Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
A comprehensive set of questions and answers related to money laundering, covering various aspects of the topic, including the three stages of money laundering, individual accountability, electronic transfers of funds, remote deposit capture, payable through accounts, concentration accounts, politically exposed persons (peps), structuring, credit cards, third-party payment processors, money services businesses, securities broker-dealers, casinos, dealers in high-value items, travel agencies, gatekeepers, real estate, trade-based money laundering, black market peso exchange, new products and services, and virtual currency. Designed to help individuals prepare for the acams certification exam.
Typology: Exams
1 / 43
What is money laundering? - ANSWER>>Money laundering is the taking of criminal proceeds and disguising their illegal sources in order to use the funds to perform legal or illegal acts. THREE STAGES IN THE MONEY LAUNDERING CYCLE Give an example of the second stage of money laundering. - ANSWER>>Electronically moving funds from one country to another; moving funds from one financial institution to another; and converting the cash placed into the system into monetary instruments. THREE STAGES IN THE MONEY LAUNDERING CYCLE Give an example of the third stage of money laundering. - ANSWER>>Purchasing luxury assets like property, artwork, jewelry or high-end automobiles; and investing in business enterprises. THREE STAGES IN THE MONEY LAUNDERING CYCLE Give an example of the first stage of money laundering. - ANSWER>>Commingling illegitimate funds with legitimate ones; making foreign exchange transactions with illegal funds; and depositing small amounts of cash into various accounts. INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY What does the Yates memo say? - ANSWER>>The Yates memo, issued by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates of the Department of Justice, reminds prosecutors that criminal and civil investigations into corporate misconduct should also focus on individuals who perpetrated the wrongdoing. ELECTRONIC TRANSFERS OF MONEY What are some indicators of money laundering using electronic transfers of funds? - ANSWER>>Funds transfers to or from a financial secrecy haven; large, incoming fund transfers from a foreign client with littleor no explanation or apparent reason; and fund transfers that have no apparent link to legitimate business.
What is remote deposit capture and what risk is associated with it? - ANSWER>>Remote deposit capture is a product offered by banks that allows customers to scan a check and transmitan electronic image to the bank for deposit. The risk associated with it is that it enables a money launderer to deposit checks without having to visit the bank and risk detection. PAYABLE THROUGH ACCOUNTS What are some of the money laundering risks pertaining to the use of payable through accounts (PTAs)? - ANSWER>>PTAs with foreign institutions licensed in offshore centers with each bank supervision; PTAs where the respondent bank (the foreign bank) fails to conduct adequate customer due diligence; and PTAs where the sub-account holders have currency deposit and withdrawal privileges. CONCENTRATION ACCOUNTS What is a money laundering risk pertaining to the use of concentration accounts? - ANSWER>>The primary money laundering risk pertaining to the use of concentration accounts is the fact that the customer- identifying information may not be included, making the audit trail difficult or impossible to follow. PEPS What is a PEP and what is the primary risk in dealing with a PEP? - ANSWER>>A PEP is a "politically exposed person," meaning a person who has or has had a prominent government or quasi-public position in a country. The primary risk in dealing with a PEP is that the source of funds from a PEP may be from corruption. STRUCTURING What is structuring? - ANSWER>>Structuring involves taking a large cash deposit and breaking it into smaller amounts to be deposited into separate banks, separate accounts or on separate days in order to avoid currency transaction reports. CREDIT CARDS Which money laundering stage(s) are credit cards most likely to be used and what is an example of money laundering through the use of credit
cards? - ANSWER>>Credit cards are not likely to be used in the initial placement of money laundering. They are more likely to be used in the layering or integration stages of money laundering. One example of using credit cards for money laundering purposes is overpaying a credit card balance and then asking for a refund. Receiving a check from the reputable credit card company makes it look like the funds received are legitimate. THIRD-PARTY PAYMENT PROCESSORS What are some of the risks posed by Third-Party Payment Processors (TPPPs)? - ANSWER>>Multiple financial institution relationships whereby the TPPP's suspicious activity cannot be seen in its entirety by one institution; engaging in ACH transactions from overseas whereby the suspicious transactions get hidden by the large number of other transactions the TPPP engages in; and the possibility of the return rates stemming from unauthorized transactions are higher than average. MONEY SERVICES BUSINESSES What are some ways Money Services Businesses can be used for money laundering? - ANSWER>>Cashing checks without obtaining adequate proof of identity; failing to file Currency Transaction Reports when required; and transmitting funds overseas without sufficient due diligence. SECURITIES BROKER-DEALERS What are some of the aspects associated with securities broker- dealers that increase the risk of money laundering? - ANSWER>>Its international nature; the speed of their transactions; the ease of converting holdings into cash without significant loss of principal; the large volume of wires used; the competitive, commission-driven environment; the practice of maintaining securities accounts in the name of nominees or trusts; and weak AML programs. CASINOS What are some red flags associated with casinos and gambling? - ANSWER>>Paying off gambling debts in cash just under the reporting requirements; purchasing chips, but engaging in minimal gambling and then cashing the chips backin; using the gambling house for banking-like financial services, including wiring funds overseas; betting on both "red" and "black" spaces in roulette; and purchasing chips with cash just under the reporting requirements.
What were two of the key findings by FATF in its report on "Money Laundering/Terrorist Financing Risks and Vulnerabilities Associated With Gold," issued in July, 2015? - ANSWER>>The fact that gold is an extremely attractive vehicle for laundering money due to the fact that it is relatively compact and easy to transport; and the fact that the gold market is a target for criminal activity because it is lucrative and holds its value regardless of the form it takes. TRAVEL AGENCIES List ways in which a travel agency could be used to launder money. - ANSWER>>Purchasing an expensive airline ticket and then asking for a refund; paying for travel tours with multiple wires just under the reporting threshold; and creating false bookings through tour operator networks to justify significant payments from foreign travel groups. GATEKEEPERS Name various ways that a gatekeeper—an attorney, notary, accountant or auditor—could assist in a money laundering scheme. - ANSWER>>Creating and managing corporate vehicles or other complex legal arrangements; buying or selling property as a cover for transfers of illegal funds; performing financial transactions, including making deposits, withdrawing funds, engaging in foreign exchange operations, buying or selling stock and sending international wires; and setting up or managing a charity. GATEKEEPERS What is the primary concern with regard to the use of gatekeepers? - ANSWER>>The primary concern with regard to the use of gatekeepers— attorneys, notaries, accountants and auditors—is the fact that they can be used to enhance secrecy and to keep hidden the beneficial owner of an account or transaction. REAL ESTATE List reasons why real estate can be an attractive method of money laundering, according to the 2015 report by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). - ANSWER>>It can be purchased with cash; the ultimate beneficial owner can be disguised; it is a relatively stable and reliable investment; and the value can be increased through renovations and improvements.
What are two of the most common money laundering techniques involved with trade-based money laundering? - ANSWER>>Over and under invoicing. BLACK MARKET PESO EXCHANGE In summary form, how does the black market peso exchange (BMPE) work in laundering money? - ANSWER>>As an example, the drug trafficker sells drugs for US dollars in the US and—in order to avoid smuggling the US dollars back to Mexico—the trafficker gives the proceeds to a "peso broker." The broker finds businesses in Mexico that want to buy goods in the US. Then the broker buys the US goods with US dollars and has the goods shipped to Mexico. The business in Mexico pays the broker in Mexico in pesos and the broker then gives the pesos—minus a fee—to the drug traffickers. NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES What are some of the money laundering risks pertaining to the use of pre- paid bank cards or reasons why they are attractive to money launderers? - ANSWER>>Some of the risks of pre-paid bank cards include: anonymous card holders; anonymous funding; high value limits; global access to cash through ATMs; lax offshore jurisdictions issuing the cards; and the cards being a substitute for bulk-cash smuggling. NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES What are some of the risks listed by FATF in its 2010 report titled "Guidance For A Risk-Based Approach Prepaid Cards, Mobile Payments And Internet-Based Payment Services"? - ANSWER>>Some of the risks on new products and services, according to FATF, include anonymity; geographic reach; alternative to physical cross-border transportation; easy access to cash; and the fact that several entities are required to issue prepaid cards—the program manager, issuer, acquirer, payment network, distributor and agents—that may be hard to all supervise or monitor. VIRTUAL CURRENCY What is one of the primary concerns with regard to the use of virtual currencies? - ANSWER>>One of the primary concerns with regard to the use of virtual currencies is the fact that beneficial ownership information may be difficult to obtain.
