A lack of risk visibility is causing companies to reject customers–and potentially lose money–over fears they might be in danger of violating rules around anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations.

According to research published June 10 by business data firm Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), this opaque risk environment has prompted more than half (53 percent) of U.K. businesses to reject potential customers, with 61 percent admitting that excessive compliance checks force them into “reactive firefighting” instead of proactive risk management.

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...