A Quick Start Guide to Adverse Media Screening

A Quick Start Guide to Adverse Media Screening

Meet Jamie—a compliance officer at a U.S. financial services firm regulated by FinCEN, FINRA, and the SEC. Jamie knows the stakes: missing adverse media about a potential client could lead to fines, reputational damage, or worse. But performing these checks manually often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Here’s how Jamie’s experience shifts when using iComply’s AML solution.

Manual Adverse Media Screening: A Complex Process

To comply with regulatory expectations, Jamie manually searches online articles, government reports, and social media for red flags like fraud, money laundering, or corruption. Each platform requires tweaking keywords and combing through endless irrelevant hits.

  • Overwhelming Data: Vast amounts of news, blogs, and public records make it easy to miss critical insights.
  • Time-Consuming Tasks: Cross-referencing names with sanctions lists, PEP databases, and legal filings means hours—sometimes days—of effort.
  • Risk of Outdated Info: By the time Jamie compiles findings, new updates might surface, requiring a re-check.

Even after all that, Jamie still has to organize the findings into an audit-ready report for internal review and potential regulatory inspections.

Adverse Media Screening with iComply: A Seamless Workflow

With iComply’s AML platform, Jamie’s adverse media screening becomes faster and more reliable:

  • Real-Time Data Collection: iComply automatically pulls global news, blogs, and regulatory announcements in seconds—including U.S. and international media sources.
  • AI-Driven Precision: Advanced machine learning filters out irrelevant results, significantly reducing false positives while prioritizing high-risk alerts.
  • Automated Cross-Checks: The system compares findings against global watchlists, sanctions databases, and adverse media archives automatically—no manual entry needed.
  • Instant Reports: With one click, Jamie generates a comprehensive, audit-ready report with risk scores, dates, and classifications.

This streamlined process helps Jamie stay compliant with FinCEN’s AML rules, FINRA’s due diligence standards, and the SEC’s anti-fraud requirements—all without the manual guesswork.

The iComply Advantage

For Jamie, manually compiling adverse media reports used to take hours and left room for human error. With iComply, it takes minutes. The result? Faster compliance checks, reduced risks, and more time for strategic oversight.

Is your compliance team ready to simplify adverse media screening? iComply’s AML solution empowers financial institutions to meet FinCEN, FINRA, and SEC standards while making compliance faster, smarter, and more secure. Let’s make it happen.

Beneficial Ownership 101: Navigating Complex Corporate Structures

Beneficial Ownership 101: Navigating Complex Corporate Structures

Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. The company looks legitimate, but beneficial ownership is often more complex than it appears. With layers of holding companies and indirect stakeholders, missing key details could mean regulatory trouble—or worse. Fortunately, with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership reviews can be streamlined, secure, and insightful.

Alex’s Approach to Beneficial Ownership Reviews

Instead of hunting through emails and databases, Alex pulls director filings, shareholder lists, and organizational charts automatically from trusted global sources. This gives him an instant overview of the company’s structure and connections—even across multiple jurisdictions. Once the data is collected, Alex focuses on identifying individuals with 25% or more ownership or control. He cross-checks these key players against watchlists, sanctions, and adverse media to flag potential risks early.

To close the loop, Alex compiles findings into an audit-ready report—no manual spreadsheets or patchwork PDFs. With one click, he generates a detailed summary that tracks every step of his review, making audits painless and ensuring regulatory requirements are met. Real-time alerts and built-in compliance checks mean Alex stays proactive, not reactive.

Key Considerations for Complex Beneficial Ownership

  • Trusts, Shells, and Hidden Layers: Ownership isn’t always direct. Many firms use trusts or shell companies to obscure control. A robust compliance platform helps uncover indirect ownership and manage ownership percentages with transparency.
  • Global Variations in Ownership Laws: Each jurisdiction may have different thresholds and definitions for beneficial ownership. Your system should adapt to local regulations while maintaining a unified global view.
  • Dynamic Ownership Changes: Ownership structures evolve due to mergers, investments, and leadership shifts. Continuous monitoring ensures you catch changes that could impact compliance long after onboarding.

Make Compliance Your Strength

With iComply, beneficial ownership reviews become an integral part of a smarter, more secure due diligence process. Automating data collection and verification saves time, reduces errors, and keeps your compliance team a step ahead. Ready to transform your approach? Let’s get started.

From Setup to Success: A Quick Start Guide to Integrating the iComply Platform

From Setup to Success: A Quick Start Guide to Integrating the iComply Platform

Compliance doesn’t have to be chaos.

