Bank Secrecy Act:

What is Money Laundering?

Money Laundering involves transactions intended to disguise the true source of funds; disguise the ultimate disposition of the funds; eliminate any audit trail and make it appear as though the funds came through legitimate sources; and evade income taxes.

Money laundering erodes the integrity of a nation’s financial system by reducing tax revenues through underground economies, restricting fair competition with legitimate businesses, and disrupting economic development. Ultimately, laundered money flows into global financial systems where it could undermine national economies and currencies. Thus, money laundering is not only a law enforcement problem, but poses a serious national and international security threat as well.

Combating Money Laundering

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) was enacted by Congress in 1970 to require insured depository institutions to maintain certain records and to report certain currency transactions, in an effort to prevent banks from being used to hide money derived from criminal activity and tax evasion. These records and reports have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, and regulatory investigations and proceedings. Since 1970, there have been many legislative and regulatory standards imposed to help prevent money laundering and to strengthen the government’s ability to combat money laundering and more recently, terrorist activity financing.

History of Anti-Money Laundering Legislation

1970 Bank Secrecy Act

• Required banks to report cash transactions over $10,000 via the Currency Transaction Report (CTR).
  

1986 Money Laundering Control Act

• Criminalized the act of money laundering;
• Prohibited structuring transactions to evade CTR filings; and
• Introduced civil and criminal forfeiture for BSA violations.
  

1988 Money Laundering Prosecution Improvement Act

• Expanded the definition of financial institution to include businesses such as car dealers and real estate closing personnel and required them to file reports on large currency transactions; and
• Required the verification of identity of purchasers of monetary instruments over $3,000.
  

1990 Bank Fraud Prosecution and Taxpayer Recovery Act of 1990 (Crime Control Act)

• Updated the FDIC Statement of Policy issued pursuant to Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act that prohibits, without the prior written consent of the FDIC, any person from participating in banking who has been convicted of a crime of dishonesty or breach of trust or money laundering, or who has entered a pretrial diversion in connection with such an offense.
  

1992 Annunzio-Wylie Money Laundering Suppression Act

• Added Sections 18(w) to FDI Act which provides for the revocation of federal deposit insurance of institutions convicted of certain money laundering crimes;
• Required Suspicious Activity Reports and eliminated criminal referrals; and
• Required Verification and recordkeeping for wire transfers.
  

1994 Money Laundering Suppression Act

• Required banking agencies to develop anti-money laundering examination procedures; and
• Streamlined CTR exemption process.
  

1998 Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Strategy Act

• Required banking agencies to develop anti-money laundering training for examiners;
• Required Treasury and other agencies to develop a National Money Laundering Strategy; and
• Created the High Intensity Money Laundering and Related Financial Crime Area (HIFCA) Task Forces.
  

2001 Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools to Restrict, Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act)

• Required government-institution information sharing and voluntary information among financial institutions;
• Required verification of customer identity program;
• Required enhanced due diligence programs, and
• Required anti-money laundering programs across the financial services industry.
  

Other Resources

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) Publications
The Federal Reserve Board
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation