Poll Archive

2024

October 2024

How effective do you believe AI and machine learning are in combating financial crime?
Highly effective
88%
56
Moderately effective
8%
5
Slightly effective
2%
1
Not effective at all
3%
2

September 2024

What has been the major focus for your institution with the recent global challenges affecting financial institutions?
Artificial intelligence
8%
81
Fraud
33%
334
Sanctions
31%
307
Terrorist financing
28%
283

August 2024

In your opinion, what is the primary benefit of using artificial intelligence in anti-financial crime?
Enhanced detection
12%
217
Cost efficiency
29%
542
Faster investigations
30%
552
Improved compliance
30%
554

July 2024

Are you personally afraid of falling victim to a pig butchering scam or other type of cyber fraud?
Yes
92%
1023
Somewhat
3%
31
No
5%
57

June 2024

Has your financial institution started an information-sharing partnership with law enforcement?
Yes
7%
118
No
46%
733
Looking into it
47%
754

May 2024

How busy is the fraud department in your financial institution this year in comparison to previous years?
Much busier
9%
107
Slightly busier
32%
391
Less busy
28%
350
No change
31%
389

April 2024

Do you think the value of artificial intelligence in the fight against financial crime is being overestimated?  
Yes
8%
63
No
45%
347
Not Sure
47%
360

March 2024

How gender inclusive is your financial institution?
Women occupy leadership roles
30%
346
Women have more work flexibility
21%
249
Women and men are paid the same salary for the same position
23%
268
More initiatives need to take place for gender equality
26%
296

February 2024

Do your compliance and fraud departments collaborate on investigations?
Yes
96%
1435
Seldom
3%
46
Never
1%
11

2023

December 2023

In your opinion, what will be the biggest threat related to financial crime we will face in 2024?
Terrorist financing
79%
1752
Cyberattacks/ransomware
14%
305
Money laundering
3%
71
Human exploitation
2%
43
Fentanyl/drug trafficking
2%
48

December 2023

How worried are you about becoming a victim of fraud this holiday season?
Extremely worried
5%
19
Somewhat worried
46%
185
Minimally worried
49%
196

November 2023

How often does your institution update its know your customer and customer due diligence programs?
Monthly
6%
28
Annually
53%
233
Only when mandated by law
41%
178

October 2023

How often does your financial institution train personnel on cybersecurity?
Monthly
15%
13
Yearly
55%
48
Biannually
10%
9
More than three times a year
20%
18

September 2023

Is your financial institution taking the necessary precautions to mitigate check fraud?
Yes
74%
66
To some extent
17%
15
No
9%
8

August 2023

Over the next 12 months, do you think your financial institution will begin using Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, for its anti-financial crime processes?
Yes
32%
72
No
40%
89
Unsure
27%
61

July 2023

With the recent global challenges affecting financial institutions, what has been the major focus for your institution?
Sanctions against Russia
45%
73
Cryptocurrency fraud
16%
25
Remnants of COVID-19 scams
5%
8
Cyber fraud
34%
55

June 2023

Regarding sharing AML/CTF intelligence with other FIs:
My FI is great at regularly utilizing 314(b)
50%
20
My FI is okay at occasionally utilizing 314(b)
23%
9
My FI rarely utilizes 314(b) and could do better
10%
4
My FI is doing nothing to utilize 314(b)
18%
7

April 2023

In your opinion, will the recent scandals following the collapse of several crypto exchanges increase the purchase and use of cryptocurrencies?
Yes
29%
89
No
71%
222

March 2023

What is your institution doing to protect itself from cyber fraud?
Relying on our internal IT department
19%
24
Investing in new technology
13%
17
This is not a priority now
2%
3
Educating staff to understand cyber fraud
66%
84

February 2023

Given the recent bankruptcies, volatility and scandals related to cryptocurrency, how do you view the future for the crypto industry?
Positive. These kinds of setbacks are to be expected.
26%
38
Unsure. We will need more time to see the true impact.
41%
61
Not good. These setbacks do not bode well for the industry.
33%
48