Sarah, a compliance manager at a U.S. broker-dealer, had seen it all—delays, endless emails, and frustrated clients. She knew her team needed something better.

That’s when she found iComply.

Step 1: Simplify from Day One
No more patchwork solutions. Sarah’s team set up iComply’s KYC and AML modules in days—not weeks. With custom workflows and a branded client portal, onboarding felt seamless, not stressful​​.

Step 2: Automate the Boring Stuff
Instead of manually tracking sanctions lists or verifying documents, Sarah’s team let iComply handle it. Real-time alerts kept them ahead of risks, while audit-ready reports were just a click away​​.

Step 3: Keep It Secure, Keep It Compliant
Data encryption, secure API integrations, and role-based access meant no more sleepless nights about data breaches or failed audits​​.

Quick-Start Checklist for Compliance Teams

  • Map your current onboarding process.
  • Enable only the compliance features you need.
  • Automate document requests and approvals.
  • Set up real-time alerts for PEPs and sanctions.
  • Customize reports for audit season.

In minutes, not months, Sarah’s team had a smarter compliance process that saved time and improved client trust.

Want the same results? Let’s make compliance seamless together.

A Quick Start Guide to Beneficial Ownership Reviews

A Quick Start Guide to Beneficial Ownership Reviews

Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. On the surface, the company seems legitimate, but Alex knows due diligence requires digging deeper to identify the true owners behind the business. The process can feel like chasing puzzle pieces across multiple data sources and emails. Time-consuming, frustrating—and risky if something slips through the cracks.

But with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership review can be simple, thorough, and fast.


Alex’s Checklist for Beneficial Ownership Reviews

  1. Gather Ownership Data: Enter company details and automatically pull director filings, beneficial owner lists, and corporate structures from trusted sources.
  2. Verify Beneficial Owners: Identify individuals with 25% or more ownership and cross-check them against global watchlists, sanctions databases, and adverse media reports.
  3. Document and Report: Compile findings and generate a complete audit-ready report in one click—no spreadsheets, no manual stitching of data.

A Better Way Forward

With iComply, Alex’s review is seamless, secure, and efficient. Automated data collection and verification help him spot risks faster, store everything in one place, and stay compliant with confidence. Beneficial ownership reviews don’t have to be a headache—they can be a key part of a smarter compliance strategy.

Ready to streamline your due diligence? Let’s make it easier to do the right thing. Contact iComply today.

The Future of Document Verification: From Frustration to Simplicity

The Future of Document Verification: From Frustration to Simplicity

Meet Sarah—a busy professional trying to open an investment account, finalize her legal agreement, and file her taxes. Her to-do list is long, but verifying her identity for each service shouldn’t be the hardest part of her day.

Her first stop is her credit union. They require a face-to-face meeting, but the next available appointment is five days away. Sarah’s lawyer calls next—“We’ll need you to bring your ID in for verification.” Great. Another trip. Finally, her accountant sends a casual request: “Just email me a picture of your driver’s license.” Alarm bells go off in Sarah’s mind. Isn’t email unsecured?

By the end of the day, Sarah is frustrated and overwhelmed. Verifying her identity feels outdated, unsafe, and time-consuming.

Now imagine a different experience—one where Sarah completes everything from her phone, securely and in minutes, thanks to a platform powered by iComply.


A Seamless Verification Journey

Sarah opens her credit union’s branded verification portal—powered by iComply—on her phone. Instead of scheduling a meeting, she’s prompted to take a quick selfie and scan her driver’s license.

Within seconds, the system:

  • Confirms her ID’s authenticity by checking security features like watermarks and MRZ codes.
  • Runs a biometric facial recognition check to ensure the selfie matches her ID.
  • Cross-references her information against real-time government databases, ensuring compliance with KYC and AML regulations.

No back-and-forth emails. No trips to an office. No guesswork about data security. The same smooth process happens when Sarah logs into her law firm’s and accountant’s portals. iComply’s flexible platform allows each business to use the same seamless verification process—no siloed tools or manual checks.


Why This Future Matters

iComply eliminates friction for clients like Sarah and strengthens trust in every transaction. For businesses, it’s a win-win: secure onboarding that meets global regulatory standards while enhancing customer experience. Instead of patchwork solutions that create inefficiencies, iComply’s unified platform integrates everything—document verification, biometric checks, and continuous monitoring—into one turnkey system.

This isn’t just identity verification—it’s a future where customers like Sarah feel valued and safe, not inconvenienced or exposed. When compliance is this seamless, it stops being a hurdle and becomes a competitive advantage.

It’s time to leave in-person waits and unsecured emails behind. Ready to show your customers the future? Discover how iComply can empower your business today.

New FinCEN Geolocation Rules: How iComply’s Latest Update Keeps You Ahead

New FinCEN Geolocation Rules: How iComply’s Latest Update Keeps You Ahead

The U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed new regulations requiring businesses performing Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to collect robust geolocation data. IP addresses alone are no longer sufficient due to their vulnerability to masking and manipulation. This regulatory shift aims to enhance customer verification and strengthen defenses against financial crime.


The Regulatory Shift: Why Geolocation Matters

IP addresses, long used to infer a user’s location, can be spoofed or masked by VPNs and proxies. FinCEN’s latest regulations call for more precise geolocation data as part of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) efforts. This ensures financial institutions can confidently verify where their users are located during key transactions.


iComply’s Advanced Edge-Computing Solution

To help our clients meet these new requirements, iComply has released a significant enhancement to our edge-computing platform, integrating:

  • Precise Geolocation Tracking: Uses multiple data points—including GPS and Wi-Fi positioning—for an accurate, real-time user location.
  • Device Fingerprinting: Creates a unique device profile based on hardware and behavior to detect fraud attempts and unauthorized access.
  • Live Biometric Verification: Confirms that the user completing verification is physically present and matches their registered identity.

Why This Matters to Your Business

  • Regulatory Compliance: Stay ahead of new FinCEN requirements with secure, compliant KYC workflows.
  • Fraud Prevention: Multi-layered verification methods prevent spoofing and protect customer accounts.
  • User-Friendly Experience: Our seamless integrations keep the verification process quick and frictionless for users.

Stay Compliant and Confident

The financial compliance landscape is evolving rapidly. iComply’s latest technology ensures you can meet these stricter regulatory standards without sacrificing security or user experience.

Get in touch today to learn how iComply can future-proof your KYC and KYB processes and keep your business compliant, secure, and trusted by your customers.

Vaidyanathan Chandrashekhar

Vaidyanathan Chandrashekhar

Advisors

“Chandy,” is a technology and risk expert with executive experience at Boston Consulting Group, Citi, and PwC. With over two decades in financial services, digital transformation, and enterprise risk, he advises iComply on scalable compliance infrastructure for global markets.
Thomas Linder

Thomas Linder

Advisors

Thomas is a global tax and compliance expert with deep specialization in digital assets, blockchain, and tokenization. As a partner at MME Legal | Tax | Compliance, he advises iComply on regulatory strategy, cross-border compliance, and digital finance innovation.
Thomas Hardjono

Thomas Hardjono

Advisors

Thomas is a renowned identity and cybersecurity expert, serving as CTO of Connection Science at MIT. With deep expertise in decentralized identity, zero trust, and secure data exchange, he advises iComply on cutting-edge technology and privacy-first compliance architecture.
Rodney Dobson

Rodney Dobson

Advisors

Rodney is the former President of ADP Canada and international executive with over two decades of leadership in global HR and enterprise technology. He advises iComply with deep expertise in international service delivery, M&A, and scaling high-growth operations across regulated markets.
Praveen Mandal

Praveen Mandal

Advisors

Praveen is a serial entrepreneur and technology innovator, known for leadership roles at Lucent Bell Labs, ChargePoint, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator. He advises iComply on advanced computing, scalable infrastructure, and the intersection of AI, energy, and compliance tech.
Paul Childerhose

Paul Childerhose

Advisors

Paul is a Canadian RegTech leader and founder of Maple Peak Group, with extensive experience in financial services compliance, AML, and digital transformation. He advises iComply on regulatory alignment, operational strategy, and scaling compliance programs in complex markets.
John Engle

John Engle

Advisors

John is a seasoned business executive with senior leadership experience at CIBC, UBS, and Accenture. With deep expertise in investment banking, private equity, and digital transformation, he advises iComply on strategic growth, partnerships, and global market expansion.
Jeff Bandman

Jeff Bandman

Advisors

Jeff is a former CFTC official and globally recognized expert in financial regulation, fintech, and digital assets. As founder of Bandman Advisors, he brings deep insight into regulatory policy, market infrastructure, and innovation to guide iComply’s global compliance strategy.
Greg Pearlman

Greg Pearlman

Advisors

Greg is a seasoned investment banker with over 35 years of experience, including leadership roles at BMO Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup. Greg brings deep expertise in financial strategy and growth to support iComply's expansion in the RegTech sector.
Deven Sharma

Deven Sharma

Advisors

Deven is the former President of S&P and a globally respected authority in risk, data, and capital markets. With decades of leadership across financial services and tech, he advises iComply on strategic growth, governance, and the future of trusted data in AML compliance.