ACAMS Exam 213 Questions with Verified Answers
Bank Draft - CORRECT ANSWER Vulnerable to money laundering because it represents a reputable international monetary instrument drawn on a reputable institution, and is
...
ACAMS Exam 213 Questions with Verified Answers
Bank Draft - CORRECT ANSWER Vulnerable to money laundering because it represents a reputable international monetary instrument drawn on a reputable institution, and is often made payable-in cash-upon presentation and at the issuing institution's account in another country.
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) - CORRECT ANSWER AN international organization that serves as a bank for central banks and which fosters international monetary and financial cooperation with the purpose of attaining stability in the world economy. It hosts the Secretariat of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The Committee has formulated broad supervisory standards and guidelines on Know Your Customer issues.
Bank Secrecy - CORRECT ANSWER Refers to laws and regulations in countries that prohibit banks from disclosing information about an account - or even revealing its existence - without the consent of the account holder. Impedes the flow of information across national borders among financial institutions and their supervisors. One of FATF's 40 Recommendations states that countries should ensure that secrecy laws do not inhibit the implementation of the FATF Recommendations
Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) - CORRECT ANSWER The primary U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory statue enacted in 1970 and most notably amended by the USA Patriot Act in 2001. Among other measures, it imposes money laundering controls on financial institutions and many other businesses, including the requirement to report and to keep records of various financial transactions.
Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Compliance Program - CORRECT ANSWER A program that U.S.-based financial institutions—as defined by
the Bank Secrecy Act—are required to establish and implement
in order to control money laundering and related financial
crimes. The program's components include at a minimum: the
development of internal policies, procedures and controls; the
designation of a compliance officer; ongoing employee training;
and an independent audit function to test the program
Bare Trust - CORRECT ANSWER Also known as a dry, formal, naked, passive, or simple trust, in
which the trustees have no duties other than to convey the trust
property to beneficiaries when called upon to do so. Bare trusts
are vulnerable to money laundering because the final beneficiary
is unknown.
Basel CDD Paper - CORRECT ANSWER A guidance paper on Customer Due Diligence (CDD) for
banks issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
(BCBS) in October 2001. The paper includes sound Know Your Customer policies and procedures that, according
to the Committee, are critical to protecting the safety and
soundness of banks and the integrity of banking systems. In
February 2003, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
issued "General Guide to Account Opening and Customer
Identification." This document is an attachment to the Basel
CDD Paper. See www.bis.org/bcbs.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) - CORRECT ANSWER The Basel Committee was established by the G-10's central
bank of governors in 1974 to promote sound supervisory
standards worldwide. Its secretariat is appointed by the Bank
for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland. It has
issued, among others, papers on customer due diligence for
banks, consolidated KYC risk management, transparency in
payment messages, due diligence and transparency regarding
cover payment messages related to cross-border wire
transfers, and sharing of financial records among jurisdictions
in connection with the fight against terrorist financing. See
www.bis.org/bcbs.
Batch Processing - CORRECT ANSWER A type of data processing and data communications
transmission in which related transactions are grouped together
and transmitted for processing, usually by the same computer
and under the same application
Batch Transfer - CORRECT ANSWER Transfer comprising a number of individual wire transfers that
are sent to the same financial institution, and which may be
ultimately intended for different persons.
Bearer Form - CORRECT ANSWER In relation to a certificate, share transfer or other document, a
bearer form enables a designated investment or deposit to be
sold, transferred, surrendered or addressed to a bearer without
the need to obtain further written instructions.
Bearer Negotiable Instruments - CORRECT ANSWER Include monetary instruments in bearer form such as: negotiable
instruments (including checks, promissory notes and money
orders) that are either in bearer form, are endorsed without
restriction, are made out to a fictitious payee, or are otherwise in
such form that title thereto passes upon delivery.
Bearer Share - CORRECT ANSWER Negotiable instruments that accord ownership in a corporation
to the person who is in physical possession of the bearer share
certificate.
Bearer Share Certificate - CORRECT ANSWER A negotiable corporate share certificate made out to "Bearer"
and not in the name of an individual or organization.
Benami Account - CORRECT ANSWER Also called a nominee account. Held by one person or entity on
behalf of another or others, Benami accounts are associated
with the hawala underground banking system of the Indian
subcontinent. A person in one jurisdiction seeking to move
funds through a hawaladar to another jurisdiction may use a
Benami account or Benami transaction to disguise his/her true
identity or the identity of the recipient of the funds.
Beneficial Owner - CORRECT ANSWER The natural person who ultimately owns or controls an account
through which a transaction is being conducted. It also
incorporates those persons who exercise ultimate effective
control over a legal person or arrangement.
Beneficiary - CORRECT ANSWER All trusts (other than charitable or statutory-permitted noncharitable
trusts) must have beneficiaries, which may include
the settlor. Trusts must also include a maximum time frame,
known as the "perpetuity period," which normally extends up
to 100 years. While trusts must always have some ultimately
ascertainable beneficiary, they may have no defined existing
beneficiaries. Trusts may only have objects of a power until
some person becomes entitled as beneficiary to income
or capital on the expiry of a defined period, known as the
"accumulation period." The latter period is normally coextensive
with the trust perpetuity period, which is usually
referred to in the trust deed as the "trust period."
Biometrics - CORRECT ANSWER The science of identifying features that distinguish one
person from another. Fingerprinting, voice recognition and
iris (eye) scans are three forms of biometrics technology
that may someday render pen-to-paper signatures outdated.
Certain institutions use biometrics to verify the identity of
their customers. With the advent of customer identification
regulations, biometric tools may become more common in
financial institutions.
Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE) - CORRECT ANSWER The Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE) is
an example of a complex method of trade-based money
laundering. The BMPE originally was driven by Colombia's
restrictive policies on currency exchange. To circumvent those
policies, Colombian businesses bypassed the government
levies by dealing with peso brokers that dealt in the black
market or parallel financial market. Colombian drug traffickers
took advantage of this method to receive Colombian pesos
in Colombia in exchange for U.S. drug dollars located in the
United States. According to the U.S. State Department's 2007
INCSR, similar black market exchange systems are found in
Venezuela and in the tri-border region of Argentina, Brazil,
and Paraguay. Trade goods in Dubai, as well as Chinese and
European manufactured trade items, are being purchased
through narcotics-driven systems similar to the BMPE. The
Black Market Peso Exchange system operates through brokers
who purchase narcotics proceeds in the United States from the
cartels and transfer pesos to the cartels from within Colombia.
The dollars are placed — that is, "laundered" — into the United
States financial system by the peso broker without attracting
attention.
The dollars are then "sold" by the brokers to businessmen in
Colombia (or other country) who need dollars to buy United
States goods for export.
Goods ready for export are often actually paid for by the peso
broker, using the purchased narcotics dollars, on behalf of the
Colombian (or other country's) importer.
Blank Check Company - CORRECT ANSWER A type of company designed to be used by private corporations
intending to issue publicly traded shares through "reverse
mergers" without the high expenses involved in making their
own initial public offering. Blank check companies often have
few assets, engage in little business activity, and have no
business plan or experienced management.
Bookmaker - CORRECT ANSWER A bookmaker accepts bets from individuals on a variety of
matters, mostly sporting events. Bookmakers are vulnerable to
money laundering, since launderers may offer their customers
money for winning betting slips, often 7 to 10 percent above the
value of the winnings. The launderer then collects clean money
from the bookmaker.
Branch - CORRECT ANSWER A place of business that forms a legally dependent part of a
financial institution and carries out directly all or some of the
transactions inherent in the business of that financial institution
Bureau de Change - CORRECT ANSWER Also called "casa de cambio" or "exchange office," a bureau
de change offers a range of services that are attractive to
money launderers: currency exchange and consolidation of
small denomination bank notes into larger ones; exchange of
financial instruments such as travelers checks, money orders
and personal checks; and telegraphic transfer facilities. In some
countries, such businesses are not as heavily scrutinized for
money laundering as are traditional financial institutions. Also,
their customers are often occasional, making it more difficult for
these businesses to "know their customers."
Bust-Out - CORRECT ANSWER A scheme in which the use or extension of credit is obtained
and is increased fraudulently while the perpetrators avoid
having to pay back the illegally obtained credit or goods.
Typically, a bust-out ring will operate a shell or front business
that accepts credit purchases on stolen or fraudulently obtained
credit cards. The criminals run the cards or numbers through
credit card terminals, but either do not provide any goods or
services or provide stolen or non-licensed goods. The innocent
credit card company credits the account of the front business.
Before the transactions can be reversed, the criminals have
moved the funds from the accounts of the front business.
The cardholders who knowingly participate in these bust-out
schemes generally refuse to pay the credit card companies for
their "purchases." These people have either obtained cards
with fraudulent or stolen identification or otherwise cannot be
found. Bust-out schemes have been very popular in creating
large bankruptcy frauds in which business entities secure loans
in excess of the actual value of the company or property and
then disappear with the money, leaving the lender to take a
substantial loss.
Cardholder - CORRECT ANSWER Person to whom a financial transaction card is issued, or an
additional person authorized to use the card
Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) - CORRECT ANSWER A FATF-style regional body comprising Caribbean states,
including Aruba, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the
Cayman Islands and Jamaica. See www.cfatf.org.
Cash-Based Business - CORRECT ANSWER Any business in which customers usually pay with cash for
the products or services provided, such as restaurants, pizza
delivery services, taxi firms, coin-operated machines or car
washes. Some money launderers run or use cash-based
businesses to commingle illegally obtained funds with cash
actually generated by the business.
