An evidence packet is the structured case file behind a KYB or due diligence decision. For each finding it records the claim, the source excerpt that supports it, where the source came from, when it was captured, and what that source does not establish. It usually ends with the questions the review could not answer and what would close them.
Why it matters in KYB review
A recommendation is only as good as the evidence someone else can check. The reviewer who signs off, a QA analyst, an internal auditor, a partner bank or an examiner months later all need to see what the analyst saw. Without a packet, the file holds conclusions ("owners verified") that cannot be tested. With one, a second reviewer can follow each conclusion back to its source in minutes, which is what makes a four-eyes review meaningful.
What a good evidence packet contains
- Subject identification. Exact legal name, entity number, jurisdiction, tax ID.
- Findings, one per line. Each a specific claim, for example "Kestrel Freight Ltd is active on the registry" or "Daniel Okafor holds an indirect 31.2% through Northgate Holdings Ltd." (Illustrative examples.)
- Source for each finding. Registry record, document, website, screening list, with an excerpt or snapshot.
- Capture time. When each source was read. Registry status and websites change.
- Integrity reference. A hash or stored copy so the excerpt can be shown to be the one captured.
- Limits. What the source cannot establish. A certificate of good standing does not show ownership; an operating agreement is applicant-supplied.
- Screening record. Lists searched, dates, queries, matches and how each was resolved.
- Open questions. A single consolidated list of what is still missing, ready to become a request for information.
- Recommendation and reasoning. Approve, decline, escalate or request more, with the findings it rests on.
Common pitfalls
- Screenshots without context. An image with no URL, date or explanation cannot be relied on later.
- Conclusions mixed with evidence. Keep "what the source says" separate from "what the analyst concludes."
- Silent gaps. A packet that omits what could not be verified looks cleaner and is less honest. Record the gaps.
- Overstating screening. "No sanctions hits" without list names and dates is not evidence.
Related terms
Four-eyes review, business onboarding review, business verification documents, request for information (RFI).
How Sweat AI fits
Every Sweat AI review is delivered as an evidence packet: findings bound to source excerpts with capture times and integrity hashes, the limits of each source, and one consolidated list of remaining requests. The packet supports your decision; it does not make it. See the sample KYB review or business investigations.
Questions
How is an evidence packet different from a case note?
A case note states conclusions. An evidence packet keeps the underlying material with each conclusion: the source excerpt, where it came from and when, so the conclusion can be checked without redoing the research.
Should a clean screening result be in the packet?
Yes, recorded as what it is: which lists were searched, on what date, with what query, and that nothing matched. A zero-match result records what the lists contained on that date; it does not clear the subject.