What are some emerging risk for Terrorist Financing? - ANSWER>>Self- funding by foreign terrorist fighters; terrorists raising funds through the use of social media; new payment products and services; and exploitation of natural resources; MONEY LAUNDERING What is the concept of willful blindness? - ANSWER>>The concept of willful blindness is the "deliberate avoidance of knowledge of the facts" or "purposeful indifference," and is the equivalent of actual knowledge. CORRESPONDENT BANKING What are the two main reasons correspondent banking is vulnerable to money laundering? - ANSWER>>1. By their nature, correspondent banking relationships create a situation in which a financial institution carries out financial transactions on behalf of customers of another institution. This indirect relationship means that the correspondent bank provides services for individuals or entities for which it has neither verified the identities nor obtained any first-hand knowledge, and
Microstructuring is essentially the same as structuring, except that it is done at a much smaller level. Instead of taking $18,000 and breaking it into two deposits, the microstructurer might break it into 20 deposits of approximately $900 each. This level of structuring makes it extremely difficult to detect. INSURANCE How can the early redemption method on insurance policies be used to launder money? - ANSWER>>One indicator of possible money laundering is when a potential policyholder is more interested in the cancellation terms of a policy than the benefits of the policy. The launderer buys a policy with illicit money and then tells the insurance company that he has changed his mind and does not need the policy. After paying a penalty, the launderer redeems the policy and receives a clean check from a respected insurer. DEALERS IN HIGH VALUE ITEMS How can art and antiques dealers and auctioneers mitigate their money laundering risks? - ANSWER>>- Require all art vendors to provide names and addresses. Ask that they sign and date a form that states that the item was not stolen and that they are authorized to sell it.
What is the significance of a trust account, whether offshore or onshore, in the context of money laundering? - ANSWER>>The significance of a trust account — whether onshore or offshore — in the context of money laundering cannot be understated: It can be used as part of the first step in converting illicit cash into less suspicious assets; it can help hide criminal ownership of funds or other assets; and it is often an essential link between different money laundering vehicles and techniques, such as real estate, shell and active companies, nominees and the deposit and transfer of criminal proceeds. BEARER BONDS Why are bearer bonds and bearer stock certificates prime vehicles for money laundering? - ANSWER>>Bearer bonds and bearer stock certificates, or "bearer shares," are prime money laundering vehicles because they belong, on the surface, to the "bearer." When bearer securities are transferred, because there is no registry of owners, the transfer takes place by physically handing over the bonds or share certificates. Bearer shares offer lots of opportunities to disguise their legitimate ownership. TERRORIST FINANCING What is the most basic difference between terrorist financing and money laundering? - ANSWER>>The most basic difference between terrorist financing and money laundering involves the origin of the funds. Terrorist financing uses funds for an illegal political purpose, but the money is not necessarily derived from illicit proceeds. On the other hand, money laundering always involves the proceeds of illegal activity. The purpose of laundering is to enable the money to be used legally. TERRORIST FINANCING What general characteristics of terrorist financing can a financial institution look at to avoid becoming conduits for terrorist financing? - ANSWER>>FATF's report entitled "Guidance for Financial Institutions in Detecting Terrorist Financing" published April 24, 2002 describes general characteristics of terrorist financing that a financial institution can look at to avoid becoming conduits for terrorist financing, including: (a) Use of an account as a front for a person with suspected terrorist links, (b) Appearance of an accountholder's name on a list of suspected terrorists, (c) Frequent large cash deposits in accounts of non-profit organizations, (d)
High volume of transactions in the account, and (e) Lack of a clear relationship between the banking activity and the nature of the accountholder's business. HAWALA AND OTHER INFORMAL VALUE TRANSFER SYSTEMS Why are hawalas attractive to terrorist financiers? - ANSWER>>Hawalas are attractive to terrorist financiers because they, unlike formal financial institutions, are not subject to formal government oversight and do not keep detailed records in a standard form. Although some hawaladars do keep ledgers, their records are often written in idiosyncratic shorthand and are maintained only briefly. CHARITIES OR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS What characteristics of charities or non-profit organizations make them particularly vulnerable to misuse for terrorist financing? - ANSWER>>- Enjoying the public trust, Having access to considerable sources of funds,
Describe the three phases of money laundering. - ANSWER>>- Placement is the physical disposal of cash or other assets derived from criminal activity.
What is one of the most important aspects of due diligence for a bank when establishing a relationship with a money remitter? - ANSWER>>Ensuring the money remitter is properly licensed. INSURANCE How can the free-look period be used to launder money? - ANSWER>>A free-look period is a feature that allows investors, for a short period of time after the policy is signed and the premium paid, to back out of a policy without penalty. This process allows the money launderer to get an insurance check, which represents cleaned funds. However, as more insurance companies are subject to AML program requirements, this type of money laundering is more readily detected and reported. TRUSTS How does having a lawyer as a trustee on an account at a financial institution create vulnerabilities to money laundering at an institution? - ANSWER>>Lawyers often serve as trustees by holding money or assets "in trust" for clients. This enables lawyers to conduct transactions and to administer the affairs of a client. Sometimes, the illicit money is placed in a law firm's general trust account in a file set up in the name of the client, a nominee, or a company controlled by the client. VEHICLE SELLERS Identify three ways money laundering can occur through vehicle sellers. - ANSWER>>The industry defined as "vehicle sellers" includes sellers and brokers of new vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles; new aircraft, including fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters; new boats and ships, and used vehicles. Laundering risks and ways laundering can occur through vehicle sellers include:
to identify and report suspected money laundering in a correspondent account maintained in the United States. This due diligence program must also be included in the institution's anti-money laundering program. The due diligence program must address three measures:
CICAD (Comisió n Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas), became the first permanent international body to reach an agreement on model legislation aimed specifically at dealing with money laundering. EGMONT GROUP What is the organization that provides a forum for financial intelligence units around the world to improve the cooperation in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism? - ANSWER>>The Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units KEY EXTRATERRITORIAL ASPECTS OF US LAWS What is the extraterritorial aspect of section 319(b) of the Patriot Act? - ANSWER>>The section also allows the Secretary of the Treasury or the Attorney General to subpoena records of a foreign bank that maintains a correspondent account in the United States. The subpoena can request any records relating to the account, including records located outside the United States. If the foreign bank fails to comply with or fails to contest the subpoena, the Secretary or the Attorney General can order the US financial institution to close the correspondent account within ten days of receipt of such order. Additionally, the section also requires foreign banks to designate a registered agent in the United States to accept service of subpoenas pursuant to this section. Furthermore, US banks and securities brokers and dealers that maintain correspondent accounts for foreign banks must keep records of the identity of the 25 percent owners of the foreign bank, unless it is publicly traded, as well as the name of the correspondent bank's registered agent in the U.S. CRIMINAL MONEY LAUNDERING AND CIVIL FORFEITURE LAWS How does the USA PATRIOT Act impact non-U.S. banks that have an account with a U.S. financial institution? - ANSWER>>Section 319(a) of the USA PATRIOT Act greatly strengthened the forfeiture powers over the funds of foreign persons and institutions. If the funds the United States pursues are deposited in a foreign bank that keeps an "interbank account" at a US bank, the United States may bring a case to forfeit the crime- tainted funds in the US account. OFAC What is OFAC? - ANSWER>>OFAC, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, is the division of the U.S. Department of Treasury that administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and
