violate the law by doing business with a target or failing to block property. OFAC realizes that financial institutions use software that does not always provide an instantaneous response and may require some analysis to determine if a customer is indeed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals List (or any of OFAC's other sanctions lists). The important thing is not to conclude transactions before the analysis is completed.

Date Released
September 10, 2002