Articles and News of Interest on Anti-Money Laundering

Read the latest news and updates gathered from a variety of agencies to keep you up to speed in the anti-money laundering world.

Prepared Remarks of FinCEN Director Shasky at the ACAMS AML and Financial Crime Conference
FinCEN | March 19, 2013
“Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery gave the keynote address this morning at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) 18th Annual International Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime Conference.”

FinCEN Issues Guidance on Virtual Currencies and Regulatory Responsibilities
FinCEN | March 18, 2013
"To provide clarity and regulatory certainty for businesses and individuals engaged in an expanding field of financial activity, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today issued the following guidance: Application of FinCEN’s Regulations to Persons Administering, Exchanging, or Using Virtual Currencies. The guidance is in response to questions raised by financial institutions, law enforcement, and regulators concerning the regulatory treatment of persons who use convertible virtual currencies or make a business of exchanging, accepting, and transmitting them. Convertible virtual currencies either have an equivalent value in real currency or act as a substitute for real currency. The guidance considers the use of virtual currencies from the perspective of several categories within FinCEN's definition of MSBs."

FinCEN Reminds Financial Institutions to Adopt New Report Format by April 1, 2013
FinCEN | March 8, 2013
"On February 23, 2012, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Final Notice requiring the electronic filing of most Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports by July 1, 2012. Specifically, this action mandates the electronic submission of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs), Registration of Money Services Business (RMSBs), and Designation of Exempt Person Reports (DOEPs). Financial institutions are reminded that they must begin using the new FinCEN reports, which are available only electronically through the BSA E-Filing System, by April 1, 2013."

2013 International Narcotics Control  Strategy Report (INCSR): Major Money Laundering Countries
U.S. Department of State | March 5, 2013
“Every year, U.S. officials from agencies with anti-money laundering responsibilities assess the money laundering situations in 200 jurisdictions. The review includes an assessment of the significance of financial transactions in the country’s financial institutions involving proceeds of serious crime, steps taken or not taken to address financial crime and money laundering, each jurisdiction’s vulnerability to money laundering, the conformance of its laws and policies to international standards, the effectiveness with which the government has acted, and the government’s political will to take needed actions.

The 2013 INCSR identifies money laundering priority jurisdictions and countries using a classification system that consists of three categories: Jurisdictions of Primary Concern, Jurisdictions of Concern, and Other Jurisdictions Monitored.”

FinCEN Proposes Changes to the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts
FinCEN | March 5, 2013
"FinCEN is proposing changes to the FBAR to standardize it with other BSA electronically filed reports and add the capability for a third party preparer to file the report. Also, FinCEN proposes to add an item to record the type of  taxpayer identification number (“TIN”), among other minor changes."

Comptroller Speaks to the Institute of International Bankers
OCC | March 4, 2013
"WASHINGTON — Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry today spoke about operational risk during a speech at the annual conference of the Institute of International Bankers held in Washington, D.C."

FinCEN Issues Advisory to Financial Institutions: Update on Tax Refund Fraud and Related Identity Theft
FinCEN | February 26, 2013
“FinCEN issued an advisory today to remind financial institutions of previously published information concerning tax refund fraud and the subsequent reporting of such activity through the filing of Suspicious Activity Reports. Identity theft can be a precursor to tax refund fraud because individual income tax returns filed in the United States are tracked and processed by Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) and the individual taxpayer names associated with these numbers. Criminals can obtain TINs through various methods of identity theft, including phishing schemes and the establishment of fraudulent tax preparation businesses. In response to this problem, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has developed a comprehensive strategy focused on preventing, detecting, and resolving instances of tax-related identity theft crimes. FinCEN worked closely with the IRS to identify indicators of tax refund fraud.”

FATF Public Statement, February 22, 2013
FATF | February 22, 2013
“Paris, 22 February 2013 - The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global standard setting body for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). In order to protect the international financial system from money laundering and financing of terrorism (ML/FT) risks and to encourage greater compliance with the AML/CFT standards, the FATF identified jurisdictions that have strategic deficiencies and works with them to address those deficiencies that pose a risk to the international financial system.”

Outcomes of the FATF Plenary, February 22, 2013
FATF | February 22, 2013
“The FATF took important new steps to protect the international financial system from abuse by:

• Producing two public documents as part of its ongoing work to identify jurisdictions that may pose a risk to the international financial system:
  • FATF Public Statement on jurisdictions with strategic anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) deficiencies.
  • Improving Global AML/CFT Compliance: on-going process - Jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies for which they have developed an action plan with the FATF.
• Adopting new Methodology for Assessing Technical Compliance with the FATF Recommendations and the Effectiveness of AML/CFT Systems.
• Issuing a statement on Turkey. After passing a new law on preventing Terrorist Financing, Turkey was not suspended.
• Updating the Guidance on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Measures and Financial Inclusion.
• Approving and publishing guidance on conducting National Risk Assessment.
• Receiving an update on AML/CFT Improvements in Ghana and Venezuela.
• Welcoming OSCE as Observer.
• Deciding on the process of whether to undertake a limited expansion of FATF Membership.
• Discussed the global challenges in supervision and enforcement.”

