During transaction monitoring. Bank A learns that one of their customers. Med Supplies 123, is attempting to make a payment via wire totaling 382,500 USD to PPE Business LLC located in Mexico to purchase a large order of personal protective equipment. specifically surgical masks and face shields. Upon further verification. Bank A decides to escalate and refers the case to investigators. Bank A notes that, days prior to the above transaction, the same customer went to a Bank A location to wire 1,215,280 USD to Breath Well LTD located in Singapore. Breath Well was acting as an intermediary to purchase both 3-ply surgical masks and face shields from China. Bank A decided not to complete the transaction due to concerns with the involved supplier in China. Moreover, the customer is attempting to send a third wire in the amount of 350,000 USD for the purchase of these items, this time using a different vendor in China. The investigator must determine next steps in the investigation and what actions, if any. should be taken against relevant parties.Upon further investigation. Bank As investigator learns that both the Mexico- and Singapore-based companies are linked to the alleged suppliers in China. Which additional indicators would the investigator need to identify to determine if this fits a fentanyl (drug) trafficking typology? (Select Two.)
Answer(s): A,C
During transaction monitoring. Bank A learns that one of its customers. Med Supplies 123, is attempting to make a payment via wire totaling 382.500 USD to PPE Business LLC located in Mexico to purchase a large order of personal protective equipment. specifically surgical masks and face shields. Upon further verification. Bank A decides to escalate and refers the case to investigators. Bank A notes that days prior to the above transaction, the same customer went to a Bank A location to wire 1,215,280 USD to Breath Well LTD located in Singapore. Breath Well was acting as an intermediary to purchase both 3-ply surgical masks and face shields from China. Bank A decided not to complete the transaction due to concerns with the involved supplier in China. Moreover, the customer is attempting to send a third wire in the amount of 350,000 USD for the purchase of these items, this time using a different vendor in China. The investigator must determine the next steps in the investigation and what actions, if any. should be taken against relevant parties.The investigator is gathering more information to determine if a SAR/STR filing is needed. Which steps are the correct ways of collecting the additional information? (Select Two.)
Answer(s): A,D
The correct answer is A and C because these indicators suggest that the customer is using fraudulent documents and misrepresenting the goods to conceal the illicit nature of the transactions. Fentanyl traffickers often use front companies and falsified invoices to disguise their shipments as legitimate products, such as medical supplies or chemicals. Reviewing the invoices and transportation documents, as well as the FDA product certifications, can help to identify discrepancies or anomalies that indicate fraud or deception.
Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues: Federal Trends and Trafficking Patterns, page 18; Fentanyl Trafficking Offenses, page 2.
A client with many personal and business deposits with the financial institution (Fl) seeks a business loan. The client wants to guarantee the loan with a trust for which they are the beneficiary. An investigator examines the trust. The trust has many layers, including shell companies in known tax havens. The client's ultimate beneficial ownership claim cannot be validated, and the loan is denied. Two months later, the Fl receives a law enforcement (LE) request on one of the client's business accounts. While reviewing the business account, the Fl receives another LE request on the same account from another agency. The requested information is shared. Three months later, a branch manager receives a request to open a business deposit account related to a complex trust. The manager forwarded the request because of the complexity. The trust was the same as the previously examined trust, but the request came from a different client. The second client also has many accounts with the Fl. Further inspection finds links between the second client and the Paradise Papers. The Papers state the client led illegal activities and committed tax evasion. What steps should the investigator take to review the accounts held by the second client who is listed in the Paradise Papers? (Select Two.)
The investigator should recommend a SAR/STR be filed regarding the second client's use of a questionable trust to open an account, as this could indicate an attempt to conceal the source and ownership of funds, and to evade taxes and sanctions. The investigator should also monitor all accounts and entities related to the second client, as they may be involved in illegal activities or pose a high risk to the FI. The investigator should not review all accounts that have opened trust accounts, as this would be too broad and inefficient. The investigator should not inform FI management of deficiencies in their AML program, as this is not their role or responsibility. The investigator should not inform FI management of the start of a serious risk-based investigation, as this may compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation.
A client with many personal and business deposits with the financial institution (Fl) seeks a business loan. The client wants to guarantee the loan with a trust for which they are the beneficiary.An investigator examines the trust. The trust has many layers, including shell companies in known tax havens. The client's ultimate beneficial ownership claim cannot be validated, and the loan is denied. Two months later, the Fl receives a law enforcement (LE) request on one of the client's business accounts. While reviewing the business account, the Fl receives another LE request on the same account from another agency. The requested information is shared. Three months later, a branch manager receives a request to open a business deposit account related to a complex trust. The manager forwarded the request because of the complexity. The trust was the same as the previously examined trust, but the request came from a different client. The second client also has many accounts with the Fl. Further inspection finds links between the second client and the Paradise Papers. The Papers state the client led illegal activities and committed tax evasion.What steps should the investigator perform in reference to the first client's existing accounts? (Select Three.)
Answer(s): A,D,F
The investigator should review all client-signed documents relating to all accounts (A) to check for any discrepancies or red flags. The investigator should also perform secondary scans of the client's other owners/authorized signers (D) to identify any possible connections or associations with the second client or the Paradise Papers. Additionally, the investigator should prepare a relationship flow chart of all existing accounts (F) to better understand the client's activities and patterns. These steps are consistent with the ACAMS Advanced Financial Crimes Investigations Certification Study Guide1, which states that investigators should "review all relevant documentation, including account opening documents, transaction records, and customer correspondence" (p. 23), "conduct enhanced due diligence on all parties involved in the investigation" (p. 24), and "use data visualization tools to map out complex relationships and transactions" (p. 25).
1: ACAMS Advanced Financial Crimes Investigations Certification Study Guide, available at ACAMS
Law enforcement (LE) suspects human trafficking to occur during a major sporting event LE officers asked several financial institutions (FIs) to monitor financial transactions occurring before, during, and after the event.An investigator identified a pattern linked to a business. The business' account received multiple even dollar deposits between midnight and 4:00 AM. They occurred each day for several days prior to the date of the sporting event. Also, large cash deposits, typically between 2,000 USD and 3,000 USD. made by a person to the business' account occurred in many branches in the days after the sports event.There was little information about the company. The company did not have any history of employee payroll expenses or paying taxes. Expenses from the business account included air travel and hotel expenses. Searches about the person making cash deposits showed little. An online social media platform webpage with the individual's name showed ads for dates1' and "companionship." The Fl wants to create an automated alert for human trafficking money laundering after this investigation. Which activity type should they target?
Answer(s): B
The activity type that the FI should target for creating an automated alert for human trafficking money laundering is multiple deposits between midnight and 4:00 AM (B). This is because this pattern is consistent with the indicators of human trafficking identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Egmont Group1, which include:Frequent cash deposits, often in round amounts, outside of normal business hours Deposits made at different branches or ATMs in various locations Lack of information about the nature and purpose of the business Involvement in online platforms that advertise sexual services Expenses related to travel and accommodationThe other options are not as relevant or specific as option B. Payments made to multiple hotels in the same city (A) could be a legitimate business expense or a sign of other types of money laundering, such as tax evasion or fraud. Deposits made within days of major sporting events © could also be explained by other factors, such as increased tourism or gambling. Payments made for virtual currency (D) are not directly related to human trafficking, although they could be used to facilitate money laundering in general.
1: FATF and Egmont Group, Financial Flows from Human Trafficking, July 2018, available at FATF
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