January 2023

Is your financial institution looking into banking cryptocurrency in 2023?
Yes
34%
41
No
66%
79

2022

December 2022

Do you agree with the European Court of Justice that public registers infringe with rights of privacy and personal data protection?
Yes
46%
44
No
54%
52

September 2022

What is the biggest financial crime in the metaverse?
Terrorist financing
5%
44
Money laundering
14%
120
Scams/Fraud
24%
206
Exploitation of elders and children
4%
32
All of the above
53%
462

August 2022

As the European Central Bank investigates introducing a digital euro, which of the following would you do?
Use it
10%
15
Not use it
23%
35
Combine its use with other forms of payment
56%
86
Continue to use cash
12%
18

July 2022

How often do you use bitcoins or another type of cybercurrency to make purchases?
Frequently. It is the future of conducting financial business.
4%
4
Sometimes. I am just starting to dip my toe into it.
5%
6
Rarely. I am not confident in its safety or value yet.
6%
7
Never. While interesting in theory, there are still problems to work out.
85%
96

May 2022

Which of the following could be a challenge for your institution in complying with sanctions against Russia?
Nonsanctioned individuals in Russia
11%
30
Complex corporate structures
14%
39
Shell companies
5%
13
All of the above
70%
193

April 2022

Which of the following topics are you interested in reading more about?
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks
18%
25
Developing sanctions against Russia
15%
20
Fintech and Regtech
24%
33
Regulatory developments to counter money laundering
43%
58

March 2022

What step is your institution taking to deal with the sanctions against Russia?
Closing business accounts dealing with Russia
5%
11
Training staff
9%
18
Updating sanctions filters
16%
33
All of the above
70%
148

February 2022

In your opinion, which of the following could be the biggest challenge in regulating cryptocurrencies?
Cross-border operations
42%
88
Evolving technology
34%
73
Classifying cryptocurrencies
15%
32
Volatile market
9%
19

January 2022

Which financial crime below, in your opinion, will be most prominent in 2022?
Cryptocurrency fraud
51%
164
Money laundering
14%
46
Ponzi and pyramid schemes
3%
10
Phishing, spoofing and skimming
22%
70
Terrorist financing
10%
31

2021

December 2021

In your opinion, which group of people will be most affected by holiday cyber fraud?
Ages below 17
6%
22
Ages between 18 and 25
16%
58
Ages between 26 and 64
28%
100
Ages above 65
49%
176

November 2021

What is the primary impediment for your institution when it comes to participating in public-private partnerships?
Lack of law enforcement contracts
27%
15
Lack of internal resources
16%
9
Legal concerns
56%
31

September 2021

In your opinion, which digital currency is going to be most popular by the end of 2021?
Dogecoin
10%
43
Bitcoin
59%
250
Ethereum
24%
101
Ripple
2%
9
Cardano
5%
21

August 2021

Should the new EU AML Authority for AML/CTF be a decentralized regulatory agency, as proposed by European Commission?
Yes
64%
63
No
36%
35

July 2021

Which new FATF guidance will be prioritized at your financial institution?
Guidance on Proliferation Financing Risk Assessment and Mitigation
59%
77
Money Laundering from Environmental Crime
26%
34
Ethically or Racially Motivated Terrorism Financing
15%
20

June 2021

What is preventing your organization from increased technology investment within your AML program?
No major inhibitors
11%
18
Insufficient understanding of next-gen tech
19%
33
Cost and resource limitations
56%
96
Lengthy sales and deployment cycles
5%
8
Lack of sufficient training data for money laundering
9%
15

March 2021

In your opinion, which of the following poses the biggest cybersecurity challenge for fintechs?
Cloud computing issues
13%
23
Third-party access
38%
66
Malware attacks
48%
83

February 2021

Should UK financial institutions (FIs) have access to EU data sharing platforms for AML investigations post-Brexit?
UK FIs should have full access
36%
58
Only FIs from member states should have full access
22%
35
The EU needs new rules for UK FIs
43%
69

2020

December 2020

Which topic would you like to read more about in 2021?
Sanctions
21%
65
Fraud
26%
80
FinCEN Files
15%
44
AML Act and future regulatory reform
38%
114

