Money Laundering Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two key pieces of money laundering legislation?

A

Proceeds of Crime Act 2022

Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017

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2
Q

What are some money laundering warning signs?

A
  • Instructions outside your firm’s area of expertise: eg taking on work in which the firm has no background, but in which the client claims to be an expert;
  • Unusual retainers: eg dispute which settles too easily might indicate sham litigation;
  • Use of client accounts; eg a client deposits funds in your account but ends the transaction for no apparent reason. Solicitors must not provide a banking service for their clients - should only use client accounts to hold money for legitimate transactions for clients
  • Setting up a trust: should consider if the purpose of the trust could be to launder criminal property - ascertain the purpose of the trust and why any unusual jurisdiction or structure is being used
  • Property Purchase: look out for large payments from private funds, especially if the client has a low income; look out for payments from a number of individuals or sources
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3
Q

Money laundering - suspicious fact patterns

A
  • a seller and buyer with similar names or who give the same address
  • a seller and buyer both from jurisdiction outside the UK
  • ‘mistakes’ regarding an overpayment to your client account
  • monies arriving from a third party who is not your client
  • your client asking you to send monies to an unknown third party
  • documents which appear to show a seller and a buyer with similar signatures
  • clients attempting to pay large sums of cash
  • offshore vehicles being made parties to a deal
  • money coming from or being requested to be sent to offshore tax havens
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4
Q

High Risk jurisdictions:

A

Financial Action Task Force:
- North Korea
- Iran
- Myanmar

European Commission:
- Afghanistan
- Barbados
- Burkina Faso
- Cayman Islands
- Congo
- Haiti
- Syria
- Uganda
- Vanuata
- Yemen
- South Sudan
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tanzania
- Philippines
- Iran
- Nigeria
- North Korea

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5
Q

How to stop money laundering

A

Attributes: high jurisdiction, occupation

Activities: what is the client engaged in/wants you to do

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6
Q

What are the two kinds of offences under the PoCA?

A
  • Direct Involvement Offences: apply to everyone
  • Indirect involvement offences: apply to people working in the regulated sector
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7
Q

Money laundering: golden rule

A

If you suspect that a person you are dealing with is planning to transfer criminal property to your firm or employer’s bank account, the golden rule is:

Report your concern to you MLRO or other nominated officer.

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8
Q

What are the direct involvement offences?

A

S327: concealing, disguising, converting or transferring criminal property or removing criminal property from the UK

s328: entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement which you know or suspect facilitates (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property on or behalf of another person

s329: acquiring, using or possessing criminal property

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9
Q

What are the ‘disclosure’ defences to direct involvement offences?

A

They involve an ‘authorised disclosure’ - a disclosure to a constable, customs officer or a nominated officer by the alleged offender that property is criminal property.

AND

one of 3 conditions are satisfied:
- 338(2): authorised disclosure is before the alleged offender does the prohibited act

  • (2A): disclosure is made during the prohibited act AND he began to do the act at a time when the act was not prohibited (because he did not know or suspect that the property constituted criminal conduct) AND the disclosure is made on his own initiative as soon as it is practicable
  • (3): disclosure is made after the prohibited act AND there is a good reason for the solicitor’s failure to make the disclosure before he did the act AND the disclosure is made on his own initiative as soon as it is practicable to make it

e.g. threatened with physical harm unless he makes the deposit

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10
Q

What is a disclosure to a nominated officer?

A

A disclosure which:

  • is made to a person nominated by the alleged offender’s employer to receive authorised disclosures, and
  • is made in the course of the alleged offender’s employment

In law firms the nominated officer is the MLRO

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11
Q

What are the other defences to direct involvement offences?

A
  • making a disclosure AND having the appropriate consent
  • not making a disclosure but having a reasonable excuse for doing so
  • the prohibited act is in carrying out a function the individual has relating to the enforcement of any provision or PoCA or any other enforcement relating to criminal conduct or benefit from criminal conduct.