Cash Collateralized Loans - CORRECT ANSWER A cash collateralized loan has cash deposits as the loan's
collateral. The cash deposits can sometimes reside in another
jurisdiction.
Cash Deposits - CORRECT ANSWER Sums of money placed in a financial institution's accounts.
Vulnerable to money laundering in the "placement phase,"
as criminals move their cash into the non-cash economy by
making deposits into accounts at financial institutions.
Cashier's Check - CORRECT ANSWER Common monetary instrument often purchased with cash.
Used for laundering purposes, cashier's checks provide an
instrument drawn on a reputable institution, such as a bank or
credit union.
CDPC (French: Comité Européen pour les Problèmes
Criminels) - CORRECT ANSWER European Committee on Crime Problems of the Council of
Europe. A subcommittee of the CDPC is MONEYVAL, formerly
PC-R-EV, the select committee of experts on the evaluation of
anti-money laundering measures in European countries that
are not members of FATF.
Certification - CORRECT ANSWER A formal assertion in writing which, under the USA Patriot
Act, is used by U.S. regulators in different contexts, including
a written statement by a respondent bank signed by its duly
authorized representative certifying that the bank does not
do business with shell banks (under Section 313 of the USA
Patriot Act). It can also be a written representation provided
by a U.S. federal agent stating that the matter for which he or
she is seeking information from financial institutions under Sec.
314(a) of the USA Patriot Act regulations is linked to money
laundering or terrorist financing.
Clearing Account - CORRECT ANSWER Also called an "omnibus" or "concentration account." Held by
a financial institution in its name, a clearing account is used
primarily for internal administrative or bank-to-bank transactions
in which funds are transmitted and commingled without
personally identifying the originators. The USA Patriot Act
prohibits the use of such accounts for customer transactions.
Collection Accounts - CORRECT ANSWER Immigrants from foreign countries deposit many small amounts
of currency into one account where they reside, and the
collected sum is transferred to an account in their home country
without documentation of the sources of the funds. Certain 291
Glossary of Anti-Money Laundering Terms
ethnic groups from Asia or Africa may use collection accounts
to launder money
Collective Knowledge - CORRECT ANSWER The sum of the knowledge held separately by a financial
institution's directors, officers and employees regarding a
certain issue, customer or account. The notion of collective
knowledge can be used to suggest corporate responsibility for
compliance and liability for non-compliance. For example, the
financial institution's knowledge is the totality of what all of the
employees know within the scope of their employment. So, if
Employee A knows one facet of a customer's information, B
knows another facet of it, and C a third facet of it, the institution
knows all the facets of the customer's information.
Commission Rogatoire - CORRECT ANSWER Also known as letters rogatory, commission rogatoires are
written requests for legal or judicial assistance sent by the
central authority of one country to the central authority of another
when seeking evidence from the foreign jurisdiction. The letter
typically specifies the nature of the request, the relevant criminal
charges in the requesting country, the legal provision under
which the request is made, and the information sought.
Concentration Risk - CORRECT ANSWER Concentration risk primarily applies to the asset side of the
balance sheet. As a common practice, supervisors not only
require banks to have information systems to identify credit
concentrations, but also set limits to restrict bank exposure
to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Without
knowing exactly who the customers are (through Know Your
Customer policies) and their relationship with other customers,
the bank is not able to measure its concentration risk, which
is particularly relevant in the context of related counter-parties
and connected lending. On the liability side, concentration risk
is associated with funding risk, especially the risk of early and
sudden withdrawal of funds by large depositors that could harm
an institution's liquidity.
Confidentiality - CORRECT ANSWER Keeping certain facts, data and information out of public
or unauthorized view. In the U.S., U.K. and many other
jurisdictions, confidentiality is required when filing suspicious
transaction or activity reports — the filing institution's
employees cannot notify a customer that a report has been
filed. In another context, a breach of confidentiality can occur
when an institution discloses client information to enforcement
agencies or a financial intelligence unit in violation of the
jurisdiction's bank secrecy laws.
Confiscation - CORRECT ANSWER Includes forfeiture where applicable, and means the permanent
deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent
authority or a court. Confiscation or forfeiture takes place
through a judicial or administrative procedure that transfers the
ownership of specified funds or other assets to the state. Upon
transfer, the person(s) or entity(ies) that held an interest in the
specified funds or other assets at the time of the confiscation or
forfeiture lose all rights, in principle, to the confiscated or forfeited
assets. Confiscation or forfeiture orders are usually linked to a
criminal conviction or a court decision whereby the confiscated
or forfeited property is determined to have been derived from or
intended for use in a violation of the law. Confiscation is a central
strategic tool that is required in order to take effective action
against money laundering and terrorist financing. It is crucial
that criminal justice systems make provisions for efficient and
effective methods of tracing, freezing and eventually confiscating
proceeds of criminal activity. Mutual legal assistance treaties can
provide for confiscation of assets in one jurisdiction based upon
prosecutions elsewhere
Constructive (Involuntary) Trust Liability - CORRECT ANSWER The imposition of trustee obligations upon a financial institution
deemed to "know" that property in its possession belongs to
Core Principles - CORRECT ANSWER Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision issued by the
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Objectives and
Principles for Securities Regulation issued by the International
Organization of Securities Commissions, and the Insurance
Supervisory Principles issued by the International Association
of Insurance Supervisors.
Corporate Vehicles - CORRECT ANSWER Defined in FATF's Consultation Paper as:
1. Corporations:
(a) Private limited companies and public limited
companies whose shares are not traded on a stock
exchange.
(b)International business companies/exempt
companies.
2. Trusts.
3. Foundations.
4. Limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships.
Occasionally it is difficult to identify the persons who are the
ultimate beneficial owners and controllers of corporate vehicles,
which makes the vehicles vulnerable to money laundering.
FATF has several recommendations that deal with customer
due diligence on corporate vehicles and the transparency and
beneficial ownership of legal persons and arrangements.
Correspondent Banking - CORRECT ANSWER The provision of banking services by one bank (the
"correspondent bank") to another bank (the "respondent bank").
Large international banks typically act as correspondents for
thousands of other banks around the world. Respondent banks
may be provided with a wide range of services, including cash
management (e.g., interest-bearing accounts in a variety of
currencies), international wire transfers of funds, check clearing
services, payable-through accounts and foreign exchange
services.
Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure
and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime - CORRECT ANSWER The Convention was adopted by the Committee of Ministers
of the Council of Europe in September 1990, which addressed
all types of criminal offenses and thereby has greater impact
than the Vienna Convention. The offense of money laundering
was extended to include money laundering associated with
all serious offenses, not just drug trafficking. In May 2005, a
revised convention was adopted.
Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - CORRECT ANSWER A United Nations Committee established in 2001 pursuant to
Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001). Concerning counterterrorism,
the CTC consists of all 15 Security Council members.
The committee monitors the implementation of UN Security
Council Resolution 1373, and aims to increase the capacity of
member states to fight terrorism financing.
Credit Cards - CORRECT ANSWER A plastic card with a credit limit used to purchase goods and
services and to obtain cash advances on credit. The cardholder
is subsequently billed by the issuer for repayment of the credit
extended. Credit cards may be used to launder money when
payments of the amounts owed on the card are made with
criminal money. Credit Finance
The use of credit to buy expensive items, and the subsequent
payment of the borrowed credit with criminal funds. The criminal
borrows funds to purchase a high value asset, such as a yacht,
Criminal Proceeds - CORRECT ANSWER Any property derived from or obtained, directly or indirectly,
through the commission of a crime.
Cross Border - CORRECT ANSWER Used in the context of activities that involve at least two
countries, such as wiring money from one country to another or
taking currency across a border.
Cross-Border Transfer - CORRECT ANSWER Any wire transfer in which the originator and beneficiary
institutions are located in different jurisdictions. A cross-border
transfer also refers to any chain of wire transfers that has at
least one cross-border element.
Cuckoo Smurfing - CORRECT ANSWER A form of money laundering linked to alternative remittance
systems in which criminal funds are transferred through the
accounts of unwitting persons who are expecting genuine funds
or payments from overseas. The term cuckoo smurfing first
originated in investigations in the U.K., where it is a significant
money laundering technique
Currency - CORRECT ANSWER Banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of
exchange.
Currency Smuggling - CORRECT ANSWER The illicit movement of large quantities of cash across borders,
often into countries with strict banking secrecy, poor exchange
controls or poor anti-money laundering legislation.
Currency Transaction Report (CTR) - CORRECT ANSWER A report that documents a currency transaction that exceeds
a certain monetary threshold. A CTR can also be filed on
multiple currency transactions that occur in one day that
add up to or are greater than the required reporting amount.
In some countries, including the U.S., currency transaction
reports must be filed with government authorities under specific
circumstances.
Custodian - CORRECT ANSWER A bank, financial institution or other entity that is responsible
for managing or administering or safekeeping assets for other
persons or institutions. Typically, custodians are not active,
aggressive managers of the assets in question, but, instead,
serve to passively conserve them.
Custody - CORRECT ANSWER The act or authority of safeguarding and administration of
clients' investments or assets
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) - CORRECT ANSWER In terms of money laundering controls, it means implementing
adequate policies, practices and procedures that promote
high ethical and professional standards for dealing with
customers and are designed to prevent banks from being used,
intentionally or unintentionally, by criminal elements. Customer
due diligence includes not only establishing the identity of
customers, but also monitoring account activity to identify those
transactions that do not conform with the normal or expected
transactions for that customer or type of account.
Customer Identification Program (CIP) - CORRECT ANSWER The policies and procedures of an institution that aim to identify
and verify the identity of its customers. In general, the program
must be in writing, have senior board approval and include
procedures for customer notification.
Customer Information Order - CORRECT ANSWER Requires all financial institutions—or a targeted sample of
banks and other financial institutions—to provide the details
of any accounts held by the person under investigation,
thus enabling an investigator to find out where the suspect's
accounts are held.
Debit Card - CORRECT ANSWER A card issued by a financial institution that permits an accountholder
to draw funds from a pre-existing account in his or
her name for the purpose of paying obligations or for making
purchases in other locations or businesses. Debit cards have
been found to be convenient tools to launder criminal proceeds,
especially if they are issued by financial institutions in secrecy
havens because they leave few, if any, traces of the debited
sources of funds.
Debit Transaction - CORRECT ANSWER A transaction that involves the use of a bankcard to purchase
goods and services or to obtain cash. The transaction
automatically debits the cardholder's deposit account.
Designated Categories of Offense - CORRECT ANSWER In its 40 Recommendations of 2003, FATF issued for the first
time a list of "designated categories of offense" that enumerates
crimes that may lead to money laundering prosecutions. Each
country may decide how it will define those offenses and their
elements. Many nations do not specify which crimes can serve
as predicates for laundering prosecutions and merely state
that all serious felonies may be predicates. Others, such as the
U.S., specify long lists of crimes that must be present in order for a money laundering prosecution to proceed. Under the
FATF definition, the designated categories are:
Participation in an organized criminal group and
racketeering;
Terrorism, including terrorist financing;
Trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling;
Sexual exploitation, including sexual exploitation of children;
Illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances;
Illicit arms trafficking;
Illicit trafficking in stolen and other goods;
Corruption and bribery;
Fraud;
Counterfeiting currency;
Counterfeiting and piracy of products;
Environmental crime;
Murder, grievous bodily injury;
Kidnapping, illegal restraint, and hostage-taking;
Robbery or theft;
Smuggling;
Extortion;
Forgery;
Piracy; and
Insider trading and market manipulation.
Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions - CORRECT ANSWER With its 2003 revisions, FATF indicated the following
businesses should comply with the 40 Recommendations.
Casinos (including Internet casinos).
Real estate agents.
Dealers in precious metals.
Dealers in precious stones.
Lawyers, notaries, other independent legal professionals
and accountants. Refers to sole practitioners, partners
and employed professionals within professional firms. It
is not meant to refer to "internal" professionals who are
employees of other types of businesses, or to professionals
working for government agencies who may already be
subject to measures that would combat money laundering.
Trust and company service providers. Refers to all persons
or businesses that are not covered elsewhere under the
Recommendations, and which provide any of the following
services to third parties:
Acting as a formation agent of legal persons.
Acting as (or arranging for another person to act as)
a director or secretary of a company, a partner of a
partnership, or a similar position in relation to other legal
persons.
Providing a registered office, business address or
accommodation, correspondence or administrative address
for a company, a partnership or any other legal person or
arrangement.
Acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a
trustee of an express trust.
Acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a
nominee shareholder for another person.
Disclosure Order - CORRECT ANSWER A document that requires a person who has information
relevant to an investigation to answer questions at an interview,
to provide information, or to produce documentation. The order
can be exercised not only against a person whose assets are
under investigation, but also against a third party, such as a
financial institution
Domestic Transfer - CORRECT ANSWER Wire transfer in which the originator and beneficiary institutions
are located in the same jurisdiction. A domestic transfer
therefore refers to any chain of wire transfers that takes place
entirely within the borders of a single jurisdiction, even though
the system used to send the wire transfer may be located in
another jurisdiction.
Downstream Correspondent Clearer - CORRECT ANSWER A correspondent banking client who receives correspondent
banking services from one institution and provides correspondent
banking services to other financial institutions in the same
currency as the account it maintains with the institution.
Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group
(ESAAMLG) - CORRECT ANSWER A FATF-style regional body comprising fourteen countries from
the Eastern region of Africa down to the Southern tip of Africa.
It was established in 1999. See www.esaamlg.org.
Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units - CORRECT ANSWER In 1995, a number of national financial intelligence units (FIUs)
began working together in an informal organization known as
the Egmont Group, named for the site of its first meeting in the
Egmont-Arenberg Palace in Brussels. The goal of the group is
to provide a forum for FIUs to improve support to their national
anti-money laundering programs and to develop protocols for
information sharing. The FIUs' support includes expanding
and systematizing the exchange of financial intelligence,
improving expertise and capabilities of the personnel of such
organizations, and fostering improved communications among
FIUs through application of new technologies and sharing of
information for financial crimes investigations.
Electronic Banking - CORRECT ANSWER A form of banking in which funds are transferred through an
exchange of electronic signals among financial institutions
rather than through an exchange of cash, checks or other
negotiable instruments.
Electronic Cash (E-Cash) - CORRECT ANSWER A payment mechanism designed for the Internet, electronic
cash represents a series of monetary value units electronically
stored on the hard drive of a computer or microchip of a
plastic card. It is anonymous like cash, and has immediate
value. E-cash is attractive to money launderers because of its
anonymity and the ease it provides in "transporting" large sums
quickly and easily via the Internet. It is also called "e-money."
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) - CORRECT ANSWER The movement of funds between financial institutions
electronically. The two most common electronic funds transfer
systems in the U.S. are FedWire and CHIPS. (SWIFT is
often referred to as the third EFT system, but in reality it is an
international messaging system that carries instructions for
wire transfers between institutions, rather than the wire transfer
system itself.) Other systems that facilitate funds movement,
but are not technically EFT systems, include automated
clearing houses (ACH), which are networks that conduct batch
processing of messages for book transfers between institutions.
Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) - CORRECT ANSWER Additional examination and cautionary measures aimed at
identifying customers and confirming that their activities and
funds are legitimate
Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and
Terrorist Financing (EAG) - CORRECT ANSWER A FATF-style regional body formed in October 2004 in Moscow.
Member countries include Belarus, China, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
See http://www.eurasiangroup.org/.
European Union (EU) - CORRECT ANSWER The European Union is a family of democratic European
countries. Its member states have set up common institutions
to which they delegate part of their sovereignty so that
decisions on specific matters of collective interest can be made
democratically at the European level. See http://europa.eu/
index_en.htm
European Union Directive on Prevention of the Use of the
Financial System for the Purpose of Money Laundering and
Terrorist Financing - CORRECT ANSWER First adopted by the European Union in June 1991, the
directive requires EU member states to achieve certain results
by amending national laws, if necessary, to prevent their
domestic financial systems from being exploited for money
laundering. The directive was confined to drug trafficking as
defined in the Vienna Convention. The scope of the directive
was also confined to credit and financial institutions as the
most vulnerable to abuse by money launderers, but member
states were encouraged to cover other sectors too that might
become involved in laundering. The directive was revised in
December 2001 by extending the money laundering offenses beyond credit and financial institutions to corporate service
providers, casinos, lawyers and accountants. A third directive
in September 2005 replaced the previous two. In line with
the FATF money laundering recommendations, the Third EU
Directive extended the scope of the earlier directives by:
Defining "money laundering" and "terrorist financing" as
separate crimes.
Extending customer identification and suspicious
transaction reporting obligations to trusts and company
service providers, life insurance intermediaries and dealers
selling goods for cash payments above a certain amount.
Detailing a risk-based approach to customer due diligence.
Protecting employees who report suspicions of money
laundering or terrorist financing.
Obligating member states to keep comprehensive statistics
regarding the use of and results obtained from suspicious
transaction reports.
Requiring all financial institutions to identify and verify the
"beneficial owner" of all accounts held by legal entities or
persons.
Europol - CORRECT ANSWER European Law Enforcement Organization, which aims to
improve the effectiveness and cooperation of competent
authorities in member states in preventing and combating
terrorism, unlawful drug trafficking and other serious forms
of international organized crime. In the area of anti-money
laundering, Europol provides European Union member states'
law enforcement authorities with operational and analytical
support via the ELOs (Europol Liaison Officers) and its
analysts.
Exempt Account - CORRECT ANSWER In some countries, a distinction is granted to certain customers
of a financial institution permitting the institution to waive its
responsibility to report certain transactions that are otherwise
required. Exempt accounts must be documented and the
financial institutions that secure the exemptions must still
monitor their transactions.
Express Trust - CORRECT ANSWER A trust created by the settlor, usually in the form of a document
such as a written deed of trust. An express trust contrasts with
trusts that come into being through the operation of the law
and do not result from the clear intent or decision of a settlor to
create a trust or similar legal arrangements (e.g., constructive
trust).
Extradition - CORRECT ANSWER The surrender by one country to another of an accused or
convicted person under a bilateral agreement that specifies
the terms of such exchanges, such as the persons subject to
being exchanged and the crimes for which exchanges will be
permitted. The 1988 Vienna Convention against Illicit Traffic
in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances makes money
laundering an internationally extraditable offense.
Extraterritorial Reach - CORRECT ANSWER The extension of one country's policies and laws to the citizens
and institutions of another. U.S. money laundering laws contain
several provisions that extend its prohibitions and sanctions into
other countries. For example, the "extraterritorial jurisdiction" of
the principal U.S. anti-money laundering law can apply to a nonU.S.
citizen if the "conduct" occurs "in part" in the U.S. (Title 18,
USC Sec. 1956(f)).