October 2020

In your opinion, how long will we see the lasting effects of COVID-19 in the AML field?
Less than five years
39%
245
5-10 years
34%
216
More than 10 years
26%
162

June 2020

What methods did your financial institution apply to prevent fraud risks during COVID-19?
Required selfies to verify new customers’ identity
13%
54
Strengthened security measures for mobile banking access
52%
218
Trained customers who are not digitally-savvy
15%
61
Continued to require face-to-face in branch onboarding for new customers
21%
87

April 2020

Is your financial institution banking hemp companies, hemp-derived CBD companies or marijuana-related businesses?
Hemp companies
8%
12
Hemp-derived CBD companies
6%
9
Marijuana-related businesses
6%
9
Some combination of the three
18%
27
None of the above
61%
91

March 2020

The PEP classification on an individual should be:
Lifetime
27%
176
During the time they hold office and some years after
45%
297
Just during the time they hold office
3%
21
Depends on the case
25%
167

February 2020

How committed is your financial institution in combating human trafficking?
Highly committed
73%
108
Moderately committed
14%
21
Not committed, there are other priorities
13%
19

January 2020

As an anti-financial crime professional I am
Optimistic about my future in anti-financial crime
68%
131
Worried about the challenges in anti-financial crime going forward
21%
40
Pessimistic about the prospects of a future in anti-financial crime
11%
21

2019

November 2019

As an AML professional, what incentive/reward is most important in your career?
High salary rate
26%
114
Promotions and career advancement
38%
167
Professional development funding
21%
91
Flexibility in work schedule
14%
62

October 2019

What is your biggest cyber concern?
State actor threats
10%
32
Criminal actors/hackers
52%
163
Insider threats/vulnerabilities
38%
120

September 2019

How much is your financial institution investing in artificial intelligence (AI)?
A large amount
25%
34
A moderate amount
21%
29
A minimum amount
21%
28
Not enough
33%
44

July 2019

To what extent does your financial institution leverage social media activity as part of a client’s risk assessment?
Financial institution does not use any information from social media activity for risk assessments.
21%
46
Financial institution is open to using information from social media for risk assessments.
48%
104
Financial institution requires the use of information on social media as part of risk assessments.
26%
57
Financial institution is opposed to using information on social media as part of risk assessments.
4%
9

May 2019

When it comes to law enforcement and compliance professionals working together, do you feel your financial institution is:
a. Burdened with too many rules
13%
68
b. Complying with requests
39%
200
c. Keeping regulators happy
18%
93
d. A crime fighter more than a financial institution
29%
146

April 2019

The implementation of ___________________ remains one of the main challenges for governments and financial institutions around the world.
a. AML/BSA programs
63%
341
b. AI
16%
85
c. Financial sanctions
18%
100
d. None of the above
3%
19

March 2019

Which of the following generations do you fall under?
Traditionalists
3%
10
Baby boomers
15%
48
Generation X (Gen X)
40%
130
Generation Y (Millennials)
37%
121
Generation Z (Gen Z)
5%
16

February 2019

According to Europol, a “money mule” is:
A student involved in illegal cryptocurrency
1%
7
A person who transfers illegally obtained money between different payment accounts
48%
257
A student who sells his bank credentials in social media
4%
24
A person who carries illegal cash across Europe
46%
248

January 2019

How will you accomplish your 2019 professional-career goals?
By strengthening internal AML team communications
13%
16
Reviewing ACAMS Today/moneylaundering.com articles
18%
23
Finding a great mentor
23%
29
Assessing current and emerging AML trends
47%
60

2018

December 2018

How can you protect your financial information this holiday season?
Avoid shopping online
35%
110
Use credit instead of debit cards
45%
140
Avoid shopping on Black Friday
5%
15
Use debit instead of credit cards
15%
45

November 2018

What do you consider the biggest challenge for the AML community?
Resource allocation
17%
36
Effective training
24%
49
Examination success
6%
13
Corporate culture
28%
58
Information sharing
25%
51

