Adverse media: what to record when Google is messy
Adverse media work, when a search is messy, is a record of what you looked at and what you decided. A screenshot with no decision is not that record.
Quick answer
Write the query, the date, the source, and why you think the person is or is not your client. Then write the outcome: discard as a namesake, or escalate under the program. A common name will produce noise. Noise is not a reason to ignore a clear match, and a namesake is not a reason to escalate the client; this page does not run the search for you.
People search “adverse media screening Australia” when a common client name returns court articles, a different suburb, and a headline that may be someone else entirely. Checked against AUSTRAC’s enhanced customer due diligence page on 4 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. This page does not reproduce that guidance. What enhanced due diligence then requires is enhanced customer due diligence. Name lists of a different kind are sanctions screening. The sector map is /tranche-2.
The record is the decision, not the printout
A messy first page of results is normal for a common Australian name. The file still needs a method. Record what you typed, when, and which item you opened. Then say whether the age, the suburb, the middle name, or the company ties it to this client.
If it does not, say so and stop. If it does, the program’s escalation applies. Leaving ten screenshots in a folder does neither.
- The query. The exact name and any extra term you used, so someone can see what you did not search.
- The date. A result from last year is not a result from today.
- The source. The publication or the page, not “the internet”.
- Same person or not. One sentence on why, then the outcome: discard or escalate.
Messy results, sorted
What to write down after a messy search. This table does not reproduce AUSTRAC’s enhanced due diligence guidance.
| What you found | What to record | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| Same name, different city and age | Namesake, discarded, with the reason | Escalate the client because the headline was loud |
| Same name, same suburb, same company | Possible match, escalated under the program | Ignore it because the first results were noise |
| Old article, person already identified | Date of the article and date of your look | Treat a 2014 page as a fresh event with no note |
| Nothing relevant | Query, date, and a nil result | An empty folder that proves nothing |
Where the adverse-media page stops
This page is the record you keep when search results are messy. It is not the enhanced due diligence that may follow a real match, and it is not sanctions screening. Those are enhanced customer due diligence and sanctions screening.
What the client pays
On FreeAML the firm suite is A$0. The firm emails the client a link. Verification is client-pays. On the public list a personal KYC check is A$20 and a company or trust KYB check is A$40. Use KYB when the customer is a company or a trust. A web search is not included in the firm suite, and a KYC result is not a ruling on a headline. Confirm the live amounts on FreeAML pricing. FreeAML does not decide that a search result is your client, or clear a headline.
📚 Related Resources
Free KYC Check →
Verify customer identity in 60 seconds. Government ID + AML screening.
Free AML Program →
Board-ready AML/CTF Program template. All 10 AUSTRAC sections included.
Risk Assessment Generator →
AI-powered ML/TF risk assessment. 20-page compliant report in 5 minutes.
Free AML Training →
Online courses for staff. CPD-certified certificates included.
AUSTRAC Reporting Tools →
File SMRs, TTRs, IFTIs directly to AUSTRAC. Pre-filled forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Identity is a check. A headline is the firm’s record.
The firm suite is A$0. The client pays the identity check. Personal KYC is A$20. Company or trust KYB is A$40.
Start a KYC checkQuestions: team@freeaml.com.au