Also no offence committed if the criminal conduct which makes the property in question criminal property took place outside the UK and was not unlawful in the territory in which it took place (and is not the subject of an order made by the Secretary of State)

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12
Q

What is the regulated sector?

A

Business and activities including insurance companies, investment services, accountancy services, insolvency practitioners and providing tax advice.

Also includes ‘participating in financial and real property transactions’ concerning:
- the buying and selling of real property or business entities
- the managing of client money, securities or other assets
- the opening or management of bank, savings or securities accounts
- the organisation of contributions necessary for the creation, operation and management of companies
- the creation, operation or management of trusts, companies or similar structures

by a firm or sole practitioner who by way or business provides legal or notarial services to other persons.

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13
Q

What are the two non-direct involvement offences?

A

S330: failure to disclose
S333A: tipping off

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14
Q

What is the offence of failure to disclose?

A

It is an offence to fail to disclose to the firm’s MLRO or the National Crime Agency if

(a) you know or suspect or have reasonable grounds to know or suspect that someone is laundering the proceeds of any criminal conduct

(b) you receive the information in the course of business in the regulated sector; and

(c) you can identify the person who is laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct OR the whereabouts of the laundered property OR that the information referred to in (b) or may assist in identifying the person in (a)

Disclosure must contain:
- identity of the person suspected of criminal conduct
- the whereabouts of the laundered property if you know it
- the information on which you knowledge/suspicion is based

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15
Q

How long must you wait after disclosing?

A

If the MLRO makes a disclosure by way of a suspicious activity report (SAR) to NCA neither the MLRO nor fee earner should authorise or undertake any prohibited activity unless:
- authorised to do so by NCA; or
- seven working days (notice period) has passed from disclosure to NCA and the NCA has not refused authority to proceed; or
- NCA refused consent during the notice period and the moratorium period (31 days stating with the day the firm received notice that consent was refused) has expired

Similar disclosure obligations to those in s330 are placed on MLROs in the regulated sector by s331. However, the MLRO has to make a decision whether or not to report the issue to the NCA.

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16
Q

What is the offence of tipping off?

A

It is also an offence to ‘tip-off’ clients about any report made of information that came to you in the course of business in the regulated sector.

Also an offence to disclose that an investigation is being contemplated or carried out if the disclosure is likely to prejudice the investigation.

17
Q

What are the penalties for direct involvement offences?

A
  • Fine and 14 years prison
18
Q

What are the penalties for indirect involvement offences?

A
  • Fine and 5 years imprisonment
19
Q

Who do the money laundering regulations apply to?

A

Independent legal professionals buying and selling businesses and property and setting up trusts, client money

Most law firms will follow it even if not participating in a regulated activity (e.g. most cases relating to employment and litigation)

20
Q

What is a business relationship?

A

Expected by the relevant person at the time at which contact is established to have an element of duration.

21
Q

What is an occasional transaction?

A

A transaction which is not carried out as part of a business relationship, ie a ‘one-off transaction’

22
Q

What are the types of client due diligence (CDD)?

A
  • Simplified CDD
  • Standard CDD
  • Enhanced CDD
23
Q

Who is a beneficial owner?

A

Beneficial owner is anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of the share in the company.

24
Q

Can a solicitor rely on CDD carried out by another person?

A

Technically a solicitor may rely on CDD carried out by another law firm with the consent of that law firm, but in practice this is rare partly because the solicitor will remain liable for any failure to carry out CDD.

only rely on cdd from:
- credit or financial institution
- auditors
- insolvency practitioners
- external accountants and tax advisors
- independent legal professionals

25
Q

When does CDD need to be carried out?

A
  • establishing a business relationship
  • carrying out an occasional transaction
  • suspects money laundering or terrorist financing
  • has doubts about the veracity or adequacy of the identification documents, data or information previously provided
26
Q

What is required when carrying out standard CDD?

