What is a 'search engine' and how compliance officers uses search engine(s)?
A ‘search engine’ (SE) are website searches such as internet searches (Google searches, Yahoo searches) including searches made on specific platforms such as world check, Dow Jones, Lexis Nexis ect… Internet based searches includes various results which requires to be looked after, reviewed and resolve.
In compliance, mainly Mauritius, the most trusted platform is the Refinitiv WorldCheck, Dow Jones, Accuity and Lexis Nexis. These software usually covers main documents and websites such as OFAC list, UN Sanctions List, FATF, newspapers, medias, ARID Orders, Global Regulators and sanction list, Vessel information and so on. However, in Mauritius, a compliance officer should always make the maximum possible to ensure that there is really no adverse result on an individual or entity. Therefore, a compliance officer always ensure himself by making websites checks through search engines. The most popular search engine is Google which have a vast amount of information. Therefore, a compliance officer usually make a Google check and consider the checks while making a report on any entity. Google being the most popular and vast information finder, a compliance officer must always make us of keywords in order the latter finds the most appropriate results.
In Google, it has been found that using the word ‘OR’ separate words. For example if a compliance officer is conducting a search on Mr Tom John (fictitious name), the latter may either use the following terms:
- Tom John crimes
- Tom John legal cases
- Tom John fraud ect…