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Suspicious Activity Report Leads to Conviction of Chief Executive

A Suspicious Activity Report filed by a financial institution led to a bank fraud investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General. The Suspicious Activity Report implicated a loan secretary in the misapplication of…

Corrupt Official Convicted on Numerous Charges Including Structuring

In a case where a corrupt politician extorted money from his constituents, investigators examining his financial records found numerous instances of structuring. In fact, three different banks filed SARs on the defendant detailing unusual transactions. Prosecutors charged the official with…

Suspicious Activity Reports Document Transactions of International Fraud Ring

In a case that started when a bank notified federal agents that it intended to file a SAR on two subjects, investigators utilized BSA records to uncover additional participants in a fraud scheme. The investigation determined that the participants used stolen account information to steal funds…

Reporting Suspicious Activity - A Quick Reference Guide for MSBs
Doctor Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Failure to Comply with BSA Reporting Requirements for Overseas Accounts

Case summary: In 2010, a United States Attorney announced that a doctor pled guilty to conspiracy to impede the United States and to making a false statement. He was facing a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000.

Case details: According to court…

Bank Secrecy Act Records Help Initiate Case and Lead to Networking of Separate Investigations

In 2005, a U.S. Attorney announced the indictment of three individuals operating an under-the-table payroll scheme. Under the scheme, defendants allegedly paid hundreds of temporary employees tens of millions of dollars in unreported cash payroll over a ten-year period. The case, initiated and…

Operation Cheque Mate

Operation Cheque Mate was initiated in June 2002, after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement source provided information about a United Kingdom-based organization defrauding United States futures and securities firms. This source led to the discovery of many Suspicious Activity Reports which…

SAR Leads to Convictions of Members of Computer Chip Theft Ring

A New Hampshire bank filed a SAR on a group of individuals who were cashing numerous checks from a local salvage company for amounts under $10,000. Based on this SAR, an investigation was initiated by IRS-CI. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that the men cashing the…

Suspicious Activity Report Leads to Structuring Conviction and Links to Drug Investigation

In 2005, a federal judge sentenced an individual to two years in prison for structuring monetary transactions to avoid reporting requirements. The case started when a financial institution documented unusual financial activity on a series of SARs and notified the Internal Revenue Service, which…

SARs Help Uncover Bid-Rigging Scandal

In a case where political corruption led to bid rigging of public housing contracts in order to defraud the government, BSA records proved instrumental in understanding the scheme. In this case, perpetrators repeatedly structured financial transactions in order to hide business relationships and…