Free ACAMS CAMS-FCI Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 2

When writing and submitting SARs/STRs, one should consider the guidelines issued by the national financial intelligence unit (FIU) and local regulator and incorporate any country-specific requirements. This ensures that the reports are compliant with the relevant laws and regulations and provide useful information to the authorities. The other options are either incorrect or not best practices.

References: Advanced CAMS-FCI Study Guide, page 48-49.

The activity type that the FI should target for creating an automated alert for human trafficking money laundering is multiple deposits between midnight and 4:00 AM (B). This is because this pattern is consistent with the indicators of human trafficking identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Egmont Group1, which include:

• Frequent cash deposits, often in round amounts, outside of normal business hours
• Deposits made at different branches or ATMs in various locations
• Lack of information about the nature and purpose of the business
• Involvement in online platforms that advertise sexual services
• Expenses related to travel and accommodation
• The other options are not as relevant or specific as option B. Payments made to multiple hotels in the same city (A) could be a legitimate business expense or a sign of other types of money laundering, such as tax evasion or fraud. Deposits made within days of major sporting events © could also be explained by other factors, such as increased tourism or gambling. Payments made for virtual currency (D) are not directly related to human trafficking, although they could be used to facilitate money laundering in general.

References: 1: FATF and Egmont Group, Financial Flows from Human Trafficking, July 2018, available at FATF

According to U.S. law, money mules can be prosecuted even if they were unaware that money was transferred, as long as they acted with reckless disregard of the source of the funds or the purpose of the transaction1. This is because money mules are considered to be aiding and abetting money laundering, which does not require proof of specific intent2.

References: 1: Money Mule Awareness Booklet, page 8 2: Money Laundering: An Overview of 18 U.S.C. § 1956 and Related Federal Criminal Law, page 7

A SAR/STR does not require definitive proof or enough circumstantial evidence of suspicious activity, as these are high evidentiary thresholds that may be difficult or impossible to obtain by the FI. A SAR/STR should include a factual description of the suspicious activity, as this is essential for the FIU to analyze and disseminate the information. A low evidentiary threshold means that the FI has reasonable grounds to suspect that the activity is related to money laundering, terrorism financing, or other financial crimes, based on the available relevant factors. This is the main criterion for filing a SAR/STR.

References: Advanced CAMS-FCI Certification | ACAMS, Suspicious activity report - Wikipedia, Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) / Suspicious Activity Report (SAR …

The most concerning trading pattern for a compliance officer when a new customer has been onboarded in a securities firm is the customer accumulating securities of a low volume counter in small increments on a weekly basis. This type of behavior could indicate that the customer is attempting to obscure their identity or the true purpose of their trading activity, which can be indicative of money laundering or other suspicious activity. (CAMS Manual, 6th Edition, Page 170).

The reason why it is important for the casino to maintain control of the output from the provider is that the casino maintains ultimate responsibility for this activity and should maintain control to avoid non-compliance ©. This is because the casino is accountable for its own AML/CFT obligations and cannot delegate or outsource them to a third-party provider. According to the ACAMS Advanced Financial Crimes Investigations Certification Study Guide1, “the FI should ensure that it has adequate oversight and control over any third-party providers that it engages for AML/CFT purposes, such as conducting due diligence, verifying information, or monitoring transactions” (p. 25). The FI should also “review and evaluate the performance and quality of the third-party providers on a regular basis, and address any issues or gaps that may arise” (p. 25).

The other options are not as relevant or accurate as option C. The clients of the casino prefer to know that the casino is keeping their information secure when being held by a third-party (A) is not a reason why the casino should maintain control of the output from the provider, but rather a customer expectation or preference. As with all third-party relationships, proper control must be maintained to ensure profitability (B) is not a reason why the casino should maintain control of the output from the provider, but rather a general business principle or objective. Other casinos are frequently looking to reduce costs and share ideas, so if this relationship is successful, the model can be used by other businesses (D) is not a reason why the casino should maintain control of the output from the provider, but rather a potential benefit or outcome.

According to the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) Manual [1], 6th edition, financial entities that violate Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws can face several reputational risks such as loss of high-profile customers, seizure of assets, increased audit costs to monitor behavior, and monetary penalties. For example, the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposes civil money penalties on "persons who willfully violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause any violation of any provision of the Bank Secrecy Act or its implementing regulations." (CAMS Manual, 6th edition, page 26).

The pattern of activity that most strongly indicates an individual is a foreign terrorist fighter is a large cash advance on a credit card and purchases at travel and sporting goods websites. This is because this pattern may suggest that the individual is preparing to travel to a conflict zone and purchase equipment or supplies for terrorist activities. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, some of the indicators of foreign terrorist fighters include1:

• Sudden or increased financial activity, such as cash withdrawals, transfers, or deposits, especially in large amounts or involving foreign currency or locations.
• Purchases of travel-related items, such as airline tickets, passports, visas, luggage, or clothing, especially to or from high-risk destinations or transit hubs.
• Purchases of items that could be used for terrorist purposes, such as weapons, explosives, chemicals, communication devices, or survival gear.
• Changes in behavior, such as expressing radical views, cutting ties with family or friends, joining extremist groups, or displaying signs of emotional distress.

References:

Foreign Terrorist Fighters - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The correct answer is D because it is a suspicious activity that Y, who is the authorized signatory of the customer, also signed on behalf of the lenders. This indicates a possible conflict of interest, collusion, or fraud. The other options are not suspicious activities based on the information given.

References: [Advanced CAMS-FCI Study Guide], page 17-18

The additional information that would trigger filing a SAR/STR is the fact that the funds for the seed capital were in the form of 50 cashier’s checks of 10,000 GBP each and 50 money orders of 10,000 GBP. This is because this indicates a possible attempt to avoid the reporting threshold of 10,000 GBP for cash transactions, which is a common money laundering technique known as structuring or smurfing12. The other options are not necessarily suspicious, as they do not involve cash transactions or indicate any illicit source of funds. The fact that the client’s spouse was a PEP does not automatically make the transaction suspicious unless there are other red flags or risk factors associated with the PEP34

References: 1: Money Laundering Techniques 2: Structuring 3: Politically exposed person 4: PEP Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster