What is a PEP?
A Politically Exposed Person (PEP) is someone who holds or has held a prominent public function, such as a head of state, senior government official, judicial officer, military commander, or executive of a state-owned enterprise, as well as their close family members and known associates. Because of their position, PEPs carry a higher risk of involvement in bribery, corruption, or the misuse of public funds. A PEP match does not mean a customer is a bad actor. It means the relationship requires closer scrutiny before proceeding.What Sigma Checks
When you run a PEP check, Sigma searches against a comprehensive database that includes:- Global PEP databases (e.g. Wikidata PEP lists, government disclosures)
- Regional and country-specific watchlists
- Family members and close associates of known PEPs
Understanding the Result
Each result includes a confidence score (0 to 100) that tells you how closely the match aligns with the name you searched:| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 100 | Exact match. High likelihood this is the same person. |
| 70 to 99 | Strong match. Investigate further before deciding. |
| Below 70 | Partial match. Review aliases and other data to confirm or dismiss. |
What to Do with a PEP Match
A PEP match triggers enhanced due diligence, not an automatic rejection. The typical response is:- Confirm the match by verifying the result refers to your customer using date of birth, nationality, or other identifiers
- Assess the risk level by considering the nature of their public role, the country, and the political environment
- Apply enhanced monitoring for the duration of the relationship
- Document your findings clearly for audit and regulatory purposes
How to Run a PEP Check
There are two ways to run a PEP check:- Over API Send us the name (and optionally other identifiers) and we return matching PEP records.
- Sigma Dashboard Search for a person or entity directly from the dashboard.