A
  • Identify the customer and verify their identity: on the basis of documents/data received from a reliable and independent source and assess and where appropriate obtain information on, the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship or transaction

where the customer is a company identify its:
- name
- company number
- address of its registered office and if different its principal place of business
- the law to which it is subject
- its constitutional documents
- the names of the directors or members of its management body and senior management

Must also identify the beneficial owner (more than 25% ownership or control)

Ongoing monitoring of the business relationship e.g. ensuring any documentation/data/information held is up to date

27
Q

Who is a person with significant control?

A

An individual who owns more than 25% of the shares or voting rights in the company or who has the power to appoint or remove a majority of its board of directors.

Every UK company is required to identify these.

Can’t just rely on this but it makes identifying beneficial owners of a UK company much more straightforward.

28
Q

When must enhanced CDD be carried out?

A
  • where there is a high risk of money laundering or terrorist financing
  • in any transaction or business relationship with a person established in a high-risk third country
  • in relation to correspondent relationships
  • if a relevant person has determined that a person is a PEP or a family member or close associate of a PEP
  • where a customer has provided false or stolen identification documentation or information on establishing a relationship
  • where the transaction is: complex, unusually large, an unusual pattern of transactions, or transactions have no apparent economic or legal purpose
29
Q

Who is a PEP?

A

Politically exposed person - someone who is entrusted with a prominent public function - they generally present a higher risk for potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they hold

30
Q

What does enhanced CDD include?

A
  • examining the background and purpose of the transaction
  • increasing the degree and nature of monitoring of the relevant relationship to determine whether the transaction or relationship appear suspicious
  • getting additional independent, reliable sources to verify information
  • taking additional measures to understand the background and financial situation of the customer and other parties to the transaction and taking further steps to be satisfied the transaction is consistent with the purpose and intended nature of the relationship; and
  • taking further steps to be satisfied the transaction is consistent with the purpose and intended nature of the relationship
31
Q

Enhanced CDD: high risk counties

A

Must include:

Obtaining additional information on:
- the client and the client’s background
- the intended nature of the business relationship
- the source of funds and source of wealth of the client and of the client’s beneficial owner
- the reasons for the transaction

Obtaining the approval of senior management of the practice for establishing or continuing the business relationship; and

Conducting enhanced monitoring of the business relationship by increasing the number and timing of controls applied and selecting patterns of transactions that need further examination

32
Q

When can simplified CDD be carried out?

A

Where there is a low risk of money laundering or terrorist financing having taken into account the risk assessment and risk factors.

Low risk factors:
- public administration (local authority)
- publicly owned enterprise
- financial or credit institution
- company listed on a regulated market eg LSE
- individual resident in a geographical area of low risk

Product, service, transaction:
- life insurance policy with low premium, pension scheme which meets certain conditions, a child trust fund, a junior ISA

33
Q

Evidence: UK natural person

A

Current signed passport

Current photocard driving licence

Often firms will use reputable electronic data service providers who have access to databases by a number of agencies like the passport office and companies house.

34
Q

What evidence do you need to gather for a Partnership?

A

Not a separate legal entity so you must obtain information on the constituent individuals such as:

  • name
  • trading address
  • registered address
  • name of business
35
Q

Evidence for UK listed public company

A
  • company name
  • company number or other registration number
  • address of the registered office and if different principal place of business
  • confirmation of the company’s listing on the regulated market such as:
    copy of the dated page of the website of the relevant stock exchange showing the listing, photocopy of the listing in a reputable daily newspaper, information from a reputable electronic verification service provider

Where a company is listed on a regulated market you only need to carry out simplified due diligence.

Verification sources:
- search of the relevant company registry
- a copy of the company’s certificate of incorporation
- a copy of their audited accounts
- information from a reputable electronic verification service provider

36
Q

Evidence: UK private and unlisted companies

A

Obtain and verify:
- name
- company number or other registration number
- address of the registered office and principal place of business

Must also take reasonable measure to determine and verify:
- the law to which the company is subject and its constitution
- full names of the board of directors and senior persons responsible for its operations

Verification sources:
- certificate of incorporation
- articles of association
- filed audited accounts
- details from the relevant company registry confirming the company’s details and the directors, including the directors’ addresses; or
- information from a reputable electronic verification service provider