> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sigma-docs.pastelhq.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Politically Exposed Persons (PEP)

> Sigma PEP helps you spot people in important public roles, so you can better manage corruption and bribery risks.

### 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

Sigma uses **fuzzy matching** to account for name variations, transliterations, and aliases, so a result may still be returned even if the spelling does not match exactly.

### 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. |

Results also include the **dataset** the match came from, any known **aliases**, **countries** of association, and **entity type** (Person or Organisation), helping you determine whether the match is relevant to your specific customer.

### What to Do with a PEP Match

A PEP match triggers **enhanced due diligence**, not an automatic rejection. The typical response is:

1. **Confirm the match** by verifying the result refers to your customer using date of birth, nationality, or other identifiers
2. **Assess the risk level** by considering the nature of their public role, the country, and the political environment
3. **Apply enhanced monitoring** for the duration of the relationship
4. **Document your findings** clearly for audit and regulatory purposes

### How to Run a PEP Check

There are two ways to run a PEP check:

1. **Over API**
   Send us the name (and optionally other identifiers) and we return matching PEP records.

   <Note>[See our PEP API reference](../../api-reference/aml/endpoint/check-pep-instant)</Note>

2. **Sigma Dashboard**
   Search for a person or entity directly from the dashboard.

   <Note>[Visit Sigma](https://sigma.pastelhq.ai/pep-sanctions/search)</Note>

<Tip>
  Need to screen multiple entities at once? [See our bulk search feature](bulk-search) that handles thousands of names in minutes.
</Tip>