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - CORRECT ANSWER FATF was chartered in 1989 by the Group of Seven industrial
nations to foster the establishment of national and global
measures to combat money laundering. It is an international
policy-making body that sets anti-money laundering standards
and counter-terrorist financing measures worldwide. Its
Recommendations do not have the force of law. Thirty-four
countries and two international organizations are members. In
2012, FATF substantially revised its 40 + 9 Recommendations
and reduced them to 40. FATF develops annual typology
reports showcasing current money laundering and terrorist
financing trends and methods. See www.fatf-gafi.org.
Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering in
South America (GAFISUD - Grupo de Acción Financiera de
Sudamérica) - CORRECT ANSWER A FATF-style regional body for South America, established
in 2000. Members include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay,
Peru, and Uruguay. See http://www.gafisud.info/home.htm.
Financial Action Task Force-Style Regional Body (FSRB) - CORRECT ANSWER FSRBs have forms and functions similar to those of FATF.
However, their efforts are targeted to specific regions.
Examples include the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force,
the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering
Group, and the Middle East North Africa Financial Action Task
Force.
FSRBs have forms and functions similar to those of FATF.
However, their efforts are targeted to specific regions.
Examples include the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force,
the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering
Group, and the Middle East North Africa Financial Action Task
Force. - CORRECT ANSWER According to the FATF's 40 Recommendations, a financial institution
is any person or entity that conducts as a business one or more of
the following activities or operations on behalf of customers:Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the
public.
Lending.
Financial leasing.
The transfer of money or value.
Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g., credit and
debit cards, checks, traveler's checks, money orders and
bankers' drafts, electronic money).
Financial guarantees and commitments.
Trading in:
q money market instruments (checks, bills, CDs,
derivatives etc.);
q foreign exchange;
q exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
q transferable securities and
q commodity futures trading.
Participation in securities issues and the provision of
financial services related to such issues.
Individual and collective portfolio management.
Safekeeping and administration of cash or liquid securities
on behalf of other persons..
Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or
money on behalf of other persons.
Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other
investment-related insurance.
Money and currency changing.
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) - CORRECT ANSWER A central governmental office that obtains information from
financial reports, processes it and then discloses it to an
appropriate government authority in support of a national antimoney
laundering effort. The activities performed by an FIU
include receiving, analyzing and disseminating information and,
sometimes, investigating violations and prosecuting individuals
indicated in the disclosures.
Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) - CORRECT ANSWER Established in 1999 by the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank, the FSAP assesses jurisdictions for their financial
systems' strengths and vulnerabilities with an aim to reducing
the potential for crises.
Forensic Accountant - CORRECT ANSWER Specializes in analyzing financial evidence and testifying as an
expert witness in cases of white-collar crime, including money
laundering.
Forfeiture - CORRECT ANSWER The permanent loss of private property or assets as a result of
legal action by a government authority. Generally, the owner of
the property has failed to comply with the law or the property is
linked to some sort of criminal activity.
Freeze - CORRECT ANSWER To prevent or restrict the exchange, withdrawal, liquidation,
or use of assets or bank accounts by governmental action.
As defined by FATF's "General Glossary" as they relate to
the revised Recommendations of 2012: In the context of
confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations
4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer,
conversion, disposition or movement of any property,
equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for
the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent
authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a
forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent
authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the
implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term
freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition
or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned
or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis
of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated
by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance
with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent
authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities,
funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or
legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of
the freezing and may continue to be administered by third
parties, or through other arrangements established by such
natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action
under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other
national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze,
countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment,
instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect
against flight.
Front Company - CORRECT ANSWER A business that commingles illicit funds with revenue generated
from the sale of legitimate products or services. Criminals use
front companies to launder illicit money by giving the funds the
appearance of legitimate origin. Organized crime has used
pizza parlors to mask proceeds from heroin trafficking. Front
companies may have access to substantial illicit funds, allowing
them to subsidize front company products and services at levels
well below market rates or even below manufacturing costs.
Front companies have a competitive advantage over legitimate
firms that must borrow from financial markets, making it difficult
for legitimate businesses to compete with front companies
Futures - CORRECT ANSWER Contracts that require delivery of a commodity of specified quality
and quantity at a specified price on a specified future date.
Gatekeepers - CORRECT ANSWER Professionals such as lawyers, notaries, accountants,
investment advisors, and trust and company service providers
who assist in transactions involving the movement of money,
and are deemed to have a particular role in identifying,
preventing and reporting money laundering. Their role is
important because they can block or facilitate the entry of
illicit money into the financial system. Some countries, such
as the U.K. and the Cayman Islands, impose due diligence
requirements on gatekeepers that are similar to those of
financial institutions. Two critical milestones in international
gatekeeper regulation have been the European Union's
revised anti-money laundering directive of 2001 and the FATF
40 Recommendations of 2012, both containing anti-money
laundering provisions for these professionals.
Global Program against Money Laundering (GPML) - CORRECT ANSWER Key instrument of the United Nations Office of Drug Control and
Crime Prevention in its fight against organized crime. Through
GPML, the UN helps member states introduce legislation against
money laundering and helps the countries develop and maintain
mechanisms that combat the crime. The program encourages
anti-money laundering policy development, monitors and
analyzes problems and responses, raises public awareness, and
acts as a coordinator of joint anti-money laundering initiatives
between the UN and other international organizations.
Grantor - CORRECT ANSWER Creator and fund provider of a trust, usually for the benefit of
another.
Group of Eight Industrialized Nations (G-8) - CORRECT ANSWER Entity composed of the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Italy,
the U.K., Canada and Russia.
Group of Eleven Industrialized Nations (G-10) - CORRECT ANSWER Group of Eleven Industrialized Nations (G-10)
Group of Seven Industrialized Nations (G-7) - CORRECT ANSWER Body made up of seven countries: U.S., Japan, Germany,
France, Italy, the U.K. and Canada.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - CORRECT ANSWER Formed in 1981, the GCC promotes cooperation between its
member states in the fields of economy and industry. These
member states include Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The GCC is a member of
FATF, although its individual members are not.
Harmful or Preferential Tax Regimes - CORRECT ANSWER The United Nations and the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development have taken the controversial
position that a country that has no or low tax rates to encourage foreign business development is engaged in "harmful tax practices." Their
position is that offshore tax regimes are not maintained with the intent to attract
real business and direct foreign investment, but to foster predatory tax policies
that divert business from another country and encourage tax evasion.
Hawala - CORRECT ANSWER A funds exchange system in Indian and Chinese civilizations used to facilitate
the secure and convenient cross-border movement of funds. Hawala was
born centuries before Western financial systems. Merchant traders wishing
to send funds to their homelands would deposit them with a hawala broker
or hawaladar who normally owned a trading business. For a small fee,
the banker would arrange for the funds to be available for withdrawal from
another banker, normally also a trader, in another country. The two bankers
would settle accounts through the normal process of trade. Today, the
technique works much the same, with businesspersons in various parts of the
world using their corporate accounts to move money internationally for third
parties. Deposits and withdrawals are made through hawaladars, rather than
traditional financial institutions. The practice is vulnerable to terrorist financing
and money laundering—funds do not actually cross borders, and transactions
tend to be confidential, as records are not stringently kept. In Pakistan, the
system is called hundi. See Alternative Remittance System.
Hedge Fund - CORRECT ANSWER A hedge fund is a privately offered investment vehicle—typically high-risk—
in which participants' contributions are pooled and invested in a portfolio of
securities, commodity futures contracts or other assets. Investors are usually
of high net-worth, and can generally redeem investments on a quarterly,
semi-annual, or annual basis.
Identity Theft - CORRECT ANSWER The assumption of another person's identity without
authorization for use in fraudulent transactions that results in a
loss to the financial institution or the victim whose identity was
used
Integration - CORRECT ANSWER The integration phase, often referred to as the third and last stage
of the classic money laundering process, places laundered funds
back into the economy by re-entering the funds into the financial
system and giving them the appearance of legitimacy.
Intermediary Financial Institution - CORRECT ANSWER Receives funds from a wire transfer transmitter's financial
institution and relays or transmits the order of payment to
the recipient's financial institution. In an international funds
transmission, intermediary financial institutions are usually
located in different countries.
Internal Controls - CORRECT ANSWER Policies and procedures in place within an institution that are
designed to detect suspicious activity and criminal activity of a
financial nature, including money laundering. Internal controls
are one of the essential components of an effective anti-money
laundering compliance program.
International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) - CORRECT ANSWER The IAIS issues global insurance principles, standards and
guidance papers on issues, including money laundering.
Established in 1994, IAIS represents insurance supervisory
authorities in about 180 jurisdictions. See www.iaisweb.org.
International Business Company (IBC) - CORRECT ANSWER A variety of offshore corporate structures, alternately called
"exempt companies," which are dedicated to business use
outside the incorporating jurisdiction, rapid formation, secrecy,
broad powers, low cost, low to zero taxation, and minimal filing
and reporting requirements.
International Finance Corporation (IFC) - CORRECT ANSWER Established in 1956, IFC is the largest multilateral source of
loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the
developing world. It is a member of the World Bank Group and is
headquartered in Washington, D.C. The IFC promotes sustainable
private sector investment in developing countries as a way to
reduce poverty. Its contribution to anti-money laundering efforts
includes helping countries address structural and institutional
weaknesses that may contribute to the lack of market integrity and
potential for financial abuse. See www.ifc.org
International Financial Institutions (IFIs) - CORRECT ANSWER IFIs are financial institutions that have been established or
chartered by more than one country. The best known IFIs are
the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. IFIs have
an important role in protecting the integrity of the international
financial system from abuse. Strengthening a country's
capacity to combat money laundering is an integral part of their
agenda.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) - CORRECT ANSWER An organization of more than 180 member countries, the
IMF was established to promote monetary cooperation, to
foster economic growth and high levels of employment, and
to provide countries with temporary financial assistance. The
organization's objectives have remained unchanged since it
was established. Its operations, which involve surveillance,
financial assistance and technical support, have adjusted to meet the changing needs of member countries. Since 1999,
the IMF has taken a more active role in the global anti-money
laundering effort, primarily through helping assess the progress
of member countries in meeting laundering control standards,
such as those issued by FATF.
International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist
Financing Act - CORRECT ANSWER The Act represents Title III of the USA Patriot Act of 2001,
which contains most, but not all, of the provisions of that
landmark law that deal directly with anti-money laundering
matters.
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) - CORRECT ANSWER Issued annually by the U.S. Department of State, the report
includes a lengthy section on the status of money laundering
efforts in most nations.
International Police Organization (Interpol) - CORRECT ANSWER Based in Lyon, France, Interpol provides services to national
law enforcement agencies in international criminal and money
laundering matters, through such means as issuance of alerts
or "flags" that seek the assistance of member countries in
locating fugitives or identifying financial activity connected
to international crimes. Each member nation of Interpol
designates a National Central Bureau (NCB) through which
requests for assistance are processed.
Internet Banking - CORRECT ANSWER A banking business model that uses the Internet to execute
its business plan, and whose marketing efforts, execution
of transactions and customer service functions are heavily
reliant on advanced electronic technology. The main money
laundering concern that arises in Internet banking is the
difficulty of identifying the "faceless" customer that establishes
a relationship with a financial institution, and in applying
Customer Due Diligence procedures.
Investment Banking - CORRECT ANSWER Self-standing department or unit within a financial institution
that provides strategic capitalizations, amassing huge amounts
from diverse sources for corporate deal making, and other
alternatives to traditional banking instruments.
Kingston Declaration on Money Laundering - CORRECT ANSWER In 1992, the U.S., U.K., France, Canada, and the Netherlands
spearheaded a gathering of 17 Caribbean nations in Jamaica.
At its conclusion, the nations issued the Kingston Declaration
on Money Laundering, which expressed solidarity with the
1988 United Nations Convention on Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic
Drugs. The declaration also agreed to implement the FATF 40
Recommendations and the 19 Recommendations issued at
the 1990 Aruba meeting that created the Caribbean Financial
Action Task Force. See www.cfatf.org.
Knowledge - CORRECT ANSWER Mental state accompanying a prohibited act. The Interpretive
Notes to Recommendation 3 of the FATF 40 Recommendations
of 2012 says that countries should ensure that the intent and
knowledge required to prove the offense of money laundering
is consistent with the standards set forth in the Vienna and
Palermo Conventions, including the concept that such a mental
state may be inferred from objective factual circumstances. The
exact definition of knowledge that accompanies an anti-money
laundering act varies by country. Knowledge can be deemed, under certain circumstances, to include willful blindness, i.e.,
"the deliberate avoidance of knowledge of the facts," as some
courts have defined the term: for example, when a bank officer
proceeds with a transaction while deliberately ignoring the
potential illegal origin of the funds involved.
Know Your Correspondent Bank (KYCB) - CORRECT ANSWER A set of anti-money laundering control policies and procedures
employed in determining the beneficial owners of a respondent
bank and the type of activity that is "normal and expected"
for the bank. Know Your Correspondent Bank is a key tool in
detecting suspicious activity and money laundering because
correspondent accounts are often used as conduits to launder
criminal proceeds internationally. The USA Patriot Act included
statutory provisions that bear directly on the procedures U.S.
financial institutions must follow in connection with foreign
correspondent banks.
Know Your Customer (KYC) - CORRECT ANSWER Anti-money laundering policies and procedures used to
determine the true identity of a customer and the type of activity
that is "normal and expected," and to detect activity that is
"unusual" for a particular customer. Many experts believe that a
sound KYC program is one of the best tools in an effective antimoney
laundering program.
Know Your Employee (KYE) - CORRECT ANSWER Anti-money laundering policies and procedures for acquiring
a better knowledge and understanding of the employees of
an institution for the purpose of detecting conflicts of interests,
money laundering, past criminal activity and suspicious activity.
KYE is a key tool in detecting suspicious activity because
employees can be accomplices of money launderers.
Layering - CORRECT ANSWER The second phase of the classic three-step money laundering
process between placement and integration, layering involves
distancing illegal proceeds from their source by creating
complex levels of financial transactions designed to disguise
the audit trail and to provide anonymity.
Legal Risk - CORRECT ANSWER Defined by the 2001 Basel Customer Due Diligence for Banks
Paper as the possibility that lawsuits, adverse judgments or
contracts that cannot be enforced may disrupt or harm a financial
institution. In addition, banks can suffer administrative or criminal
penalties imposed by the government. A court case involving
a bank may have graver implications for the institution than
just the legal costs. Banks will be unable to protect themselves
effectively from such legal risks if they do not practice due
diligence in identifying customers and understanding and
managing their exposure to money laundering.
Letter of Credit - CORRECT ANSWER A credit instrument issued by a bank that guarantees payments
on behalf of its customer to a third party when certain
conditions are met. Letters of Credit (L/Cs) are commonly used
to finance exports. Exporters want assurance that the ultimate
buyer of its goods will make payment, and this is given by the
buyer's purchase of a bank letter of credit. The L/C is then
forwarded to a correspondent bank in the city in which the
payment is to be made. The L/C is drawn on when the goods
are loaded for shipping, received at the importation point,
clear customs and are delivered. L/Cs can be used to facilitate
money laundering by transferring money from a country with lax
exchange controls, thus assisting in creating the illusion that an
import transaction is involved. L/Cs can also serve as a façade
when laundering money through the manipulation of import and export prices. Another laundering use for L/Cs is in conjunction
with wire transfers to bolster the legitimate appearance of nonexistent
trade transactions.
Loan Back Method of Money Laundering - CORRECT ANSWER With a loan-back, the criminal puts the illicit funds in an offshore
entity that he owns and then "loans" them back to himself or
a company he owns. This technique works because it is hard
to determine who actually controls offshore accounts in some
countries. This process allows the launderer to "clean" illicit
money and to generate tax benefits by deducting purported
interest payments.
Lockbox - CORRECT ANSWER Service offered by banks to companies in which the company
receives payments by mail to a post office box and the bank
picks up the payments several times a day, deposits them
into the company's account, and notifies the company of the
deposits. The service enables the company to put the money to
work as soon as it is received, but the amounts must be large in
order for the value obtained to exceed the cost of the service.
In the insurance industry there is also widespread use of "lock
boxes" for payment of life insurance and annuities products.
Mail-Forwarding or Mail-Drop Service - CORRECT ANSWER A legal commercial enterprise that uses a stable, physical
address as a delivery destination for letters or parcels on
behalf of fee-paying clients who do not live on the premises. Mail can be held or forwarded at the client's request. Some
mail-drops provide similar services for faxes as well. Money
launderers often use mail drop addresses as their address,
sometimes referring to their box number as either a "suite" or
an "apartment" number. Often, "shell" or unlicensed banks are
found to have mail drop addresses.
Manipulation of Import and/or Export Prices - CORRECT ANSWER A money laundering method that uses the overpricing or
underpricing of products or services traded in international
commerce to move money from one country to another.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - CORRECT ANSWER Agreement between two parties establishing a set of principles
that govern their relationship on a particular matter. An MOU
is often used by countries to govern their sharing of assets
in international asset-forfeiture cases or to set out their
respective duties in anti-money laundering initiatives. Financial
Intelligence Units (FIUs), with the task of receiving and
analyzing suspicious transaction reports on an ongoing basis
and maintaining close links with police and customs authorities,
share information among themselves informally in the context
of investigations, usually on the basis of an MOU. The Egmont
Group of FIUs has established a model for such MOUs. Unlike
the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (see below), this gateway
is ordinarily used not for obtaining evidence, but for obtaining
intelligence that might lead to evidence.
Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force
(MENAFATF) - CORRECT ANSWER A FATF-style body established for the Middle Eastern and North
African regions in 2004. See www.menafatf.org.
Mock Trial on Money Laundering - CORRECT ANSWER Program launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) and the Organization of American States
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) in
various Latin American countries. The program's objective is
to equip investigators, prosecutors and judges with the know-how to crack money laundering cases. It uses cases that are
built around authentic events. Since the program was launched
in Ecuador in September 2002, a number of mock trials have
been conducted.
Monetary Instruments - CORRECT ANSWER Travelers checks, negotiable instruments, including personal
checks and business checks, official bank checks, cashier's
checks, promissory notes, money orders, securities or stocks
in bearer form. Monetary instruments are normally included,
along with currency, in the anti-money laundering regulations of
most countries, and financial institutions must file reports and
maintain records of customer activities involving them.
