Check a counterparty against sanctions lists

Goal

Before you pay someone, confirm their wallet address isn’t on an OFAC sanctions list.

How it works

Mezzanine screens every wallet address you hold automatically, and screens it again once its result is over 30 days old. You don’t start a check; you look up the result.

Time

under a minute.

Before you start

• You have View contacts, the permission that covers counterparties’ wallets. (Who can use it)
• The counterparty’s wallet is already saved in Mezzanine. Only saved addresses are screened. To add one, see Add a vendor or contact.

Steps

1. In the sidebar, click Legal & Compliance → OFAC Screening.
   You see three counts at the top, Addresses Tracked, Active Hits and Re-screens Due, and the list of addresses below.
2. In the search box, type the counterparty’s name or wallet address.
   The list narrows to matching addresses.
3. Read the Status for their address, and when it was Last Screened.
4. To see more about the account, click the counterparty’s name.
   The account’s details open.

Status	What it means	What to do
Clear	The address passed its last screening	You can go ahead
Flagged	The address matched a sanctions list	Stop. See below
Re-screen due	The last result is over 30 days old	Nothing. It’s screened again automatically. Check back before paying
Unscreened	No result yet, or screening couldn’t be completed	Reload the page later. Don’t treat it as clear

Checking from somewhere else? Wherever a wallet address appears in Mezzanine, there’s a shield icon beside it. Hover it to see the result, for example “Passed OFAC sanctions screening on date.”

If an address is flagged

1. Don’t pay it, and don’t ask the counterparty to confirm the wallet with a test. Mezzanine blocks both: payments to a flagged address are stopped, and a verification test fails with This address was flagged by OFAC screening; no test was sent.
2. Tell whoever handles compliance in your organization straight away. Give them the counterparty’s name, the address and the date it was flagged.
3. Don’t try to work around the block. There’s no override in Mezzanine. What happens next, including whether to report it, is a decision for your compliance lead and legal advisers.

If something goes wrong

You see	Why	What to do
The counterparty’s address isn’t in the list	It isn’t saved in Mezzanine, or you can’t see that kind of address	Check it’s saved on their contact. If a box reads Some addresses aren’t shown, request the permission it names
Some addresses aren’t shown	You’re missing View contacts, View entities or View team	Click the request link next to the one you need. Until then, Active Hits only counts what you can see
You can’t view OFAC screening	You have none of the three permissions	Request access from the page, or ask an admin
Failed to load screening data. Please try again later.	The list couldn’t load	Reload the page. If it keeps happening, contact support
Status stays Unscreened	Screening couldn’t be completed for that address	Don’t pay it yet. Reload later, and contact support if it doesn’t change
The counterparty is paid by bank transfer	Only wallet addresses are screened here	This page doesn’t cover bank accounts