October 2018

What is your institution doing for Cybersecurity Awareness Month?
Internal cybersecurity training events
36%
24
Obtaining a cyber-enabled crime certificate
2%
1
Participating in cybersecurity webinars
5%
3
Reviewing cybersecurity and cybercrime advisories and guidance
8%
5
Two or more of the above
50%
33

September 2018

What is the prime reason why companies lose talented people?
Lack of career development opportunities
24%
66
Poor leadership and management of employees
62%
169
More attractive compensation package
13%
34
Other reasons
1%
2

August 2018

In your financial institution, which of the following funding streams is less likely to be linked to a terrorist attack?
The funding flow from the operation to the operatives
13%
16
The funding flow from the point of origin or source of funds to the organization
27%
34
The funding flow from the organization to support an operation
9%
12
All of the above
52%
66

July 2018

Which training is most important in today’s business/regulatory environment?
Technical AML and product knowledge
39%
68
Soft skills, e.g., communication, negotiation
10%
17
Regulatory engagement, e.g., learning regulatory intricacies
22%
38
Digital innovation, e.g., fintech, blockchain
29%
50

May 2018

How many countries do you think have announced their intent to create their own cryptocurrency?
A) Less than 5
24%
95
B) 5 to 12
26%
105
C) 12 to 18
16%
64
D) More than 18
34%
135

April 2018

At your institution, what percentage of transaction monitoring system alerts are typically false positives?
A) 25 percent
23%
41
B) 50 percent
9%
16
B) 65 percent
44%
77
D) None of the above
24%
42

February 2018

Do you know anyone who is investing in a startup via an Initial Coin Offering?
A) Yes
22%
46
B) No
68%
140
C) Not sure
9%
19

January 2018

Which industry is in the best position to detect human trafficking?
A) Hospitality and accommodation
28%
153
B) Financial services
33%
181
C) Property management
4%
20
D) Transportation and travel
36%
200

2017

December 2017

Which topic would you like to read more about in 2018?
A) Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
49%
203
B) Regulatory expectations
11%
47
C) Career guidance
8%
33
D) Cybersecurity
8%
32
E) De-risking and financial inclusion
2%
8
F) Terrorist financing
6%
26
G) Ultimate Beneficial ownership
8%
34
H) Sanctions
7%
28

November 2017

What is your institution doing to ensure that the transaction monitoring program is properly configured and aligned to the institution’s ML/TF risk profile?
A) Establishing a well-defined risk assessment methodology
39%
31
B) Updating the risk assessment on an annual basis and after a major event occurs
27%
21
C) Mapping the areas with higher ML/TF inherent risks to scenarios and/or rules
28%
22
D) Maintaining key performance indicators
6%
5

October 2017

In preparing to comply with the CDD rule, have your examiners been helpful?
A) Yes, very helpful
46%
17
B) Somewhat helpful
38%
14
C) Not helpful
16%
6

September 2017

In which area has your AML budget been most invested?
A) Transaction monitoring
55%
86
B) KYC reviews and maintenance
34%
53
C) Recruitment
6%
9
D) Cybersecurity
6%
9

August 2017

Does your financial institution rely on artificial intelligence?
A) Yes
47%
56
B) No
53%
63

June 2017

Have you implemented EDD or suspicious activity monitoring efforts around gatekeepers?
A) Yes, for all clients
35%
66
B) Yes, for higher risk clients
52%
97
C) No
13%
25

May 2017

What is your institution doing to maintain public/private partnerships?
A) Conducting public/private networking events
38%
21
B) Asking our local LE to conduct training sessions
16%
9
C) Maintaining an active role in our local ACAMS chapter
29%
16
D) We are not currently partnered with our local LE
16%
9

April 2017

What is your institution doing to retain top talent?
A) Training our leaders to engage with their team to raise motivation and morale
23%
15
B) Revealing the deeper purpose behind employees’ work
6%
4
C) Providing employees with the tools and resources to reach their goals
45%
30
D) Listening to our employees’ opinions and recommendations
26%
17