Money Laundering - CORRECT ANSWER The process of concealing or disguising the existence,
source, movement, destination or illegal application of illicitlyderived
property or funds to make them appear legitimate. It
usually involves a three part system: Placement of funds into
a financial system, layering of transactions to disguise the
source, ownership and location of the funds, and integration
of the funds into society in the form of holdings that appear
legitimate. The definition of money laundering varies in each
country where it is recognized as a crime.
Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) - CORRECT ANSWER A term used in various international rules to refer to the person
responsible for overseeing a firm's anti-money laundering
activities and program and for filing reports of suspicious
transactions with the national FIU. The MLRO is the key person
in the implementation of anti-money laundering strategies and
policies.
Money Order - CORRECT ANSWER A monetary instrument usually purchased with cash in small
(generally under Euro/$500) denominations. It is commonly
used by people without checking accounts to pay bills or to pay
for purchases in which the vendor will not accept a personal
check. Money orders may be used for laundering because they represent an instrument drawn on the issuing institution rather
than on an individual's account.
Money Services Business (MSB) - CORRECT ANSWER Term used in the U.S. and elsewhere for money remittance
companies; check cashers; issuers, sellers and redeemers
of money orders and travelers checks; currency exchange
houses; and stored value product companies.
Money Transfer Service or Value Transfer Service - CORRECT ANSWER Financial service that accepts cash, checks other monetary
instruments that can store value in one location and pay a
corresponding sum in cash or other form to a beneficiary in
another location by means of a communication, message,
transfer or through a clearing network to which the money/
value transfer service belongs. Transactions performed by
such services can involve one or more intermediaries and a
third-party final payment. A money or value transfer service
may be provided by persons (natural or legal) formally through
the regulated financial system (for example, bank accounts),
informally through non-bank financial institutions and
business entities or outside of the regulated system. In some
jurisdictions, informal systems are referred to as alternative
remittance services or underground (or parallel) banking
systems.
MONEYVAL - CORRECT ANSWER Council of Europe Select Committee of Experts on the
Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures. Formerly PCR-EV,
the committee was established in 1997 by the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe to conduct self and mutual
assessments of anti-money laundering measures in place
in Council of Europe countries that are not FATF members.
MONEYVAL is a sub-committee of the European Committee on
Crime Problems of the Council of Europe (CDPC).
Monitoring - CORRECT ANSWER An element of an institution's anti-money laundering program
in which customer activity is reviewed for unusual or suspicious patterns, trends or outlying transactions that do not fit a normal
pattern. Transactions are often monitored using software that
weighs the activity against a threshold of what is deemed
"normal and expected" for the customer.
Mutual Fund - CORRECT ANSWER An investment company that continually offers new shares and
buys existing shares back on demand, using its capital to invest
in diversified securities of other companies. Money is collected
from individuals and is invested on their behalf in varied equity
or debt portfolios.
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) - CORRECT ANSWER Agreement among countries allowing for mutual assistance in
legal proceedings and access to documents and witnesses and
other legal and judicial resources in the respective countries, in
private and public sectors, for use in official investigations and
prosecutions.
Nesting - CORRECT ANSWER The practice that involves the use of a foreign correspondent
bank account by another foreign bank to conduct its own
transactions
Nominee Company - CORRECT ANSWER A corporation that is formed for the express purpose of holding
securities and other assets in its name on behalf of others, or
providing nominee directors and/or officers on behalf of clients
Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCT) List - CORRECT ANSWER Countries and territories that were designated starting In 1999
by the Financial Action Task Force as being non-cooperative in
the global anti-money laundering effort or as lacking adequate
anti-money laundering controls. The last country was removed
from this list in October 2006.
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) - CORRECT ANSWER International organizations that are not directly linked to the
governments of specific countries, such as Doctors without
Borders and the International Red Cross. Some countries' antimoney
laundering regulations for NGOs still have loopholes
that some worry could be exploited by terrorists or terrorist
sympathizers trying to secretly move money.
Non-Profit Organizations (NPO) - CORRECT ANSWER These can take on a variety of forms, depending on the
jurisdiction and legal system, including associations,
foundations, fund-raising committees, community service
organizations, corporations of public interest, limited companies
and public benevolent institutions. FATF has suggested
practices to help authorities protect organizations that raise or
disburse funds for charitable, religious, cultural, educational, social or fraternal purposes from being misused or exploited by
financiers of terrorism.
Nostro Account - CORRECT ANSWER Nostro and vostro accounts are mirror correspondent accounts
maintained by two banks in different jurisdictions to facilitate
transactions in each other's local currency—essentially,
clearing accounts that balance foreign currency transactions
between the two institutions. For example, Bank X from
Brazil might open a U.S.-dollar account at Bank Y in the U.S.,
called a "nostro" (literally "our") account; Bank Y might open
a mirror account in Brazilian reals with Bank X in Brazil—a
"vostro" ("your") account. Financial regulators have expressed
concern over the transparency of nostro and vostro account
relationships, especially when there are multiple layers of
accounts within primary relationships.
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) - CORRECT ANSWER Office within the U.S. Department of the Treasury that
administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions
against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring
organizations, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers,
and others based on U.S. foreign policy and national security
goals. After September 11, 2001, OFAC became a significant
player in the anti-money laundering field as well. The office
issues various lists, including "Specially Designated Narcotics
Traffickers" and "Specially Designated Terrorists," and its
regulations require U.S. persons, including financial institutions,
to block and file reports on accounts, payments or transfers
in which an OFAC-designated country, entity or individual
has an interest. OFAC requirements have an extraterritorial reach because they require U.S. persons and entities located
outside of the U.S. to comply. Independent of origin or final
destination, if a U.S. financial institution acts as an intermediary
for a transaction that involves an OFAC-designated entity, the
funds must be blocked. See http://www.treasury.gov/about/
organizational-structure/offices/Pages/Office-of-Foreign-AssetsControl.aspx.
Offshore - CORRECT ANSWER Literally, away from one's own home country—if one lives
in Europe, the U.S. is "offshore." In the money laundering
lexicon, the term refers to jurisdictions deemed favorable to
foreign investments because of low or no taxation or strict bank
secrecy regulations.
Offshore Bank - CORRECT ANSWER Though licensed to conduct banking activities, an offshore bank
is prohibited from doing business with local citizens or in local
currency as a condition of its license.
Offshore Financial Center (OFC) - CORRECT ANSWER Institutions that cater to or otherwise encourage banks, trading
companies, and other corporate or legal entities to physically
or legally exist in a jurisdiction but limit their operations to
"offshore," meaning outside the jurisdiction (see Offshore).
OFCs have historically been located in the Caribbean or on
Mediterranean islands to be in reasonable proximity to the
major financial centers of the U.S. and Europe.
Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS) - CORRECT ANSWER Organization that promotes the supervision of banks in their
jurisdictions and furthers international cooperation among
Offshore Banking Supervisors, Basel Committee member
nations, and other banking supervisors. The OGBS was
established in 1980 at the instigation of the Basel Committee
on Banking Supervision, with which it maintains close contact.
Through the Working Group on Cross-Border Banking, the
Offshore Group joined with the Basel Committee in preparing a
paper on Customer Due Diligence for Banks, which the Basel Committee issued in 2001. This paper reinforces principles
set out in earlier Basel Committee papers by providing more
precise guidance on the essential elements of Know Your
Customer standards and their implementation. Offshore Group
members are fully committed to the KYC standards contained
in the paper. The Working Group also has produced as an
annex to the Customer Due Diligence paper a General Guide
to Account Opening and Customer Identification. See www.
ogbs.net.
Operational Risk - CORRECT ANSWER The risk of direct or indirect loss of operations due to
inadequate or failed internal processes, people or systems, or
as a result of external events. Public perception that a bank is
not able to manage its operational risk effectively can disrupt or
harm the business of the bank.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) - CORRECT ANSWER International organization that assists governments on
economic development issues in the global economy. OECD
houses the FATF secretariat in Paris. See http://www.oecd.org/
home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html.
Organization of American States: Inter-American Drug Abuse
Control Commission (Comisión Interamericana para el Control
del Abuso de Drogas) (CICAD) - CORRECT ANSWER OAS has issued several sets of anti-money laundering
recommendations through its Inter-American Drug Abuse
Control Commission (CICAD). They include amendments to the
OAS Model Regulations issued in 1992. CICAD has sponsored
and coordinated training seminars for public officials and
bankers on anti-money laundering measures and oversees the
anti-money laundering efforts of its member countries in the
Western Hemisphere. See www.cicad.oas.org/EN/.
Originator - CORRECT ANSWER The account holder or, where there is no account, the person
(natural or legal) which places the order with the financial
institution to perform the wire transfer.
Over The Counter (OTC) - CORRECT ANSWER Two distinct meanings in the money laundering context:
1. As used in U.S. Bank Secrecy Act reporting forms, it refers
to deposits of cash made physically at a branch.
2. In the securities industry, it describes the market for trading
equities that are not listed on an organized stock exchange,
or for trading securities such as corporate bonds, mortgagebacked
or asset-backed securities, currency swaps, etc. In
the OTC market, trading is conducted remotely by brokerdealers
rather than on a physical exchange floor, and prices
are set by negotiation between the buyer and seller rather
than by "auction bidding" on the floor of an exchange.
Payable Through Account - CORRECT ANSWER Transaction account opened at a depository institution
by a foreign financial institution through which the foreign
institution's customers engage, either directly or through
sub-accounts, in banking activities and transactions in the
country where the account was opened. Such accounts pose
risks to the depository institutions that hold them because it
can be difficult to conduct due diligence on foreign institution
customers who are ultimately using the PTA accounts.
