KYC vs KYB: Understanding the Differences and Importance

As financial transactions and interactions occur seamlessly across borders, the need for robust mechanisms to verify the identities of individuals and businesses has become paramount. This necessity has given rise to two fundamental processes: Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB).

But what exactly do these terms mean, and how do they differ?

What is KYC?

Know Your Customer (KYC) is a regulatory requirement that mandates businesses to verify the identity of their customers before entering into any financial transactions or business relationships. It involves collecting a range of information from customers, including personal details such as name, address, date of birth, and government-issued identification documents.

KYC procedures often include assessing the customer's risk profile and monitoring their transactions for suspicious activities.

The primary objectives of KYC include:

1. Preventing identity theft and fraud: By verifying the identity of business customers, businesses can reduce the risk of unauthorized transactions and fraudulent activities.
2. Compliance with regulations: Regulatory bodies, such as financial authorities and anti-money laundering agencies including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), impose KYC requirements to ensure that businesses adhere to legal and ethical standards.
3. Risk management: By understanding the risk profile of customers, businesses can tailor their services and implement appropriate risk mitigation measures.

What is KYB?

Unlike KYC, which focuses on customers, Know Your Business (KYB) pertains to the due diligence processes undertaken by businesses to verify the identity of individuals who own or control the business with whom they engage in financial transactions or partnerships, often referred to as Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) and Persons of Significant Control (PSC).

KYB involves gathering information about a company's ownership structure, beneficial owners, business activities, trading activities, and regulatory status. The information gathered during a KYB check is then used to assess the level of financial risk associated with the business.

The key objectives of KYB include:

1. Identifying beneficial ownership: Businesses need to ascertain the individuals who ultimately own or control a company to assess the risk of financial crimes such as money laundering or corruption.
2. Assessing business legitimacy: KYB helps businesses verify the legal existence and operational status of other entities to mitigate the risk of engaging with fraudulent or illicit businesses.
3. Compliance with regulations: Regulatory frameworks, such as the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations and the USA PATRIOT Act, require businesses to conduct KYB checks to prevent illicit financial activities and ensure transparency in business transactions.

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The Importance of KYC and KYB

Both KYC and KYB play important roles in safeguarding businesses and financial institutions against illicit activities and regulatory non-compliance. By implementing robust KYC and KYB processes, businesses can:

• Enhance trust and credibility among customers, investors, and regulatory authorities.
• Help businesses identify and mitigate the risk of fraudulent activities, money laundering, and other financial crimes.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with KYC and KYB regulations to avoid legal penalties, reputational damage, and loss of business opportunities.

What Is the Difference Between KYC and KYB?

KYC primarily concerns the verification of individual customers or account holders, whereas KYB extends to the due diligence of other businesses, including their ownership structure, regulatory compliance, and operational activities.

KYB and KYC Regulations

KYC and KYB requirements vary across jurisdictions, with the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom each having their unique set of rules. However, they all operate within a framework of 40 recommendations established by the FATF.

Member states are obliged to comply with these recommendations, which serve as comprehensive standards guiding FATF member countries in their collaborative global endeavors to prevent and combat financial crime.

United States KYB/KYC Regulations

In the United States, KYB and KYC regulations are governed by the 1970 Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and the USA PATRIOT Act. The BSA requires financial institutions to assist U.S. government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in 2001, expanded the scope of the BSA to include terrorist financing.

The KYB regulation was updated in 2016, requiring financial institutions to identify and verify the identity of the beneficial owners of all legal entity customers.

EU KYB/KYC Regulations

In the European Union, the Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD) governs KYB and KYC regulations. The AMLD, first introduced in 1991, has undergone several amendments to address gaps and enhance the effectiveness of anti-money laundering efforts.

• 4AMLD: Implemented in 2015, 4AMLD mandated comprehensive customer due diligence (CDD) requirements, including KYC procedures, for obligated entities such as financial institutions, DNFBPs, and virtual currency exchanges. It emphasized risk-based approaches to identify and verify customers' identities and assess risks in business relationships.
• 5AMLD: Adopted in 2018, 5AMLD bolstered the EU's AML/CFT framework by expanding KYC/KYB obligations. It introduced enhanced due diligence for high-risk third countries and required member states to establish beneficial ownership registers for corporate entities.
• 6AMLD: Effective from December 2020, 6AMLD strengthened the EU's AML/CFT regime by aligning criminal offenses and sanctions across member states. It criminalized money laundering activities, extended liability to legal persons, and imposed stricter penalties for AML non-compliance, while enhancing cooperation among competent authorities.

In 2021, the EU introduced a proposal for a unified Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) rulebook alongside the establishment of a new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA). This initiative, scheduled to be implemented in 2024, aims to streamline AML/CFT efforts across EU member states and enhance coordination and cooperation in combating financial crimes.

UK KYB/KYC Regulations

In the United Kingdom, KYC and KYB regulations are enforced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA mandates that businesses must conduct thorough KYC checks on customers. The process involves collecting and verifying customer documents such as passports, driving licenses, and utility bills. The FCA also requires businesses to monitor customer transactions and report any suspicious activity.

KYB regulations in the UK are less defined. Businesses are required to identify and verify the beneficial owners of corporate entities, check for sanctions, and use at least two reliable data sources. However, the FCA does not provide a specific order or template for these checks.

The Recommended Method for Performing KYC and KYB Compliance Checks

KYB Verification Process

1. Identify the Business Entity: Gather basic information about the business, including its legal name, registration number, and type of entity (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship).
2. Verify Legal Existence: Confirm that the business is legally registered and in good standing with the relevant government authorities, such as the company registry or commercial register.
3. Assess Ownership Structure: Determine the ownership structure of the business, including identifying beneficial owners who ultimately own or control the company, and assess their ownership stakes.
4. Verify Beneficial Owners: Conduct due diligence on beneficial owners to verify their identities, including obtaining identification documents and assessing their backgrounds for any potential risks such as sanctions, convictions, or adverse media coverage.
5. Evaluate Business Activities: Understand the nature of the business's activities, including its products or services, geographic locations of operation, and customer base.
6. Assess Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the business complies with relevant regulatory requirements and industry-specific regulations, such as licensing, permits, and sector-specific regulations.
7. Conduct a Risk Assessment: Evaluate the risk profile of the business based on factors such as its industry, geographic location, ownership structure, and previous regulatory compliance history.

KYC Verification Process

1. Collect and Verify Customer Information: Gather basic information about the customer, including their full name, date of birth, residential address, and contact details. Validate the customer's identity by requesting official identification documents such as a passport, driver's license, or national ID card.
2. Screen for Sanctions and PEPs: Conduct screening checks against lists of sanctioned individuals, entities, and politically exposed persons (PEPs) to identify any potential high-risk customers.
3. Conduct Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): For customers deemed to pose higher risks, perform additional due diligence measures, such as obtaining supplementary documentation or conducting more in-depth background checks.
4. Monitor Transactions: Regularly monitor the customer's transactions for any unusual or suspicious activities that may indicate money laundering, fraud, or other illicit behavior.
5. Conduct a Risk Assessment: Evaluate the risk associated with the customer based on factors such as their occupation, source of funds, transaction history, and geographic location.

Challenges of KYB and KYC

• Complex ownership structures and intricate customer profiles can pose significant challenges in identifying beneficial owners and verifying customer identities.
• Obtaining precise and up-to-date information about businesses and individuals, especially in jurisdictions with limited transparency, can be difficult, leading to potential gaps in due diligence.
• Conducting thorough KYB and KYC checks demands substantial time, resources, and expertise, particularly for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions or handling a large volume of customers.
• Lengthy and intrusive verification processes may lead to customer dissatisfaction and transaction abandonment, particularly in digital or remote banking environments, creating friction in customer interactions.
• Automated screening processes may generate false positives, resulting in unnecessary delays and additional administrative burden for both businesses and customers
• The collection and storage of personal information for KYC purposes raise concerns about data privacy and require robust data protection measures to safeguard customer information from unauthorized access or misuse.

Advanced KYB and KYC Solutions for Financial Institutions

The traditional methods of KYB and KYC verification can be time-consuming and prone to human error. However, advanced KYB and KYC solutions have revolutionized the way financial institutions conduct their due diligence.

Businesses can leverage solutions such as:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning integration to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and detect anomalies.
• Blockchain-based solutions to enhance data privacy and security, providing cryptographic protection and enabling secure data sharing among authorized parties while maintaining compliance with data protection regulations.
• Biometric authentication methods, such as facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and voice recognition, to verify customer identities and reduce the risk of identity theft or impersonation.
• Enhanced due diligence capabilities, including comprehensive risk scoring models and advanced data analytics, to accurately assess the risk profile of customers and business entities.
• Advanced KYB and KYC solutions automate regulatory compliance processes, enabling real-time monitoring of regulatory changes and updates across multiple jurisdictions.

Real-World Examples of KYC and KYB Non-Compliance

The Danske Bank Scandal

The Danske Bank scandal is a prime example of the catastrophic consequences that can ensue when financial institutions neglect to perform thorough KYC and KYB checks. The Danish bank was found guilty of laundering billions of euros through its Estonian branch, a fraudulent act made possible by the bank's deceit about its AML policies and high-risk clientele.

Danske Bank not only committed a grave financial crime but also jeopardized the security of the entire financial system.

Robinhood's Non-Compliance

Robinhood, a renowned trading and investment firm, found itself in hot water in 2022 due to its non-compliance with AML regulations. The company was slapped with a hefty fine of $30 million for its failure to perform adequate KYC and KYB checks, particularly within its cryptocurrency unit.

The firm's non-compliance was further highlighted by its lack of automated transaction monitoring across the organization and a significant deficiency in filing suspicious activity reports (SARs). These red flags triggered an in-depth investigation, revealing the extent of Robinhood's non-compliance.

Final Thoughts & How sanctions.io Can Help

Both KYC and KYB regulations are crucial in the US financial sector, ensuring that businesses and individuals alike are compliant with AML regulations.

sanctions.io aids businesses in KYB and KYC processes by providing access to extensive sanctions lists, PEP databases, and regulatory watchlists for screening business entities and customers, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks. With real-time monitoring capabilities and customizable integration options, sanctions.io offers a scalable and flexible solution tailored to the specific needs of businesses, facilitating efficient verification processes and regulatory compliance.

To learn more about how sanctions.io can support your organization's compliance program:

Book a free Discovery Call.

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