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Banks / Financial Firms

Be alert to suspicious customer activity:

Persons involved in terrorist activity often exhibit indicators that if observed could identify a potential impending crime or terrorist attack.  The following is a list of some of the characteristics of such persons that you should be aware of during the course of your business.

  • Opens accounts with cash equivalents of $3,000 to $5,000 and/or within 30 days after entering the United States.
  • Identification used to open accounts has been issued through Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirate (UAE)
  • Reluctance to give personal and/or work information
  • Several individuals open a single account but only one person acts as spokesperson
  • Presents a questionable, fraudulent or recently issued driver's license
  • Exhibits secretive and/or paranoid behavior
  • Uses temporary addresses (post office boxes, etc) that change frequently
  • Directly sends/receives wire transfers of small amounts of money to/from foreign countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, etc.)
  • Cash and overseas wire transfers dominate account deposits
  • Makes numerous attempts to withdraw cash a levels that exceed debit card limits
  • Reluctance to deal with female bank personnel
  • Uses false passports and travel documents to open bank accounts

Banks / Financial Institutions are encouraged to report suspicious transactions that may relate to terrorist activity to the United States Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) directly via the Financial Institution Hotline at 1-866-556-3974. Click here to read more. Also, the USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b) permits financial institutions, upon providing notice to the United States Department of the Treasury, to share information with one another in order to identify and report to the federal government activities that may involve money laundering or terrorist activity. Financial institutions wanting to do so may notify the Treasury Department by clicking here.

None of the listed actions, in and of themselves, constitutes a criminal violation.  However, when coupled, the acts may indicate suspicious activity that warrants law enforcement scrutiny.  If you observe person(s) acting suspiciously, as described above, please contact local law enforcement immediately.