CAMS ACAMS Exam Lab Questions

According to the Wolfsberg Principles on Private Banking, the bank should apply additional diligence to customers who present a higher risk of money laundering or other financial crimes. Some of the indicators for defining such customers are:

Persons residing in or having funds from countries with inadequate AML standards, sanctions, embargoes, or other measures that indicate a higher risk of money laundering or terrorist financing12.

Persons engaged in business activities known to be susceptible to money laundering, such as cash-intensive businesses, gambling, arms trade, precious metals and stones, art and antiquities, etc13.

Persons determined to be Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), who are individuals who hold or have held positions of public trust or influence, or their family members or close associates, and who may pose a higher risk of corruption, bribery, or abuse of power14.

Persons who receive funds from a correspondent banking relationship are not necessarily required additional diligence, unless they fall under any of the above categories or other risk factors. Correspondent banking is a service provided by one bank to another bank to facilitate cross-border transactions, and it is subject to its own set of AML standards and due diligence measures5.

References:

Wolfsberg Anti-Money Laundering Principles for Private Banking (2012) 1

FATF High-Risk and Other Monitored Jurisdictions

FATF Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Vulnerabilities of Legal Professionals

FATF Guidance on Politically Exposed Persons (Recommendations 12 and 22)

FATF Guidance on Correspondent Banking Services

Alternative remittance, also known as underground banking or informal value transfer systems, is a method of transferring money or value without using formal financial institutions or channels. It is often used by migrant workers, refugees, or people who lack access to formal banking services. However, it can also be exploited by criminals and terrorists to move funds across borders without detection or regulation. The Wolfsberg Group, a group of leading international banks that promotes best practices in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, cited alternative remittance as one of the sectors and activities that are widely used for the financing of terrorism in its Statement on the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The Wolfsberg Group recommended that financial institutions apply enhanced and appropriate due diligence to customers engaged in alternative remittance and report any suspicious transactions to the relevant authorities.

References:

Wolfsberg Group (2002). Wolfsberg Statement on Anti-Terrorism Financing1

Pieth, M. (ed.) (2002). Financing Terrorism. Springer, Dordrecht2

ACAMS (2020). CAMS Certification Package (6th Edition)3

The activity of a teller distributing bank brochures to customers who regularly conduct cash transactions below reporting limits warrants further review. This is because the teller may be facilitating or encouraging structuring, which is a form of money laundering that involves breaking down large amounts of cash into smaller transactions to avoid detection or reporting requirements. Structuring is illegal and can expose the institution and the employee to civil or criminal penalties. The teller may also be acting as an agent or a recruiter for money launderers who use the bank’s services to launder their illicit funds12.

References:

1: CAMS Certification Package - 6th Edition | ACAMS, Chapter 2: Money Laundering Risks and Methods, p. 28-29 2: FATF Report: Money Laundering through the Physical Transportation of Cash, October 2015, p. 23-24,