How Businesses Prevent Money Laundering

Money laundering is the central issue for most businesses globally. Billions of dollars are moved worldwide every year and the amount is still rising. Among the top risk areas of money laundering, Haiti has the most cases and a risk score of 8.25 as of reports of 2023. With an alarming rise in these practices, businesses need to understand the root of the problem and the possible solutions to it. This article will discuss the AML stages that can help firms prevent money laundering across their channels. Startups can also follow these tactics to avoid becoming the early victims and damaging their reputation in the business market. 

Before diving deep into the stages of money laundering, let us first explore fraudster tactics to launder money from organizational channels.

How Fraudsters Launder Money

Money laundering is the safest route fraudsters take to clean their illicit finances and use them for illegal means such as terrorism financing, drug trafficking, and other digital crimes. They target organizations with weak Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols. How do they do it? Well, there are several practices fraudsters follow to carry out money laundering. Identity forgery is the first tactic to bypass AML stages and checks across any organization. They appear to be someone else to gain access to organizational networks and process their transactions. 

Other than that, cybercriminals attempt network breaches or hack the systems to move finances from one place to another taking others’ resources and valuables. These digital crimes are increasing each year with the new 4 stages of money laundering that are, forgery, breaches, false invoicing, and reselling.

How to Counter Money Laundering

Businesses must comply with AML and KYC protocols to implement the required AML stages for detecting and preventing money laundering effectively. Many people argue that there are 3 stages of anti money laundering but this blog will explain each phase in detail dividing some stages for better understanding. Let’s explore how to counter money laundering in the paragraphs below. 

AML Stages – Monitor Transactions

In the list of AML stages, the first and foremost method to prevent money laundering is transaction monitoring within the organization. It is necessary to track every transaction that is performed from the in-house networks, from payouts to investments and business dealings. Having a record of all transactions can help firms to point out suspicious transactions that can potentially lead to money laundering. 

Always Verify Source

The second crucial component of the AML stages is the verification of the source. Always do transaction monitoring and double-check the source before accepting any transaction within the financial network. Even if the amount is significantly low risk but has a shady source, it can be an illicit one as fraudsters sometimes divide a bigger amount into small chunks and circulate across various business networks. It is one of the stages of anti money laundering which needs to be countered accordingly or else it can have severe consequences. 

• Due Diligence for International Transactions

Speaking of verifying the source of each incoming business transaction, this part is a further explanation of due diligence. Mostly, international transactions require thorough due diligence compared to internal. 

Risk Monitoring

Risk monitoring is the process of making a list of all risky transactions that occur within a specific period. It helps firms to identify potential money laundering attempts and ensures overall security.

Impacts of Money Laundering

Money laundering poses severe repercussions on organizational resources and the working hierarchy. Its detrimental effects extend to the financial landscape, substantially undermining market transactions and potentially triggering legal fines and actions. Failure to adhere to proper Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures can expose businesses to significant setbacks. Firstly, there’s the risk of financial losses as tainted funds may infiltrate legitimate operations. Secondly, legal consequences loom large, encompassing fines and potential legal actions. Lastly, governmental or local authorities may go as far as revoking the operating license of a firm, thus compounding the negative impacts on its existence and functioning. In essence, the absence of stringent AML practices heightens the vulnerability of businesses to a cascade of damaging consequences.

Reputational Damage

Reputation is everything for a business, especially if it is a startup. Having a negative reputation across the business industry can impact significantly the startup’s overall success and acceptance in the long term.

Revenue Loss

Loss in revenue can also impact the long-term sustainability of a business in this era of high inflation. As money launderers attempt to take whatever they can, a major revenue loss can lead to termination of operation, suspension of business partnerships, and significant workforce cuts. 

Fines and Suspensions

By failing to comply with AML stages, the regulatory authorities and international bodies can cause multiple fines and suspension of physical offices and services. This can further impact the working plans and future objectives of enterprizes.

Conclusion

Money laundering is a major issue across industries that heavily impacts businesses every year, from reputational loss to fines and suspensions. To counter this illicit crime, complying with protocols and various AML stages is necessary which not only offers protection but also enables firms to identify bad actors within the organization.