March 2017

As an AML professional, what are you doing to remain marketable?
A) Seeking mentors
3%
8
B) Becoming the go-to person in the organization
20%
50
C) Building subject-matter expertise
55%
135
D) Encouraging knowledge sharing
21%
51

February 2017

Which of the following is most challenging when finding a new AML/CTF position?
A) Updating the resume
11%
35
B) Preparing for the interview
13%
41
C) Meeting the requirements/skills/certifications needed for the position
50%
165
D) Networking
27%
87

January 2017

Which are the biggest challenges to your institution or firm in 2017?
Assessing money laundering in real estate
9%
10
FinTech
11%
12
Cyber-enabled crime prevention
29%
31
Financial access to high-risk customers
24%
26
Sanctions
15%
16
Getting resources
11%
12

2016

December 2016

Which KYC challenge does your FI face?
Identifying customers’ business type
9%
21
Determining customers’ risk classification
22%
52
Understanding customers’ source of funds
59%
138
Identifying the location and country from which the customer originates
9%
21

November 2016

How well is your client onboarding process working within your institution?
It is working very well
20%
13
It works, but it needs some improvement
49%
32
It is currently under review
17%
11
New processes are being implemented
14%
9

October 2016

Should real estate agents be required to comply with the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act?
Yes
94%
369
No
4%
14
Undecided
3%
10

September 2016

Has your institution clearly defined “marijuana-related businesses” in your policies and procedures?
Yes
35%
41
No
65%
75

August 2016

How has your institution been preparing for the new finalized CDD Rule?
By changing or amending our policy and procedures
39%
27
By creating new training and communications plans
20%
14
By evaluating our business focus and target market in light of the new rule
20%
14
We have no yet begun to prepare for the new CDD Rule
21%
15

July 2016

What is your biggest challenge when dealing with high-risk customers?
Verifying their identity
10%
32
Establishing beneficial ownership
21%
66
Establishing source of wealth/funds
44%
136
Managing the risk for regulatory compliance purposes
25%
77

June 2016

Has your FI added human trafficking prevention training in the past two years?
Yes
34%
67
No
67%
133

May 2016

How is your institution responding to the evolving world of daily fantasy sports (DFS)?
By keeping up-to-date on the legal developments surrounding DFS
20%
7
Detecting transactions to or from FanDuel and DraftKings
9%
3
Performing CDD to detect future suspicious activity
23%
8
Identifying our risk(s) associated with DFS and ensuring proper procedures and policies are in effect
49%
17

April 2016

What do you find most important in an AML workplace environment?
"Tone at the Top"
34%
86
Staying current with laws and regulations
32%
81
Communications
10%
24
Resources and training
24%
59

February 2016

As an AML professional in 2016, what remains your biggest worry?
Increased focus on holding compliance officers personally liable
17%
65
The myriad of issues beyond AML that are my responsibility (i.e., sanctions, cyber, fraud)
20%
78
Lack of management support for AML
13%
52
Reputation of the financial sector
3%
12
All of the above
46%
179

January 2016

Which of the following is most challenging when creating an effective compliance training program?
Understanding your target audience
52%
128
Identifying the topics
18%
44
How to train/present the material
25%
62
Choosing the best time and location
4%
10

2015

December 2015

What is your institution doing to help thwart human trafficking?
Working directly with law enforcement agencies
6%
7
Keeping up with related guidance to help identify suspicious activity
12%
14
Providing training on monitoring accounts for related suspicious activity
9%
10
All of the above
73%
83

November 2015

Has your institution discovered a marijuana-related business (MRB) in your client base?
Yes
33%
40
No
61%
73
Yes, because our institution accepts MRBs
6%
7

October 2015

Has your friend, colleague or family member been impacted by human trafficking or smuggling?
Yes
8%
7
No
92%
82

September 2015

With the FIFA indictments and corruption allegations, has your FI:
Made AML policy changes
0%
0
Increased training and awareness about similarly situated organizations
10%
7
Increased due diligence on certain accounts
15%
10
All of the above
75%
51

August 2015

How important is mitigating insider fraud risk to your FI?
Very important, we have a strong know your employee (KYE) program
67%
90
Important, but it is not seen as a high priority
24%
33
Not very important, but we do require a pre-employment background screening
9%
12

July 2015

Are cyber intrusions at your financial institution being properly reported in SARs?
Unsure, but very concerned they are not
23%
20
Our cyber security team has an independent relationship with law enforcement
10%
9
We do not have an integrated program, but first line of defense staff has been trained on SAR requirements
15%
13
We have an integrated fraud, cyber security and AML program that facilitates the filing of a SAR as required by FinCEN
52%
45

June 2015

What has your FI done to help detect and/or address elder financial exploitation?
Clearly define “elder” as part of KYC
18%
12
Decide whether added CDD or EDD is warranted
11%
7
Training
42%
27
Staying current with the ever-changing landscape of laws and regulations affecting elders
29%
19

May 2015

How familiar are you with terrorist financing trends and typologies?
Very familiar
24%
33
Somewhat familiar
36%
48
Limited knowledge
32%
43
No knowledge
8%
11

April 2015

How prepared do you think your local authorities are at handling a terrorist attack in your area?
Very prepared
11%
5
Somewhat prepared
37%
17
Not very prepared
26%
12
Not at all prepared
22%
10
Not sure
4%
2

February 2015

Which of the following components of the terrorist-business model have you come across?
Their mission
100%
1
The infrastructure they use to support their operations
0%
0
Their funding requirements
0%
0
Their source of funds
0%
0
Their method of moving funds in and out of the financial system
0%
0

January 2015

Which factors drive fine tuning for your firm's suspicious activity monitoring systems?
Confirming that the system is tailored to the risks of the business
0%
0
Mitigating false positives
33%
1
Ensuring that the system is working properly
33%
1
Managing volumes
33%
1
N/A—my firm does not currently tune suspicious activity monitoring systems
0%
0

2014

December 2014

What does your institution do to conduct EDD on MSBs?
Review list of agents & locations that will be receiving services directly or indirectly through the MSB account
20%
2
Review the MSB’s AML program
10%
1
Review written procedures for the operation of the MSB
20%
2
Conduct onsite visits
0%
0
All of the above
50%
5
Other
0%
0

November 2014

What is the biggest challenge for casinos?
Having a fundamental understanding of money laundering risk
0%
0
Knowing their customer and implementing KYC best practice protocols
100%
6
Building an effective working relationship with marketing, finance, compliance, etc.
0%
0
Receiving frequent and proper training
0%
0

October 2014

Suspicious activity reporting or suspicious transaction reporting in my jurisdiction is:
the cornerstone of an effective AML program
88%
28
a "tick the box" exercise that does not assist law enforcement
3%
1
frustrating because financial institutions do not know how reports are utilized
6%
2
inconsistently administered and confusing to understand
3%
1

September 2014

Which of these factors highly influences your decision to de-risk?
Change in policy and/or risk appetite
29%
6
Perceived risk is greater than the expected value of the business
38%
8
Inadequate budget to support increased due diligence and monitoring activities
19%
4
Inconsistent regulatory expectations
14%
3

August 2014

If a financial institution determines that a marijuana business is not engaged in any one of the eight federal enforcement priorities, their SAR will be considered:
Marijuana Limited
41%
16
Marijuana Suspicious
33%
13
Marijuana None
13%
5
Marijuana Priority
13%
5

July 2014

If a cyber intrusion occurs, who should the response initiative fall on?
The IT department
21%
13
It should be a collaborative effort between departments
79%
50
The marketing department
0%
0

June 2014

What happens when there is a lack of the beneficial ownership requirement?
Flight capital from poor countries
0%
0
Tax avoidance or evasion from all countries
2%
1
Illicit proceeds from corruption and criminal activity in countries
9%
5
All of the above
89%
51
Other
0%
0

May 2014

When should companies and financial entities be required to make their ownership public?
Information should always be open and accessible to the public
70%
33
Only regulatory, tax authorities, and law enforcement agencies should have access to this information
26%
12
It should not be released to anyone
0%
0
Other
4%
2

April 2014

Does your institution have a no-SAR documentation process?
Yes
71%
22
No
29%
9
Not Sure
0%
0

