What the BrightChecks AML screening statuses mean, how Refer cases work, and how to use the risk rating and audit trail.

Once your AML Check is complete, BrightChecks returns a results report covering the screening areas relevant to the tier you selected. This article explains what each result status means, what to do when a Refer status is returned, and how to use the risk rating and audit trail.

What AML Standard screens

▪  Address and mortality data — Confirms the individual's address history and checks mortality registers. A mortality flag means the individual's details are associated with a deceased person — this warrants further investigation.

▪  PEPs and sanctions — Checks the individual against Politically Exposed Person (PEP) lists and international sanctions registers. This screening returns one of three result statuses — Passed, Refer, or Failed — explained below.

What AML Enhanced adds

AML Enhanced includes everything in AML Standard, plus:

▪  Identity document authentication — Verifies that the identity document provided by your client is genuine and unaltered.

▪  Facial matching — Confirms that the face on the identity document matches the face captured during the biometric step.

▪  Liveness testing — Confirms that the biometric capture is from a live person, not a photograph or recording.

Together, these three elements produce a biometric identity report that provides documentary-equivalent proof of identity.

Note:  For AML Enhanced, the check shows as Pending until your client completes their biometric step. Pending is not a final result — it means the check has not yet produced a result. See Running an AML Check for what to do if a check remains Pending.

The three result statuses

Every AML Check returns one of the following statuses against the PEPs and sanctions screening:

Important:  A Refer or Failed status is a flag for your professional review — it is not an automatic decision that the individual cannot be onboarded. What you do next depends on your AML policy and your supervisory body's requirements.

What to do when a check returns Refer

A Refer status means a possible PEP or sanctions match was found that cannot be confirmed or ruled out automatically. A reviewer must make that decision in BrightChecks before the check can resolve.

Refer is not a compliance failure — it is a prompt for a human decision. The check is working as intended.

To resolve a Refer case, follow the review steps in the article: Running an AML Check.

Note:  A Refer case must always be resolved by a person. There is no automatic resolution — the check remains as Refer until a reviewer acts.

What to do when a check returns Failed

A Failed status means either:

▪  A confirmed automated match was returned — for example, a genuine sanctions hit or a deceased-persons match, or

▪  A reviewer has confirmed a Refer case as a genuine match.

A Failed status requires documented assessment and, in some cases, enhanced due diligence under your AML policy. BrightChecks cannot advise on your compliance obligations — if you are unsure how to proceed, refer to your AML policy or contact your supervisory body.

The audit trail for a Refer case

Every check retains an audit history. For a Refer case, the audit trail expands to four stages:

The header summary on an audit export shows only the final result — for example, Passed. The full transition from Refer to its final status is recorded in the stage-by-stage log above.

Important:  BrightChecks' audit trail is the authoritative record of who reviewed a case, when, and why. If you need to confirm the details of a specific review, use the BrightChecks audit history — not any external or third-party report.

Logging your risk rating

After reviewing the results, you can log a risk rating and written rationale against the check. This documents your professional assessment of the individual's risk profile — it is not determined automatically by the system.

The risk rating is:

▪  Recorded in your audit trail immediately

▪  Exportable for compliance and governance purposes

▪  Optional — you can download the results report without completing the risk rating

Tip:  Even where a check returns no flags, logging a risk rating with a brief rationale creates a clear compliance record that the individual was screened and assessed at the time of onboarding.

What to do if a check returns unexpected results

If you believe the results do not accurately reflect the individual — for example, a match you believe is incorrect — log your assessment in the risk rating rationale field and follow your practice's escalation process.

If you believe there is a technical issue with the check itself, contact the BrightChecks support team with: the check reference number, the individual's name (do not include sensitive personal data in the support request), and a description of what you expected to see versus what was returned.