Sanctions Screening

How does sanctions screening work?

Sanctions screening matches the names of the people and businesses you deal with against official lists of parties you are legally barred from transacting with. In Australia the primary reference is the DFAT Consolidated List, maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A match, or a close near-match that needs review, must be investigated before any money moves. For example, before onboarding an overseas supplier, an Australian AP team screens the company and its owners so it does not inadvertently pay an entity subject to Australian sanctions.

Why it matters for Australian finance teams

Breaching Australian sanctions is a serious criminal offence, and liability does not require intent, so a missed check can expose a business regardless of whether the breach was deliberate. Finance teams sit at the point where funds actually leave, which makes screening before payment a genuine last line of defence rather than a formality.

How ezyshield helps

ezyshield verifies the person, the business through ABN and ASIC checks, and bank account ownership before a payment is authorised, and records each check in an append-only audit trail that is logged and never edited or deleted. ezyshield does not itself screen names against the DFAT Consolidated List or other sanctions lists, so that check remains with your dedicated screening tools. Where ezyshield adds value is confirming that the party you screened is genuinely the party you are about to pay, closing the gap between a clean screening result and the account that actually receives the funds. See how it works and supplier verification in Australia.