Risk Scoring Methodology

Transparent, data-driven corruption risk assessment

Important Disclaimer

Risk scores are statistical indicators based on publicly available data patterns. A high score does not indicate wrongdoing—it identifies entities whose data patterns warrant closer examination. All data is sourced from official government registries. Conclusions should be independently verified before taking any action.

How Scores Are Calculated

Each entity receives a score from 0 to 100 based on four weighted categories. The total score determines the risk level:

70-100

High Risk

40-69

Medium Risk

0-39

Low Risk

Political Connection
max 30
Contract Anomaly
max 30
Corporate Structure
max 25
Financial Health
max 15

Risk Categories

Political Connection

max 30 points

Evaluates relationships between entities and political figures, parties, or donors.

IndicatorPointsDescription
Owner is current/former politician+10Direct ownership by elected officials or political appointees
Family member of politician+8Ownership by spouse, children, or close relatives of politicians
Political party donor+5Entity or owners have made significant political donations
Political network connections+1-4Number of connections to politically exposed persons
Shared address with political entity+3Registered at same address as political organization

Contract Anomaly

max 30 points

Analyzes patterns in government contracts that may indicate bid rigging or corruption.

IndicatorPointsDescription
Single-bidder contracts >50%+10Majority of contracts won without competitive bidding
Single-bidder contracts >30%+5Elevated rate of non-competitive contract awards
Threshold gaming+2 each (max 8)Contract values suspiciously close to reporting thresholds (85-100%)
Emergency contracts >30%+3High proportion of no-bid emergency procurement

Corporate Structure

max 25 points

Identifies shell company indicators and complex ownership structures designed to obscure beneficial owners.

IndicatorPointsDescription
Offshore jurisdiction in ownership+10Owners registered in tax havens or secrecy jurisdictions
Suspicious founding timing+8Company created less than 6 months before first major contract
Circular ownership detected+5Ownership structures where entities own each other
Frequent ownership changes+3More than 2 ownership changes per year

Financial Health

max 15 points

Detects financial anomalies that may indicate invoice padding, money laundering, or shell operations.

IndicatorPointsDescription
Revenue per employee >€400K+8Unusually high revenue relative to workforce size
Missing financial statements+5Required annual filings not submitted to registry
Asset/revenue inconsistency+3Asset values inconsistent with reported business operations

Risk Flags

When specific thresholds are crossed, the system generates explicit flags to highlight areas of concern:

Flag CodeSeverityDescriptionEvidence
POLITICIAN_OWNERcriticalOwner is a current or former politicianDirect ownership stake by politically exposed person
OFFSHORE_OWNERSHIPhighOwnership chain includes offshore jurisdictionBeneficial owner registered in secrecy jurisdiction
SINGLE_BIDDERmediumMajority of contracts won without competitionOver 50% of contracts awarded as single-bidder
THRESHOLD_GAMINGmediumContract values cluster below reporting thresholdsPattern of contracts at 85-99% of disclosure limits
SHELL_INDICATORShighMultiple shell company indicators detectedNo employees, virtual office, nominee directors
MISSING_FINANCIALSlowRequired financial statements not filedAnnual accounts overdue or missing from registry

Offshore Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are flagged when detected in ownership chains. These are commonly used for legitimate tax planning but also for obscuring beneficial ownership:

British Virgin IslandsCayman IslandsPanamaSeychellesBelizeDelaware (USA)Nevada (USA)CyprusMaltaLuxembourgLiechtensteinJerseyGuernseyIsle of Man

Historical Fraud Case Scoring

For documented fraud cases in our database, we use a pattern-based scoring system that analyzes the type of fraud, estimated damage, and case status:

Pattern Categories

Political Corruption

political_bribery, nepotism, conflict_of_interest, abuse_of_office

max 30
Procurement Fraud

bid_rigging, overpricing, kickback_scheme, single_bidder

max 30
Corporate Concealment

shell_company, offshore_tunneling, hidden_ownership

max 25
Financial Manipulation

accounting_fraud, vat_fraud, grant_fraud, money_laundering

max 15

Damage Multipliers

€1B+×1.5
€100M+×1.3
€10M+×1.1
<€10M×1.0

Status Bonuses

Convicted+10
Ongoing+5
Acquitted−10
Repaid−5

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official government registries. Each entity links directly to its original source for verification:

Limitations

  • 1Data completeness: Some registries have gaps or delays in reporting. Missing data does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.
  • 2Historical accuracy: Data reflects current registry state. Historical ownership or contracts may not be fully captured.
  • 3False positives: Legitimate business practices can trigger high scores. Large construction companies naturally have many contracts.
  • 4Jurisdiction differences: Reporting requirements vary by country. Cross-border comparisons should account for regulatory differences.
  • 5No legal conclusions: This platform is for research purposes. It does not make legal determinations about corruption or fraud.

Open Source & Verifiable

Raanko is fully open source. The scoring algorithms, data processing logic, and all code can be inspected, audited, and improved by anyone.

View source code on GitHub