According to the Basel Committee's Customer Due Diligence for Banks paper, one of the essential elements of a sound KYC programme is customer identification. This includes obtaining sufficient information to understand the nature and purpose of thecustomer relationship, the source of funds, and the beneficial ownership and control structure of the customer1. For corporate business entities, this means that a bank needs to have an understanding of the structure of the company, such as its legal form, its ownership, its directors, its line of business, and its geographical locations2. This will help the bank to assess the risk profile of the customer, to verify its identity and legitimacy, and to monitor its transactions for any suspicious activities.
:
1: Customer due diligence for banks, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, October 2001, Section III.
2 2: General Guide to Account Opening and Customer Identification, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, February 2003, Section 2.2.1 Reference: https://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs77.pdf

A suspicious transaction report (STR) is a document that financial institutions must file with the relevant authorities when they detect or suspect any activity that may be related to money laundering, terrorist financing, or other criminal offences. An STR should include the details of the customer, the transaction, the reason for suspicion, and any other relevant information.
One of the indicators of suspicious activity is the use of financial instruments, such as checks, money orders, or cashier's checks, that are drawn on other institutions and deposited in amounts under the currency reporting thresholds. This may suggest that the customer is trying to avoid the detection and reporting of large cash transactions, which is a technique known as structuring or smurfing. Structuring is illegal and may indicate that the customer is laundering money from illicit sources or evading taxes.
Another indicator of suspicious activity is the use of financial instruments that are sequentially numbered, meaning that they have consecutive serial numbers. This may suggest that the customer has obtained the instruments from the same source or issuer, and that they are using them to launder money or finance illegal activities. Sequentially numbered instruments may also indicate that the customer is involved in fraud, such as check kiting or counterfeit checks.
Therefore, if a bank conducts a quarterly review on a retail customer's account and finds that the customer has made a number of large deposits of financial instruments drawn on other institutions in amounts under the thresholds, and that the instruments were sequentially numbered, the bank will most likely file an STR. This is because this activity does not fit the customer's historical profile, and it raises a high level of suspicion that the customer is engaged in money laundering or other criminal activities.
:
CAMS Study Guide - 6th Edition, Chapter 4, Section 4.2, page 108
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Suspicious Activity Reporting and Other Anti-Money Laundering Considerations, Question 5, page 7 Anti-money laundering - handling suspicious activity, Section 6.3, page 3 Tell us about suspicious activity that may be linked to money laundering, Section 3, page 1

According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards for suspicious activity reports (SARs) information sharing within a financial group, "Financial institutions should establish adequate procedures to ensure that confidentiality of information is maintained and that information is only used for purposes permitted under national law. Where the parent institution is located in a country that does not permit such sharing, financial institutions should take measures to address this limitation" (CAMS Manual, 6th Edition, page 476). Therefore, financial institutions must establish sufficient safeguards concerning the confidentiality of information shared for AML purposes.

A compliance officer should consider the following three factors as part of the approach to implement an enterprise-wide anti-money laundering program for a bank that operates in multiple countries:
* The types of customers serviced by the bank: Different types of customers may pose different levels of money laundering risk, depending on their nature, source of funds, geographic location, transaction patterns, and other factors. A compliance officer should identify and assess the money laundering risk associated with each customer type and segment, and apply appropriate due diligence measures, monitoring systems, and risk mitigation strategies accordingly12.
* The extent of anti-money laundering regulations in the various countries: A compliance officer should be aware of the legal and regulatory requirements and expectations for anti-money laundering compliance in each country where the bank operates, and ensure that the bank's policies and procedures are consistent with them. A compliance officer should also monitor any changes or updates in the anti- money laundering laws and regulations in the various countries, and adjust the bank's program accordingly34.
* The anti-money laundering risk posed by the products and services offered by the bank: Different products and services may have different features and functionalities that could be exploited by money launderers, such as anonymity, cross-border transfers, cash transactions,complex structures, or new technologies. A compliance officer should evaluate the money laundering risk associated with each product and service offered by the bank, and implement appropriate controls, safeguards, and oversight mechanisms to prevent and detect money laundering activities5 .
:
1: ACAMS, CAMS Study Guide, 6th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Assessments
2: FATF, Guidance for a Risk-Based Approach: The Banking Sector
3: ACAMS, CAMS Study Guide, 6th Edition, Chapter 3: Compliance Standards for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT)
4: Deloitte, AML Program Effectiveness Reform
5: ACAMS, CAMS Study Guide, 6th Edition, Chapter 4: AML Program Design
[6]: OCC, Money Laundering: A Banker's Guide to Avoiding Problems

When investigating apotentially suspicious cross-border payment, a financial institution should followrisk- based due diligence procedures.
* Option B (Correct):Sanctions screeningis critical to ensure theoriginator or beneficiaryisnot listed on OFAC, EU, UN, or other sanctions lists.
* Option C (Correct):Requestingsupporting documents(e.g., invoices, contracts) helps determine whether the transaction isconsistent with the customer's profile.
* Option D (Correct):Conductingnegative news (adverse media) checkshelps identifyfinancial crime risks, such as fraud or money laundering.
* Option A (Incorrect):Banksdo not directly calltransaction recipients unless there is a clear suspicion requiring customer verification.
* Option E (Incorrect):314(b) requestsunder theUSA PATRIOT Actallow information sharing among
U.S. financial institutions butcannot be used for foreign banks.
Reference:FATF Recommendation 13 (Correspondent Banking), Wolfsberg Group Correspondent Banking Due Diligence, USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b).