Prepared Remarks of FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery, Delivered at FIBA’s Anti-Money Laundering Conference
FinCEN | February 15, 2013
FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery delivered the keynote address at the Florida International Bankers Association’s (FIBA) annual anti-money laundering conference in Miami, Florida on Wednesday, February 13, 2013. Her prepared remarks are available on FinCEN's Web site.

FinCEN Releases Summaries of Roundtable Meetings on Proposed Customer Due Diligence Requirements
FinCEN | December 3, 2012
“The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released summaries of its roundtable meetings to continue gathering information on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on customer due diligence (CDD) requirements for financial institutions. Summaries of the meetings in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have been posted to FinCEN’s Web site at www.fincen.gov.

• Summary of Roundtable Meeting: ANPRM on Customer Due Diligence, held in Los Angeles on 10/29/12
• Summary of Roundtable Meeting: ANPRM on Customer Due Diligence, held in New York on 10/5/12
• Summary of Roundtable Meeting: ANPRM on Customer Due Diligence, held in Chicago on 9/28/12”

Remarks of FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery at the ABA/ABA Money Laundering Enforcement Conference
FinCEN | Nov 14, 2012
“The prepared remarks of FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery, delivered at the American Bankers Association/American Bar Association Money Laundering Enforcement Conference, have been posted to FinCEN's Web site.”

Remarks of Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen at the ABA/ABA Money Laundering Enforcement Conference
U.S. Department of Treasury | Nov 14, 2012
“The prepared remarks of Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen, delivered at the American Bankers Association/American Bar Association Money Laundering Enforcement Conference, have been posted to the Treasury’s Web site.”

Remarks of Under Secretary David Cohen at Chatham House on "Kidnapping for Ransom: The Growing Terrorist Financing Challenge"
U.S. Department of Treasury | Oct 5, 2012
“The Chatham House in London, United Kingdom hosted a program on kidnapping for ransom. Cohen discussed the serious threat posed by kidnapping for ransom and explored the policy options available to counter this growing form of terrorist financing.”

Summary and Prepared Remarks from the July 31, 2012 Public Hearing on FinCEN's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Customer Due Diligence Requirements for Financial Institutions
FinCEN | Sept 13, 2012
“On July 31, 2012, FinCEN held the first of an intended series of public hearings to continue gathering information on its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Requirements for Financial Institutions, published in the Federal Register on March 5, 2012. The original Notice for the hearing is available here and the general summary and prepared remarks from the public hearing are available here. For individuals interested in viewing the portion of the hearing that is available via webcast, the recorded webcast of the hearing is available here.”

FinCEN Reminds Mortgage Companies and Brokers of New Regulatory Requirements
FinCEN | Aug 16, 2012
“Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director James H. Freis, Jr. [on August 16, 2012]  announced the issuance of an advisory for non-bank residential mortgage lenders and originators (RMLOs) to help them identify and report suspicious activity related to potential mortgage fraud.”

New Casino Compliance FAQs
FinCEN | Aug 13, 2012
"FinCEN is providing additional guidance interpreting the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA") regulations as they apply to the casino and card club industries in the United States. FinCEN additionally published FAQs for casinos and card clubs as FIN-2007-G005 on November 14, 2007and FIN-2009-G004 on September 30, 2009."

Update on U.S. Currency Restrictions in Mexico
FinCEN | July 18, 2012
“The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing this Advisory to remind financial institutions of previously-published information concerning regulatory restrictions imposed on Mexican financial institutions for transactions in U.S. currency. In 2010, FinCEN issued an Advisory (2010 Advisory) informing financial institutions of then-recently enacted restrictions.

Since the issuance of the 2010 Advisory, FinCEN has been working with law enforcement, regulatory, and international partners, as well as monitoring trends in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data, to identify changes to illicit actors' methodologies when moving funds. While the initial restrictions were applied to Mexican banks, on September 9, 2010, similar restrictions were issued for exchange houses (casas de cambio) and brokerages (casas de bolsa). For additional information, financial institutions may wish to visit the Mexican Ministry of Finance's website to find the regulatory text and any further updates.”

Treasury Identifies Belarusian JSC Credexbank as an Institution of “Primary Money Laundering Concern"
U.S. Department of Treasury | May 22, 2012
“The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on May 5, 2012 the identification of Belarus-based JSC CredexBank (Credex) as a financial institution of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Section 311).”