World-Check Data Removal
Inaccurate or outdated records in World-Check can lead to account blockages, loan denials, and serious reputational risks. Our company specializes in removing unlawful information, protecting your interests in relationships with banks and financial organizations. Experienced specialists will assess the current status and reasons for inclusion in the database, prepare a package of documents and justification, and achieve complete removal or correction of the information in the shortest possible time. We will help you resume cooperation with banks, partners, and maintain an impeccable reputation in the international financial community!
What is World-Check?
World-Check is one of the largest and most authoritative databases used for conducting checks for KYC, AML, and compliance procedures. It accumulates information about individuals and legal entities potentially associated with financial crimes, corruption, sanctions lists, and other risk factors.
Initially, World-Check was created by an independent company but later became part of Thomson Reuters. Today, the service belongs to Refinitiv. World-Check is a global registry that stores information about “high-risk” individuals and organizations.
The main task of World-Check is to simplify the due diligence process for financial institutions, law firms, insurance companies, government agencies, and other organizations.
When opening a bank account, issuing a loan, or making investments, organizations are required to comply with KYC procedures. Referring to World-Check allows for quickly determining whether a client or counterparty has any connections to corruption, drug trafficking, or terrorism financing. The database displays information on whether an individual or company is included in sanction lists.
World-Check is a commercial service: legal and financial organizations can purchase a license (subscription) from Refinitiv, allowing them to regularly request information. Typical clients include banks, investment and insurance companies, law firms, as well as large corporations needing to assess partner risks. Some government agencies may have direct or indirect access to World-Check, using its data for their checks.
World-Check uses numerous open (OSINT) and private channels: official registries (courts, sanctions lists, state registries), media, reports on economic crimes, etc. Refinitiv analysts and automated systems process, verify, and link information about specific individuals and organizations.
The database contains “profiles” that may include notes such as PEP (Politically Exposed Person), terrorist lists, sanctions, court cases, money laundering, financial crimes, etc. For each profile, information sources may be specified, providing users with the opportunity to analyze the context.
Reasons for inclusion in World-Check
One of the main reasons for inclusion in World-Check is the fact of being listed in sanctions registers. Banks and financial organizations are obligated to restrict or even block transactions with sanctioned individuals to comply with relevant laws. Often, individuals and companies conducting business with sanctioned entities may end up in World-Check, which leads to “secondary sanctions.”
Another common reason is legal proceedings and criminal cases. Information that a person is involved in fraud, corruption, money laundering, or other criminal activities leads to an entry in the database. Even if the case does not result in a guilty verdict, the very fact of the investigation is recorded as a “high risk.”
An entry in World-Check may appear due to investigations by reputable media outlets that have published reports implicating someone in corruption or connections with crime. World-Check analysts consider such materials as a signal of increased risk. In the absence of subsequent refutations, negative information may remain in the database, even if the accusations turned out to be false.
World-Check contains lists of politically exposed persons and their relatives, as it is considered in global practice that they have a higher risk of corruption schemes or abuse of power. PEP includes presidents, ministers, deputies, high-ranking officials, as well as their family members or trusted persons.
If an individual or a company finds themselves at the center of offshore investigations (ICIJ, Pandora Papers, Panama Papers), this data will be taken into account in World-Check as an indication of possible tax evasion, corruption, or other financial crimes. Even the legal use of offshore entities can be considered a potential risk if there is no transparent structure, which is recorded in the database.
What Information Does a World-Check Report Contain?
The report specifies the full name of an individual or the name of a company, date and place of birth (for individuals), registration data (for legal entities), as well as other information that allows unambiguous identification of the entity. Variants of the name or title are often indicated to avoid confusion when working with different languages.
The World-Check system classifies profiles into different categories (Politically Exposed Person, Terrorism, Sanctions, Corruption, Fraud, Criminal, etc.). Labels such as “High Risk,” “Medium Risk,” etc., are indicated, which helps banks and other organizations quickly assess the potential risk of collaboration.
The report provides an overview describing why the entity was added to the database: involvement in a high-profile corruption scandal, mention in a sanctions list, connection to financial fraud, affiliation with the political elite, etc. It is a kind of summary of key facts that should be noted. As a rule, World-Check strives to include hyperlinks or registry numbers where the relevant facts can be verified.
If a person or organization is listed in international sanctions lists, it is necessarily reflected in World-Check. The basis for the sanction, the date of inclusion, and the type of restrictive measures are indicated. This also includes registries of “prohibited” companies and individuals engaged in illegal activities.
If a person was involved in a criminal case, civil lawsuit, bankruptcy, especially in high-profile cases, the report may include a summary of the outcomes: conviction, fine, asset seizure, civil liability, etc. There may also be a reference to a specific court registry or case number.
Companies that have paid large fines for violating tax laws, environmental regulations, or trade rules are also mentioned if the fine indicates a high risk of repeated violations.
World-Check can collect information from official websites of political parties and government agencies, indicating that a person is affiliated with a certain structure. If corruption scandals appear in the context of politics, this data is also reflected.
In addition, the platform provides companies’ registration data: name, date of establishment, legal address, founders, beneficiaries, branches, connections with other companies (sometimes chains of offshore or subsidiary structures are reflected). The presence of large unpaid debts, bankruptcies, license denials, fines from regulators — all of this will be included in the report as a risk factor.
How Can These Databases Impact Me?
The very first and tangible consequence is the blocking of accounts or refusal to open new ones. Banks may “freeze” your assets while they investigate the reasons for the negative status. This leads to disruptions in normal financial activities and delays in making payments or transfers.
Upon identifying a “high risk” in a client’s profile, the bank may completely deny a loan or impose strict conditions. Investment funds and private investors often refuse to cooperate with individuals listed in World-Check, fearing legal and reputational consequences.
When conducting due diligence on counterparties, large corporations may also terminate an already concluded agreement or cancel a deal if they discover mentions in World-Check in the context of financial fraud or corruption. Loss of contracts, disruption of joint projects, and reputational damage are the direct results of such checks.
If the bank does not refuse service, it often classifies the client as “high risk” (Enhanced Due Diligence): more documents are required, and each transaction receives additional scrutiny. This slows down operations and increases costs.
To avoid such situations or resolve already existing problems, it is important to monitor the information available about you in the public domain and the media, and, if necessary, challenge inaccuracies and outdated records using available legal mechanisms. With access to legal support, you will be able to maintain your business reputation, minimize financial risks, and continue conducting business without restrictions or refusals from banks and other counterparties.
How to Request Data Removal from World-Check?
During the first preparatory stage, it is necessary to determine exactly what data about you is contained in the World-Check database. Once the circumstances are clarified, you can formulate an argument as to why the information is incorrect or has become outdated.
If the case was closed (charges were dropped), the verdict was overturned, sanctions were lifted, or the media issued a retraction—all these materials need to be gathered together. The more official documents, the higher the chance of success. If it concerns “false” information, it is important to point out the error and the official retraction. We recommend seeking legal support from experienced attorneys who can help draft a request, skillfully emphasizing laws on personal data protection and potential reputational damage.
On the Refinitiv website, there is a special form and contact details for questions about privacy and data correction. Compose an official letter, attach supporting documents, specify the exact full name/company name, and provide contact information.
Refinitiv confirms receiving the request within a few days. Official review may take from 4 weeks to 3 months, depending on the complexity of the case.
Make sure that the changes have indeed taken effect: information may partially remain in local copies. If the account blockage or partnership refusal has already occurred, it is worth drafting official letters to the bank, indicating that the data in World-Check has been deleted/updated, and requesting a reconsideration of the decision.
What Are the Categories in World-Check?
Information in World-Check is structured into categories indicating why an individual or company may pose an increased risk:
- Politically Exposed Persons. Individuals holding high-ranking government positions, as well as their close circle. It is considered that PEPs have a higher likelihood of involvement in corruption or protectionist schemes, using their position for illegal gain. Therefore, banks and financial companies conduct enhanced due diligence (EDD) regarding clients with PEP status;
- Sanctions. One of the most severe grounds for inclusion in World-Check is being subject to international or national sanctions. Reports may include details: sanctions list, date of imposition, type of restrictions (asset freeze, trade embargoes, etc.);
- Financial Crime. If there is public information about involvement in economic crimes (fraud, tax evasion, market manipulation, money laundering), World-Check may flag the profile in the corresponding Financial Crime category. Even without a conviction, the database will mark this as a risk factor;
- Organized Crime / Terrorism. If a person is associated with drug cartels, mafia structures, international organized crime groups, then World-Check assigns the corresponding category, indicating connections and possible publications in the media or court documents;
- Adverse Media. World-Check actively monitors reputable media to identify negative coverage: corruption scandals, involvement in criminal schemes. Even if the publication is not confirmed by a court decision, this already provides grounds to classify the individual as “high risk”;
- Regulatory / Enforcement. If a company pays large fines for violating environmental regulations, securities trading rules, or export control violations, this may be recorded in World-Check. The goal is to warn future partners about potential compliance issues and reputational risks;
How Can Lawyers Help Me?
The first stage of our cooperation is a detailed analysis of the information recorded about you in World-Check: we examine the reasons for inclusion, assess the likelihood of success when requesting removal, and provide recommendations for further steps. If necessary, we contact the bank that referred to the database to obtain additional information about the reasons for the negative mark.
Negative records may be based on outdated or unverified data. We will help gather documents indicating the inaccuracy or irrelevance of the records. Based on the evidence, we will prepare an official request to Refinitiv for the removal or correction of information.
If necessary, we negotiate with banks, insurance companies, and partner organizations, proving the groundlessness of negative data and protecting your reputation.
If Refinitiv refuses to delete the data, we prepare a repeated request, supplement it with evidence, or consider legal mechanisms (litigation, personal data protection).
Schedule a Consultation with Our Lawyers
Our firm understands the specifics of working with global compliance tools and the practice of interacting with banks in different countries. We evaluate each situation individually. The strategy for data removal or adjustment varies depending on the circumstances.
In addition to relationships with World-Check, we help clients resolve the consequences of negative records, interact with counterparties, restore business reputation, and gain access to financial services. We clearly plan timelines and steps, regularly inform the client about the progress of negotiations with Refinitiv or banks, and document all formal procedures.
Contact us right now for an initial consultation to find out how we can help remove erroneous or outdated records in World-Check, protect your interests, and restore business operations.