Physical Cross-Border Transportation of Currency - CORRECT ANSWER Any in-bound or out-bound transportation of currency or bearer
negotiable instruments from one country to another. The term
includes: (1) physical transportation by a natural person, or in
that person's accompanying luggage or vehicle; (2) shipment
of currency through cargo containers; and (3) the mailing of
currency or bearer negotiable instruments.
Physical Presence - CORRECT ANSWER Existence of an actual brick and mortar location with
meaningful management of the institution physically located
within a country, where it maintains business records and is
subject to supervision. The mere existence of a local agent or
low level staff does not constitute physical presence.
Placement - CORRECT ANSWER The first phase of the money laundering process: The physical
disposal of cash proceeds derived from illegal activity.
Policies - CORRECT ANSWER A financial institution's operating regulations and its internal
rules that define how employees are expected to conduct
themselves.
Politically Exposed Person (PEP) - CORRECT ANSWER According to FATF's revised 40 Recommendations of 2012, a
PEP is an individual who has been entrusted with prominent
public functions in a foreign country, such as a head of state,
senior politician, senior government official, judicial or military
official, senior executive of a state-owned corporation or
important political party official, as well as their families and
close associates. The term PEP does not extend to middleranking
individuals in the specified categories. Various country regulations will define the term PEP, which may include
domestic as well as foreign persons.
Ponzi Scheme - CORRECT ANSWER A money laundering system named after Charles Ponzi, an
Italian immigrant who spent 10 years in jail in the U.S. for a
scheme that defrauded 40,000 people out of $15,000,000.
Ponzi's name became synonymous with the use of new
investors' money to pay off prior investors. Ponzi schemes
involve fake, non-existent investment schemes in which the
investors are tricked into investing on the promise of unusually
attractive returns. The operator of the scheme can keep the
operation going by paying off early investors with the money
from new investors until the scheme collapses under its own
weight and/or the promoter vanishes with the remaining
money. The scheme recently engaged in by Bernie Madoff is
an example of a Ponzi scheme. The prime bank guaranty, roll
program, bank debenture program and high yield promises are
frequently used to entice investors into participating in Ponzi
schemes.
Predicate Crimes - CORRECT ANSWER "Specified unlawful activities" whose proceeds, if involved in
the subject transaction, can give rise to prosecution for money
laundering. Most anti-money laundering laws contain a wide
definition or listing of such underlying crimes. Predicate crimes
are sometimes defined as felonies or "all offenses in the
criminal code."
Private Banking - CORRECT ANSWER A department in a financial institution that provides high-end
services to wealthy individuals. Private banking transactions
tend to be marked with confidentiality, complex beneficial
ownership arrangements, offshore investment vehicles, tax
shelters and credit extension services. Private banking is
viewed by many governments as highly vulnerable to money
laundering.
Private Investment Company (PIC) - CORRECT ANSWER Also known as a Personal Investment Company, a PIC is a
type of corporation that is often established in an offshore
jurisdiction with tight secrecy laws to protect the privacy of
its owners. In some jurisdictions, an international business
company or exempt company is referred to as a private
investment company. PICs are viewed as prime money
laundering vehicles.
Red Flag - CORRECT ANSWER A warning signal that should bring attention to a potentially
suspicious situation, transaction or activity.
Regulatory Agency - CORRECT ANSWER A government entity responsible for supervising and overseeing
a category of domestic institutions. The agency generally has
authority to issue regulations, to conduct examinations, to
impose fines and penalties, to curtail activities and, sometimes,
to terminate charters of institutions under its jurisdiction. Most
financial regulatory agencies play a major role in preventing
and detecting money laundering and other financial crimes.
Remittance Services - CORRECT ANSWER Also referred to as giro houses or casas de cambio, remittance
services are businesses that receive cash or other funds that
they transfer through the banking system to another account. The account is held by an associated company in a foreign jurisdiction
where the money is made available to the ultimate recipient.
Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) - CORRECT ANSWER A report used by the IMF and the World Bank that summarizes
the extent to which countries observe internationally recognized
standards and codes for fiscal and monetary stability. The
standards examine monetary and financial policy transparency,
fiscal transparency, banking supervision, securities, insurance,
payments systems, corporate governance, accounting, auditing
and insolvency and creditor rights. Since 2002, they have also
included examination of anti-money laundering and terrorist
financing standards. ROSCs summarizing countries' observance
of these standards are prepared and published at the request
of the member country. The results are used in consideration of
IMF and World Bank loans and for the private sector (including
rating agencies) for risk assessment. ROSCs are also useful
in determining a country's prospective risks associated with
money laundering. See http://www.imf.org/external/np/rosc/rosc.
asp?sort=date.
Reputational Risk - CORRECT ANSWER The potential that adverse publicity regarding a financial
institution's business practices and associations, whether
accurate or not, will cause a loss of confidence in the integrity
of the institution. Banks and other financial institutions are
especially vulnerable to reputational risk because they can
become a vehicle for, or a victim of, illegal activities perpetrated
by customers. Such institutions may protect themselves through
Know Your Customer and Know Your Employee programs.
Respondent Bank - CORRECT ANSWER A bank for which another financial institution establishes,
maintains, administers or manages a correspondent account.
Retrospective Due Diligence - CORRECT ANSWER Examining the identity and activity of existing customers and
their accounts to confirm their legitimacy. The Cayman Islands
and the Bahamas, when adopting their anti-money laundering frameworks, required financial institutions to perform due diligence
on existing customers. The U.K. considered the requirement, but
did not implement it, citing the heavy burden on businesses in
its financial sector. The U.S. does not require retrospective due
diligence.
Risk-Based Approach - CORRECT ANSWER The assessment of the varying risks associated with different
types of businesses, clients, accounts and transactions in order to
maximize the effectiveness of an anti-money laundering program.
Risk Matrix - CORRECT ANSWER Document or chart that allows financial institutions to assess the
money laundering risk of a business or customer relationship. A
risk matrix sets out critical elements or parameters of risk—such
as the country of origin or the type of anticipated transactions—
so that institutions can calculate whether a potential client
presents a low, medium or high level of money laundering
risk. Later, the matrix allows the institution to make informed
decisions on the frequency of transaction monitoring of particular
accounts or customers.
Safe Harbor - CORRECT ANSWER Legal protection for financial institutions, their directors, officers
and employees from criminal and civil liability for breach of
any restriction on disclosing information imposed by contract
or by any legislative, regulatory or administrative prohibition,
if they report their suspicions in good faith to the Financial
Investigation Unit (FIU), even if they did not know precisely
what the underlying criminal activity was, and regardless of
whether illegal activity actually occurred.
Safe Deposit Box - CORRECT ANSWER A secure box inside the vault of a bank that can be used to
store anything of importance a customer wishes to protect,
such as legal documents, jewelry, coins, wills, etc. Safe deposit
boxes can also provide a useful storage place for the proceeds
of crime.
Seize - CORRECT ANSWER To prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement
of funds or other assets on the basis of an action initiated by
a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism.
However, unlike a freeze, a seizure allows the competent
authority to take control of specified funds or other assets. The
seized assets remain the property of the person(s) or entity(ies)
that held an interest in them at the time of the seizure, although
the competent authority will often take over possession,
administration or management of the seized assets.
Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) - CORRECT ANSWER A body that represents a profession (e.g., lawyers, notaries,
other independent legal professionals or accountants), and
which is made up of member professionals, has a role in
regulating the persons who are qualified to enter and practice
in the profession, and also performs supervisory or monitoring
functions. For example, such a body would enforce rules to
ensure that high ethical standards are maintained by those in
the profession.
Senior Foreign Political Figure - CORRECT ANSWER U.S. term for foreign politically exposed persons. See Politically
Exposed Persons.
Settlors - CORRECT ANSWER Persons or companies who transfer ownership of their assets
to trustees by means of a trust deed. Where the trustees have
some discretion as to the investment and distribution of the
trust's assets, the deed may be accompanied by a non-legally
binding letter setting out what the settlor wishes done with the
assets.
Shell Bank - CORRECT ANSWER Bank that exists on paper only and that has no physical
presence in the country where it is incorporated or licensed,
and which is unaffiliated with a regulated financial services
group that is subject to effective consolidated supervision.
These banks are able to evade day-to-day regulation.
Recommendation 13 of the FATF 40 Recommendations says
that countries should not approve the establishment, and
should not accept the continued operation, of shell banks.
Financial institutions should refuse to enter into, or continue,
correspondent banking relationships with shell banks, and
should guard against establishing relations with respondent
foreign financial institutions that permit their accounts to be
used by shell banks.
Smart Card - CORRECT ANSWER Plastic card resembling traditional credit or debit cards that
contains a computer chip capable of storing more information
than a magnetic stripe, such as health insurance, e-cash,
government identification and credit card data.
Smurfing - CORRECT ANSWER A commonly used money laundering method, smurfing involves
the use of multiple individuals and/or multiple transactions
for making cash deposits, buying monetary instruments or
bank drafts in amounts under the reporting threshold. See
Structuring.
Smurfs - CORRECT ANSWER Individuals hired by money launderers to go from financial
institution to financial institution purchasing monetary
instruments or depositing currency or monetary instruments in
amounts under the reporting threshold.
Split Deposits - CORRECT ANSWER A series of deposits in which a customer splits a sum of money
and makes smaller deposits into two or more accounts that add
up to the original amount.
