the bank teller should not provide any information to the police officer without consulting the compliance officer first. The compliance officer is responsible for ensuring that the bank follows the applicable laws and regulations regarding customer privacy, dataprotection, and anti-money laundering. The compliance officer can verify the authenticity and validity of the request, determine the appropriate response, and obtain any necessary approvals or authorizations before releasing any information. The bank teller should not reject the request outright, as this could be seen as uncooperative or obstructive. The bank teller should also not provide the information after management approval, as this could bypass the compliance officer's role and expose the bank to legal or regulatory risks.
Bank Records and Financial Privacy Laws - FindLaw1
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Risk Assessment | ACAMS2
What is the Difference Between Smurfing and Structuring?3

PEPs posehigher risks for corruption and money laundering, requiringenhanced due diligence (EDD).
* Option D (Correct):Understanding aPEP's source of wealth and fundsensureslegitimacy of transactions.
* Option A (Incorrect):Commercial databases help identify PEPsbutdo not mitigate risk alone.
* Option B (Incorrect):Lowering monitoring thresholds, not raising them, helps detect suspicious activity.
* Option C (Incorrect):Regulatory approval isnot required, but internal risk assessments are.
Reference:FATF Recommendation 12 (Politically Exposed Persons), Wolfsberg Group AML Guidance for PEPs.

USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b)allows financial institutions tovoluntarily share information with one another, after notifying the U.S. Treasury, toidentify and report possible money laundering or terrorist financing activities.
Key elements include:
Voluntary participation
Prior notice to FinCEN (part of the U.S. Treasury)
Protection from liability when acting in good faith
Enhanced collaborative detection across institutions
Section 314(a)refers toinformation sharing between law enforcement and financial institutions, not peer-to- peer sharing.
COSMICis an initiative in certain jurisdictions like Singapore, not U.S. regulation.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1624is part of the EU AML framework, not relevant to U.S. institutions.
Reference: ACAMS CAMS Study Guide - 6th Edition, Chapter:U.S. Regulatory Framework- Section:USA PATRIOT Act - Information Sharing under Section 314(b)

A significant reduction in suspicious transaction report (STR) filings at a particular branch could indicate that the branch is not properly identifying and reporting suspicious activities, or that the branch is experiencing a change in customer behavior or risk profile. Therefore, the most appropriate action for an anti-money laundering specialist is to review the branch exception reports, which are reports that highlight transactions or activities that deviate from the expected or normal patterns, based on the customer profiles and risk assessments. By reviewing the branch exception reports, the specialist can determine whether there are any changes in activity that warrant further investigation or reporting, or whether there are any gaps or weaknesses in the branch's compliance program or procedures.
The other options are not as appropriate as reviewing the branch exception reports, as they do not directly address the issue of suspicious activity reporting. Placing the branch on the watchlist may be a subsequent action, but it does not provide immediate insight into the reason for the reduction in STR filings. Analyzing the branch activity reports may show whether there has been a decrease in branch activity, but it does not explain why the activity has decreased, or whether the remaining activity is suspicious or not. Reviewing the staff records may reveal whether inexperienced personnel are in critical positions without appropriate training, but it does not account for other factors that may affect the branch's compliance performance, such as management oversight, internal controls, or customer risk.
ACAMS CAMS Certification Study Guide (6th edition), page 361; ACAMS CAMS Certification Video Training Course, Module 2, Lesson 12; What Is a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR)? Triggers and Filing3; Reporting suspicious transactions to FINTRAC4.