Improving your Due Diligence results
This page is dedicated to providing a treasure trove of useful websites and digital resources to support your online investigative due diligence enquiries. Whether you are an investigator, compliance professional, analyst, or researcher, this curated directory offers a comprehensive collection of platforms, tools, and databases designed to streamline your research processes, increase efficiency, and broaden your investigative reach.
In today’s fast-evolving landscape of financial crime prevention, anti-money laundering (AML), and regulatory compliance, access to quality open-source intelligence (OSINT) and professional-grade due diligence resources is essential. The listed websites span a variety of functions: company research, beneficial ownership tracing, sanctions screening, legal records, cyber-security verification, and social media monitoring. To enhance usability, these sites are organised under clear headings, such as Search Engines, Company Registers, Domain Research, Cyber Security, Legal Checks, Identity Verification, and Social Media Tools, allowing you to quickly locate the right resource for a specific enquiry.
The value of modern digital due diligence lies in leveraging authoritative sources, automating repetitive checks, and drawing insights from diverse datasets. Investigators today rely not only on manual search techniques, but also on platforms such as investigation engine which offer features like automated risk scoring, integrated KYC/KYB APIs, real-time monitoring against global watchlists.
Many of these tools offer free access at a basic level, with premium features available for deeper analysis or commercial use. As regulatory scrutiny increases, practitioners must become adept at navigating a patchwork of international sources, making use of official registers such as the UK Companies House, EU business registers, China’s National Enterprise Credit Information System, and other global compliance databases.
This guide is intended to be a living resource it will be regularly updated and reviewed to account for changes in regulation, new types of financial crime, and emerging investigative methods. Users are encouraged to contribute feedback, suggest additions, and report out-of-date or problematic links to maintain the integrity and usefulness of the directory. Remember, online due diligence is not a one-size-fits-all approach: adapt your research methods to your case, jurisdiction, and the level of risk involved
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Please remember, an up‑to‑date list of reliable websites is only part of effective due diligence. The real differentiator is an investigative mindset: the ability to frame good questions, test assumptions, spot inconsistencies and follow information trails beyond the first page of results. This is what turns open sources into real insight. Without that mindset, even the best tools and databases can lead to superficial checks, missed red flags and over‑reliance on whatever is easiest to find.
Developing that mindset requires structured practice in how to search, what to look for, and how to corroborate and document findings so they stand up to regulatory and client scrutiny.
For regulated firms, this is particularly important in higher‑risk or complex cases where “box‑ticking” CDD is not enough. To help with this, Intelect provides specialist enhanced due diligence and open‑source investigation training that shows teams how to use these websites as part of a risk‑based, defensible EDD process. You can learn more about our CPD Certified EDD and investigation training on our dedicated page here.
If you are not in a company and are starting out on your journey, we offer both eLearning and coaching, feel free to use our contact page for a no obligation discussion.
See also our AML Compliance Glossary here
There are an abundance of these sorts of tools online, but this appears to do a reasonable job.
Probably the best known, but is it the best?
Privacy based AI agent from Proton, claims no logs of what you ask, or the reply. Chats can’t be seen, shared, or used to profile you.
Results can be quite different to that of ChatGPT
Decentralised AI search
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Clustering search engine that display categorical search data in an explorer pane to the left of the search results
The great Google, hard to see how anything will better than it but remember for greater coverage you have to use other search resources!
Remember that results may differ when you use a different Google domain; consider others. A full list can be found here:
Search engines are like golf clubs, they all work very slightly differently. Be prepared to use others, and don’t just use Google.
Like Google, Yahoo indexes the Web and makes information from Web pages available to Web searches.
Good alternative search engine (Russian)
Meta search engine (and apparently private)
Meta search engine, stops IP tracking and direct advertisements based on search history
Search privately, receive better results and get rewarded with the Presearch decentralized search engine, powered by blockchain technology.
Same features as Duck Duck Go however the user interface is more simple
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Please note, researching in China, is difficult but not impossible. Be aware that if you use a VPN you may encounter some difficulties. I recommend using the Chrome Browser, if you don't speak the language it offers a good level of translation.
Most popular search engine in China.
Second most popular search engine in China.
National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System
Official Chinese Government site, covering criminal, civil, adminstration, compensation and enforcement cases (NOTE - requires creation of an account).
This is a commercial site and will require you to pay for documentation, however, there is some useful information here about what may be available.
China Securities Index Network
(Juchao Information Network) the statutory information disclosure platform of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, useful for searching for company information.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
UK Companies House with access to documents for free!
The European Business Register is a network of National Business Registers and Information Providers from currently 25 European countries.
This portal allows you to search for and access company information from the national business registers across the EU.
Global Ownership Data Index is one of the most useful new OSINT resources for cross‑border AML and due diligence work published in 2026. Updated in March 2026, it systematically maps what corporate ownership information is genuinely accessible in 173 countries, breaking down availability of directors, shareholders and beneficial ownership (UBO) data, and flagging whether registries are free, paid, or restricted to law enforcement only.
UK Land registry (small fee for documents)
European Land Registry
Free Company and/or Director research with subscription option (UK)
Worldwide Company research tool, over 167 million companies to search from
Good source for Director information
Directory of Open-Source Registries
The GlobE Network “Directory of Open-Source Registries” helps users overcome challenges in identifying, accessing and collecting information from such registries, especially given language barriers and diverse legal cultures.
Worldwide Company research tool
Good company resource, 40 million companies available for searching
AiHitdata is a unique source of company information. It stores and continually updates huge amounts of company data. Much of this data is unique, it will not be found in any other database available on the Internet.
Insight on companies including reviews
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Searchable database of connections (exercise caution, may contain disturbing imagery)
StAR Initiative — World Bank/UNODC stolen asset recovery database
A partnership between the World Bank Group and UNODC, entirely non-commercial, focused on ending safe havens for corrupt funds. It hosts case studies, legal frameworks, and, critically, documented examples of how stolen assets from specific high-risk jurisdictions were structured, moved, and laundered.
Discover the Regulatory Penalties Paid by Large Corporations Around the World
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Fantastic domain/IP search tool and much more. You will get 20 days free by entering the voucher code INTELECTTRIAL. After that there is a small charge, but you get historical domain searches, excellent for looking at previous owners, hosts and much more!
IP Address tools
IP Address tools
DNS Information
Check what your browser leaks about you
Great tool for IP/Domain research
Check your IP address and more info about you
Quick IP address information
Investigate domains and IP addresses. Get registrant information, DNS records, and more.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
A web capture tool designed for online investigations – highly recommended.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
UK resource on online safety both business and personal
This site is packed full of resources on how to avoid a Data Breach, recommended to me by an up and coming Cyber Security professional (thank you Zoe)
Preventative advice from Norton
National Cyber Security Center
Expert, trusted, and independent guidance for UK industry, government departments, the critical national infrastructure and private SMEs.
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
UK Government initiative
We put together some quick tips and best practices for you to create stronger passwords, protect your devices, avoid phishing attempts, and browse the Internet securely.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyber attacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists.
Anti-ransomware
Esupport Ransomware screen unlocker from Trend Micro
Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime handbook
Take a phishing quiz, see how well you do.
This Anti-Virus suite which is currently free gets a very good write up.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Our favourite translation tool, recommend the download rather than the website.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Worldwide people search tool – WEF June 2019 moved to a subscription model.
Worldwide people search tool with ranking
UK and mostly paid for results but some info available to research in other tools
Username search tool, scans websites where users enter in an alias
Still testing this one but given the removal of Facebook Graph Search this offers a working alternative (for now).
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
UK Financial Conduct Authority
We aim to make financial markets work well so that consumers get a fair deal, including protecting consumers, enhancing marker integrity and promoting competition.
The Law Pages is a legal resources site that provides a number of services and facilities for legal professionals, students as well as the general public.
The Supreme Court’s docket system contains information about cases, both pending and decided, that have been filed at the Court.
Bankruptcy and statutory notices
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Top 10 VPNs available for encrypted browsing
Proxify is an anonymous proxy service which allows anyone to surf the Web privately and securely.
A free proxy list and proxy checker providing you with the best free proxy servers.
VPN protocols, split tunneling and zero knowledge required.
Multi-platform apps designed to be user-friendly with 1 click
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Excellent social media monitoring tool, no longer free version.
Trawls many platforms and reports trends
Allows you to tailor search results to specific date ranges, people and more.
Designed to help you manage your own social media presenc
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Online Security
Online Security
Blocks YouTube, Facebook and ads everywhere else on the web.
Disconnect lets you visualize and block the invisible websites that track you.
Encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.
A lightweight screen recorder and casting extension
FireShot takes full web page screenshots. You can edit and annotate captures.
Deletes typed URLs, Cache, Cookies, your Download and Browsing History instantly
Integrates with Chrome and a must for professional investigators. Screen captures and much, much more! Currently around £80 GBP and well worth it.
A Firefox extension which helps you remove your internet history and enhance your security and privacy within seconds.
Displays a country flag depicting the location of the current website’s server and provides a multitude of tools such as site safety checks, whois, translation, similar sites, validation, URL shortening, and more.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.
Arms
Corruption in the Global Arms Trade - An overview of how bribery, shell companies, and free trade zones facilitate money laundering and corruption in both legal and illicit arms deals.
High-risk arms trade and the financial sector - A report that examines how financial institutions facilitate or intersect with the global arms trade, detailing AML risks linked to weapons sales, key red flags, and the responsibilities of banks and intermediaries.
Human rights due diligence in the defence sector - This report surveys due diligence obligations, transparency practices, and AML-related risks present throughout the defence industry’s value chain, including upstream (supplier) and downstream (end user) considerations.
Crypto assets
FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority) registration and risk assessment requirements - Sets out requirements for UK crypto asset businesses, with focus on policies and controls tailored to sector-specific risk analysis.
ICAEW Sector guidance for crypto assets - Documents risk factors unique to crypto assets within financial portfolios, synthesising AML risks for market participants.
Mining and metals Sector
European Commission Raw Materials - Due Diligence framework Site offers a detailed due diligence template and methodology for firms in the raw materials and mining supply chain, with tools to assess conflict mineral risks based on sector audit protocols and international standards.
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime): Crimes in the supply chains of energy transition minerals - This report explores criminal typologies, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory oversight concerning critical minerals, guiding AML risk analysis for practitioners.
Minerals and environmental compliance
Regulation (EU) 2017 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17th May 2017 - legislation detailing supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
Responsible Minerals guidance - Site provides tools and resources to help companies make sourcing decisions that improve regulatory compliance and support responsible sourcing globally.
UNODC South Africa specific - Strengthening South Africa's defences against minerals crime.
Oil and Gas
Self assessment tool-kit for AML in the energy industry - Academic paper revealing how money launderers in the energy sector employ various tactics, such as shell companies, false invoicing and complex international transactions. It also identifies common patterns that emerge across multiple cases, including using intermediaries, exploiting regulatory loopholes and weak links in the supply chain.
Illicit Financial Flows in Oil and Gas Commodity Trade - OECD document report providing sector-specific analysis of money laundering and illicit flows tied to trading, highlighting red flags, typologies, and structural risk points based on actual oil and gas supply chain data.
IMPORTANT: Links to other websites are made available for convenience of investigators and researchers. They do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service. As with all links, please exercise caution. Care should always be exercised. We will not be held liable or responsible if they later prove to be malicious.