Sting Operation - CORRECT ANSWER Investigative tactic in which undercover officers pose as
criminals, sometimes through a "front" business, to win
the confidence of suspected or known criminals to gather
information and to obtain evidence of criminal conduct. It is an
effective means of identifying criminals, penetrating criminal
organizations and identifying tainted property in money
laundering and other cases.
Stored Value Card - CORRECT ANSWER Pre-paid payment card that stores a monetary value from which
purchase amounts are deducted each time the card is used.
Structuring - CORRECT ANSWER Illegal act of splitting cash deposits or withdrawals into smaller
amounts, or purchasing monetary instruments, to stay under
a currency reporting threshold. The practice might involve
dividing a sum of money into lesser quantities and making two
or more deposits or withdrawals that add up to the original
amount. Money launderers use structuring to avoid triggering
a filing by a financial institution. The technique is common
in jurisdictions that have compulsory currency reporting
requirements. See Smurfing.
Subpoena - CORRECT ANSWER Compulsory legal process issued by a court to compel the
appearance of a witness at a judicial proceeding, sometimes
requiring the witness to bring specified documents.
Suspicious Activity - CORRECT ANSWER Irregular or questionable customer behavior or activity that may
be related to a money laundering or other criminal offense,
or to the financing of a terrorist activity. May also refer to
a transaction that is inconsistent with a customer's known
legitimate business, personal activities, or the normal level of
activity for that kind of business or account.
Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) - CORRECT ANSWER A government form that includes a financial institution's
account of a questionable transaction. Many jurisdictions
require financial institutions to report suspicious transactions
to relevant government authorities on a suspicious transaction
report, also known as a suspicious activity report or SAR.
Tax Haven - CORRECT ANSWER Countries that offer special tax incentives or tax avoidance to
foreign investors and depositors.
Tax Information Exchange Agreements - CORRECT ANSWER Bilateral agreements among national governments that
can yield evidence for money laundering and tax evasion
prosecutions.
Terrorist Financing - CORRECT ANSWER The process by which terrorists fund their operations in order to
perform terrorist acts. Terrorists need financial support to carry out
their activities and to achieve their goals. There is little difference between terrorists and other criminals in their use of the financial
system. A successful terrorist or terrorist group, much like a
criminal organization, is one that is able to build and maintain
an effective financial infrastructure. In order to do so, the group
or the individual must develop sources of funding and means
of obscuring the links between those sources and the activities
they support. They need to find a way to make sure the funds
are available and can be used to purchase goods or services for
terrorist acts. The sums needed to mount terrorist attacks are not
always large, and the associated transactions are not necessarily
complex. There are two primary sources of financing for terrorist
activities. The first involves financial support from countries,
organizations or individuals. The other involves a wide variety of
revenue-generating activities, some illicit, including smuggling and
credit card fraud.
Testimony - CORRECT ANSWER Witness' oral presentation, usually under oath, that describes
facts known to the witness.
Tipping Off - CORRECT ANSWER Improper or illegal act of notifying a suspect that he or she is
the subject of a Suspicious Transaction Report or is otherwise
being investigated or pursued by the authorities.
Transparency International (TI) - CORRECT ANSWER Berlin-based, non-governmental organization dedicated
to increasing government accountability and curbing both
international and national corruption. Established in 1993, TI is
active in approximately 100 countries. It publishes "corruption
news" on its website daily and offers an archive of corruptionrelated
news articles and reports. Its Corruption Online
Research and Information System, or CORIS, is perhaps the
most comprehensive worldwide database on corruption. TI is
best known for its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI),
which ranks countries by perceived levels of corruption among public officials; its Bribe Payers Index (BPI) ranks the leading
exporting countries according to their propensity to bribe. TI's
annual Global Corruption Report combines the CPI and the BPI
and ranks each country by its overall level of corruption. The lists
help financial institutions determine the risk associated with a
particular jurisdiction. See www.transparency.org.
Trust - CORRECT ANSWER Arrangement among the property owner (the grantor), a
beneficiary and a manager of the property (the trustee), whereby
the trustee manages the property for the benefit of the beneficiary
in accordance with terms set by the grantor.
Trustee - CORRECT ANSWER May be a paid professional or company or unpaid person that
holds the assets in a trust fund separate from the trustee's
own assets. The trustee invests and disposes of the assets in
accordance with the settlor's trust deed, taking into consideration
any letter of wishes.
Typology - CORRECT ANSWER Refers to a money laundering method and is a term used by
FATF.
United Nations (UN) - CORRECT ANSWER An international organization that was established in 1945
by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through
cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN. See also Vienna Convention.
The United Nations contributes to the fight against organized
crime with initiatives such as the Global Program against
Money Laundering (GPML), the key instrument of the UN Office
of Drug Control and Crime Prevention in this task. Through the
GPML, the UN helps member states to introduce legislation
against money laundering and to develop mechanisms to
combat this crime. The program encourages anti-money
laundering policy development, monitors and analyzes the
problems and responses, raises public awareness about
money laundering and acts as a coordinator of joint anti-money
laundering initiatives with other international organizations. See
www.un.org.
UN Security Council Resolution 1267 - CORRECT ANSWER Adopted in 1999, the resolution imposed sanctions on Talibancontrolled
Afghanistan for its support of Osama Bin Laden and
the Al-Qaeda organization. The sanctions have subsequently
been modified and strengthened—they no longer exclusively
target Afghanistan and now extend to any individual, group,
undertaking or entity participating in planning or financing
activities for Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Member countries are
obliged to adopt sanction implementation programs so that
financial institutions can block the transactions, and freeze the
assets of any person or entity on the list of designated terrorist
entities maintained by the UN 1267 Committee.
UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) - CORRECT ANSWER Adopted in 2001, the resolution requires member nations
to take a series of actions to combat terrorism through the
adoption of laws and regulations and the establishment of
administrative structures. The resolution also requires member
nations to "afford one another the greatest measure of
assistance for criminal investigations or criminal proceedings
relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts
Unusual Transaction - CORRECT ANSWER Transaction that appears designed to circumvent reporting
requirements, is inconsistent with the account's transaction
patterns or deviates from the activity expected for that type of
account.
USA Patriot Act - CORRECT ANSWER The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism
Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56). Enacted on October 26,
2001, the historic U.S. law brought about momentous changes
in the anti-money laundering field, including more than 50
amendments to the Bank Secrecy Act. Title III of the Act, the
International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist
Financing Act of 2001, contains most, but not all, of its antimoney
laundering-related provisions.
Vienna Convention - CORRECT ANSWER Convention in 1988 against the Illicit Trade in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances. Countries that become parties to
the Vienna Convention commit to criminalizing drug trafficking
and associated money laundering, and enacting measures for
the confiscation of the proceeds of drug trafficking. Article III of
the Convention provides a comprehensive definition of money
laundering, which has been the basis of much subsequent
national legislation.
Vital Service Providers (VSPs) - CORRECT ANSWER People who help move the billions of dollars drug traffickers
earn around the world. VSPs include accountants, attorneys,
broker-dealers, other financial institutions, communications and
transportation providers, and people who build concealment
traps—sophisticated hiding places for drugs and money in
vehicles, boats, or houses.
White-collar crime - CORRECT ANSWER A type of crime generally seen as non-violent or involving
more sophisticated "business-related" schemes rather than
violence or the threat of violence. Such crimes include tax fraud
(evasion, false tax returns, failure to file tax returns), money
laundering (any attempt to hide money derived from illegal
sources), bribery, bankruptcy fraud, environmental fraud, health
care fraud and many others.
Willful Blindness - CORRECT ANSWER Legal principle that operates in money laundering cases in the
U.S. and is defined by courts as the "deliberate avoidance of
knowledge of the facts" or "purposeful indifference." Courts
have held that willful blindness is the equivalent of actual
knowledge of the illegal source of funds or of the intentions of a
customer in a money laundering transaction.
Wire Transfer - CORRECT ANSWER Electronic transmission of funds among financial institutions
on behalf of themselves or their customers. Wire transfers are financial vehicles covered by the regulatory requirements of
many countries in the anti-money laundering effort.
Wolfsberg Group - CORRECT ANSWER Named after the castle in Switzerland where its first working
session was held, the Wolfsberg Group is an association of
global financial institutions, including Banco Santander, Bank
of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Barclays, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group,
Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, J.P. Morgan Chase,
Société Générale and UBS. In 2000, along with Transparency
International and experts worldwide, the institutions developed
global anti-money laundering guidelines for international private
banks. Since then, it has issued several other guidelines on
correspondent banking and terrorist financing, among others. See
www.wolfsberg-principles.com.
World Bank - CORRECT ANSWER The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical
assistance to developing countries. It is not a bank in the usual
sense, but is made up of two unique development institutions
owned by 184 member countries—the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International
Development Association (IDA). Both organizations provide
low-interest loans, interest-free credit, and grants to developing
countries. In 2002, the IMF and the World Bank launched
a 12-month pilot program to assess countries' anti-money
laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures. The
World Bank and the IMF, in conjunction with FATF, developed a
common methodology to conduct such assessments based on
the FATF's 40 Recommendations.
Zakat - CORRECT ANSWER One of the Five Pillars of Islam and among the primary
obligations that each Muslim must fulfill, zakat means tithing, or
alms-giving. Once every lunar year—approximately 355 days—
zakat requires a donation to charity representing a fixed portion
of a Muslim's possessions, generally 2.5% of an individual's
total net worth, excluding obligations and family expenses.
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