national security goals against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers and those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. OFAC acts under presidential wartime and national emergency powers, as well as authority granted by specific legislation, to impose controls on transactions and to freeze foreign assets under US jurisdiction. Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other international mandates that are multilateral in scope and involve close cooperation with allied governments. OFAC sanction programs prohibit transactions and require the blocking of assets of persons and organizations that appear on one of a series of lists that OFAC issues periodically. OFAC has the power to impose significant penalties on those who are found to be in violation of the blocking orders within each of the sanction programs. THE WOLFSBERG GROUP In its "AML Principles for Correspondent Banking," what does the Wolfsberg Group indicate should be done for approval and ongoing review of higher risk correspondent bank relationships? - ANSWER>>Approval of higher risk Correspondent Banking relationships at the time of on-boarding and periodic review shall be subject to a higher level of approvals by business and Compliance, or relevant control function. Periodic reviews shall be conducted of all high risk Correspondent Banking relationships, at minimum on an annual basis. MAINTAINING AN AML/CFT RISK MODEL Why is it important to continue to update and revisit risk assessments? - ANSWER>>Risk is dynamic and needs to be continuously managed.It should also be noted that the environment in which each organization operates is subject to continual change. Externally, the political changes of a jurisdiction or whether economic sanctions are imposed or removed may impact a country-risk rating. Internally, organizations respond to market and customer demands by introducing new products and services and implementing new delivery systems. The combination of these changes makes it critical that the ML/TF risk model is subject to regular review. In some countries, there is a legislative obligation for such reviews to be undertaken on a regular basis — usually annually or when new products, delivery channels or customer types are introduced. AML/CFT RISK SCORING
What does FATF recommend considering when assessing risk? - ANSWER>>When assessing risk, FATF recommends considering:
What are some examples of internal controls, outside of policies and procedures? - ANSWER>>While policies and procedures provide important guidance, the AML/CFT program also relies on a variety of internal controls, including management reports and other built-in safeguards that keep the program working. These internal controls should enable the compliance organization to recognize deviations from standard procedures and safety protocols. A matter as simple as requiring a corporate officer's approval or two signatures for transactions that exceed a prescribed amount could be a critical internal control element that if ignored seriously weakens an institution's AML/CFT program and attracts unwanted attention from supervisory authorities. THE COMPLIANCE FUNCTION What factors should be considered when determining the sophistication of a compliance function within an institution? - ANSWER>>The sophistication of the compliance function should be based upon the institution's nature, size, complexity, regulatory environment, and the specific risk associated with the products, services, and clientele. No two institutions will have exactly the same compliance structure because the risk facing each institution is going to be different, as identified in their respective risk assessments. DESIGNATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COMPLIANCE OFFICER— COMMUNICATION Why is it critical that the Compliance Officer have good communications skills? - ANSWER>>The compliance officer must also have the means to communicate at all levels of the organization — from front-line associates all the way up to the CEO and Board of Directors. It is critical for a compliance officer to be capable of articulating matters of importance to senior and executive management, particularly significant changes that may present risk to the organization, such as a sudden or substantial increase in STRs or currency transaction reports (CTRs). Other items of concern that need to be escalated to management may include changes to laws or regulations that may require immediate action. A compliance officer must have the skills necessary to be able to analyze and interpret these ongoing changes, determine what effect they may have on the institution, and suggest an action plan when appropriate.
OFFICER— DELEGATION OF AML DUTIES What controls should a Compliance Officer consider over an AML duty that has been delegated? - ANSWER>>The compliance function may establish risk-based quality assurance reviews and monitoring and testing activities to ensure the functions are being performed appropriately. This may include a review of the CDD collected to ensure completeness, monitoring reports of CDD completeness or defects to ensure the systems are working as expected, and performing testing to assess whether the monitoring and the business performance are satisfactorily measuring and ensuring compliance. AML/CFT TRAINING— WHO TO TRAIN What are some of the target audiences for training? - ANSWER>>- Customer-facing staff
According to FATF, when should an institution conduct CDD? - ANSWER>>FATF recommends that financial institutions should be required to undertake CDD measures when: