Luxuries and larceny: ‘Following the goods’ for AML prevention
May 24, 2024
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Guest Jessica Cath, Head of Financial Crime at Thistle Initiatives, discusses how money launderers use luxury goods like cars and watches to hide wealth. Topics include stages of money laundering, secondary markets, risk-based measures for businesses, and responsible consumer purchasing decisions to avoid complicity in financial crime.
Luxury goods serve as an easy entry point for illicit cash in money laundering, aiding the placement stage.
Secondary markets play a significant role in layering illicit funds and disguising the origin of goods.
Deep dives
Understanding the Definition of Luxury Goods in Money Laundering
The scope of luxury goods in money laundering includes items above 10,000 euros, which need to adhere to money laundering requirements such as large cash transactions or multiple payments adding up to the threshold.
Impact of Luxury Goods in Money Laundering Techniques
Luxury goods serve as an easy entry point for illicit cash, facilitating the placement stage of money laundering. These high-value, easily movable items are used for layering by mixing and reselling, allowing launderers to disguise the source and potentially make a profit.
Role of Secondary Markets in Money Laundering with Luxury Goods
Secondary marketplaces play a significant role in layering illicit funds, providing opportunities to resell and further disguise the origin of goods. Different regulations in various jurisdictions affect the effectiveness of AML controls in these secondary platforms.
Mitigating Money Laundering Risks in Luxury Goods Transactions
Businesses selling luxury goods should conduct customer due diligence, record-keeping, report suspicious activities, and provide adequate training for staff to identify risks. Implementing tailored controls based on specific risks in each sector can mitigate the threat of money laundering.
Fancy cars. Diamond-covered watches. Luxury vacations at 5-star resorts. These are some of the many high-ticket purchases money launderers might illegally make to disguise the origins of their wealth.
So, what actions can be taken to fight this nefarious activity? How can businesses and consumers avoid complicity and prevent financial crime in the luxury goods' space?
We are thrilled to welcome back esteemed guest and expert, Jessica Cath, Head of Financial Crime at Thistle Initiatives. Her dynamic and engaging conversation with host, Alex Pillow, dives into questions like:
What constitutes a luxury good?
What are the three stages of money laundering?
What role do secondary markets play in luxury goods' money laundering?
What risk-based measures can businesses take to protect their reputations and meet regulatory obligations?
How can individual consumers make more responsible purchasing decisions to avoid unintentionally abetting financial criminal?
If you are keen to learn more about luxury goods and AML, we encourage you to check out these additional resources: