Structured transactions are a common method of money laundering, where large amounts of cash are broken down into smaller deposits or withdrawals to avoid reporting thresholds or detection. The most effective tool to detect such transactions is a software program that can link apparently unrelated transactions by using various criteria, such as customer name, address, account number, identification number, transaction amount, date, time, location, etc. Such a program can help identify patterns, trends, and anomalies that may indicate money laundering activity.
ACAMS CAMS Certification Study Guide1, Chapter 2: Money Laundering Risks and Methods, Section 2.2:
Common Money Laundering Methods, pp. 51-52
ACAMS CAMS Certification Video Training Course2, Module 2: Money Laundering Risks and Methods, Lesson 2.2: Common Money Laundering Methods ACAMS CAMS Certification Exam Outline3, Domain 2: Compliance Standards for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Task 2.2: Implement risk-based CDD, EDD and ongoing due diligence policies, procedures and processes, p. 13

A financial institution located in a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member country should address the following issues in its anti-money laundering program when dealing with customers located in countries
/jurisdictions that are not members of FATF:
* The requirement to identify the beneficial owners of accounts: Beneficial owners are the natural persons who ultimately own or control a customer or a legal entity. Identifying the beneficial owners of accounts is a key component of customer due diligence (CDD) and helps the financial institution to assess the risk profile of the customer, prevent the misuse of legal entities for money laundering or terrorist financing, and comply with the FATF Recommendations12.
* The requirement for customer identification for the opening of new accounts: Customer identification is the process of verifying the identity of a customer using reliable and independent sources of information or documents. Customer identification is another essential element of CDD and helps the financial institution to establish a business relationship with the customer, prevent identity fraud, and comply with the FATF Recommendations13.
* The financial institution's obligation to report suspicious transactions: Suspicious transactions are transactions that have no apparent economic or lawful purpose, or are inconsistent with the customer's known profile or business activities, or indicate involvement in money laundering or terrorist financing. Reporting suspicious transactions to the competent authorities is a core obligation of the financial institution under the FATF Recommendations14 and helps to detect and deter illicit activities and support law enforcement investigations.
The obligation to freeze funds involved in suspicious transactions is not an issue that should be addressed in the anti-money laundering program, as it is not a requirement under the FATF Recommendations. The FATF Recommendations require the financial institution to freeze funds or other assets of designated persons and entities that are subject to targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, or other threats to the international financial system1 . However, the financial institution is not obliged to freeze funds involved in suspicious transactions, unless it receives a specific order from the competent authorities or the courts.
The FATF Recommendations, as amended November 2023
Interpretive Note to Recommendation 10 (Customer Due Diligence), paragraphs 5(b) and 6 Recommendation 10 (Customer Due Diligence), paragraph 1 Recommendation 20 (Reporting of Suspicious Transactions) Recommendation 6 (Targeted Financial Sanctions Related to Terrorism and Terrorist Financing), Recommendation 7 (Targeted Financial Sanctions Related to Proliferation), and Recommendation 8 (Non- Profit Organisations)

According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 Recommendations, countries should implement measures to prevent the abuse of non-profit organizations (NPOs) for the financing of terrorism. One of these measures is to ensure that NPOs cannot be used to conceal or obscure the diversion of funds intended for legitimate purposes to terrorists' organizations. This means that countries should have effective mechanisms to monitor and supervise NPOs, especially those that are at risk of terrorist financing abuse, and to take appropriate actions against NPOs that are involved in such activities. Countries should also ensure that NPOs maintain adequate records of their activities and transactions, and that these records are accessible to competent authorities. Furthermore, countries should promote transparency and accountability in the NPO sector, and encourage NPOs to conduct due diligence on their donors, beneficiaries, and associates.
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FATF 40 Recommendations, Recommendation 8 and Interpretive Note to Recommendation 8 Best Practices on Combating the Abuse of Non-Profit Organisations, FATF, June 2015 COMBATING THE ABUSE OF NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS (RECOMMENDATION 8), FATF, June 2015 Reference:http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/BPP-combating-abuse-non- profitorganisations.pdf(p.9)

According to the ACAMS Study Guide 6th Edition, Chapter 2, page 37, one of the red flags of money laundering or terrorist financing is the use of nominees, trusts, or third parties to hide the identity, ownership, or control of the funds or assets involved in the transaction. Nominees are individuals or entities that act on behalf of the actual or beneficial owners of a company, trust, or account, and may be used to conceal the source, destination, or purpose of the funds or assets. Nominees may also be used to evade taxes, sanctions, or regulatory requirements.
In this case, the compliance officer is unable to verify the identity of the beneficial owners of the company, and only information on the nominee owners was provided. This raises the suspicion that the company may be involved in money laundering or terrorist financing activities, and that the nominee owners may be acting as fronts or intermediaries for the actual or beneficial owners. The compliance officer should conduct further due diligence on the company, the nominee owners, and the beneficial owners, and report any suspicious or unusual activity to the relevant authorities.
ACAMS Study Guide 6th Edition, Chapter 2, page 37
Beneficial Ownership Meaning and Regulation - Investopedia
What is a nominee shareholder? | LawBite

A Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) is required when a financial institution detects activity that raises suspicion of money laundering, terrorist financing, or fraud.
Option A (Correct): Inability to verify customer identification documents is a red flag for potential financial crime and may require reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Option B (Incorrect): PEPs require enhanced due diligence (EDD), but their involvement alone does not automatically trigger a SAR.
Option C (Incorrect): Dealers in precious metals/stones are high-risk, but being in this industry alone does not warrant an automatic SAR.
Option D (Incorrect): Crypto-to-fiat transactions are not inherently suspicious, but they require monitoring for unusual activity.
Key SAR Filing Triggers:
Transactions that do not match the customer's expected activity.
Incomplete, fraudulent, or unverifiable customer identification.
Use of shell companies or unusual intermediaries.
Large or structured transactions with no apparent legitimate purpose.
Best Practices for SAR Compliance:
Implement robust customer due diligence (CDD) processes.
Monitor transaction behavior against expected patterns.
Follow jurisdictional SAR filing deadlines to avoid penalties.
Reference:
FATF Recommendation 20 (Reporting Suspicious Transactions)
6th EU AML Directive (6AMLD) on Suspicious Transactions Reporting
FinCEN SAR Filing Guidelines