Complying with US Sanctions
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the name given to the division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that is responsible for enforcing U.S. economic trade sanctions as prescribed by U.S. national foreign policy. As part of OFAC's enforcement strategy, the office pays particular attention to countries and regimes suspected of plotting against or damaging U.S. national security.
The office acts under the executive power of the president and also has authority to intervene in transactions and freeze any assets that fall under U.S. jurisdiction. Under the power of OFAC, U.S. citizens are prohibited from engaging in business with individuals and organizations mentioned on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.
Who Does This Affect?
OFAC aims to protect U.S. national interests by monitoring domestic financial transactions and limiting suspected terrorists'—and terrorist supporters'—access to funds. As part of this goal, OFAC affects nearly every U.S. citizen and organization, including citizens abroad and foreign-owned businesses with offices on U.S. soil. Among those involved, financial institutions are most likely to see the greatest impact of OFAC's regulations.
How Does EVS Help?
EVS provides OFAC Watch List Screening to allow organizations to monitor their professional relationships and ensure their compliance with federal law. The federal government uses these efforts as part of its larger fight against fraud and other types of criminal activity.
With EVS's watch list screening capabilities, organizations can run a report to find out whether a person or business is included on OFAC's SDN Watch List. EVS will search the OFAC list for every possible transaction and will tell you if the individual or business in question appears anywhere on the list. Our OFAC Watch List product also leaves an audit trail so that businesses can confirm their compliance procedure if ever questioned as part of a larger investigation. This prevention is crucial to business operations, not only as a way to avoid substantial government penalties for noncompliance, but also as a responsible way to help protect our communities.