March 2014

What challenge has your institution been facing while upgrading your AML systems?
Understanding and keeping up with current regulatory expectations and issued guidances
13%
2
Understanding the complexity and life cycle of a new AML system
13%
2
Understanding the features, functionality and options available in updated AML softwares
19%
3
All of the above
56%
9

February 2014

Banks are expected to have all the processes for FATCA compliance in place by July 1, 2014. Will your institution be prepared?
Yes
47%
14
No
20%
6
Not Sure
33%
10

January 2014

Your AML Policy Manual should
Explain all technical terms and acronyms thoroughly
36%
4
Exclude your organization's propriety information
9%
1
Omit procedures
9%
1
All of the above
45%
5

2013

December 2013

What topics would you like to read more about in 2014?
Virtual Currencies, i.e.,Bitcoin
20%
24
Legalization of marijuana in U.S. states and Uruguay
11%
13
Iranian and Syrian Sanctions
8%
10
Regulator Expectations
23%
27
Compliance hiring trends
14%
17
Lessons learned from enforcement actions
23%
27

November 2013

Does your institution have a clear, effective way to escalate compliance issues within your institutions management?
Yes
91%
10
No
9%
1

October 2013

If you were the compliance officer at an institution and you detected high level bank officials’ complicity in laundering illicit funds, your first step would be to:
File a SAR/STR
61%
20
Contact law enforcement
24%
8
Confront the complicit officials
3%
1
Resign
3%
1
Seek legal counsel
9%
3

August 2013

Since we have just passed the mid-year point in 2013, what are your biggest concerns for the rest of the year in AML compliance?
Need for additional resources
47%
7
Completion of our risk assessment
33%
5
Next AML examination
20%
3
Filling staff with qualified personnel
0%
0

June 2013

What has been the most important development in the field of law enforcement in the past 10 years?
Increased partnerships with the private sector
29%
6
Increased international cooperation and information sharing via MOUs, MLATs, etc.
29%
6
Advancements in technology for investigations
33%
7
Not sure
10%
2

April 2013

Does Bitcoin pose a financial crime risk?
Yes
94%
49
No
4%
2
Don't know
2%
1

February 2013

What will be the biggest challenge of the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive?
Increased PEP obligations
21%
5
Predicate tax crime offense
50%
12
Increased regulation over gambling sector
21%
5
Increased emphasis on the risk-based approach
8%
2

2012

December 2012

As a compliance professional, what is your New Year’s career resolution?
Obtain my CAMS certification or if CAMS seek more training
50%
79
Improve our compliance program
25%
40
Lobby for more resources
7%
11
Expand my network of compliance contacts
18%
28

October 2012

How often will you use the new ACAMS Today mobile app?
Once a day
44%
8
Weekly
33%
6
2 to 3 times a month
11%
2
Monthly
11%
2

September 2012

What steps should taxpayers outside the United States follow as prerequisites to avoid federal tax liabilities?
Provide the correct address on their tax returns
27%
6
Complete TECS registration
32%
7
Sign a waiver with their tax adviser
0%
0
None of the above
41%
9

July 2012

Fraud is contingent on five common elements: 1) Integrity 2) Opportunity 3) Incentive 4) Rationalization and 5) Capability.
True
75%
82
False
25%
27

May 2012

What is the best way to improve your compliance training?
By seeking employee feedback
37%
15
Using social networking tools
5%
2
Implementing recognition programs
15%
6
Using resources from the compliance community
44%
18

April 2012

Is there money laundering risk in life insurance?
Yes
100%
9
No
0%
0

February 2012

What is the most important thing you can do to prepare for FATCA implementation?
Set up a checklist and timeline for full implementation
0%
0
Communicate with customers so that they understand the new law
0%
0
Work closely with your legal department
3%
1
All of the above
97%
33

January 2012

How often do you conduct compliance training for your frontline personnel?
Once a month
7%
2
Every three months
7%
2
Every six months
10%
3
Once a year
72%
21
Never
3%
1

2011

December 2011

What is the biggest challenge you face when dealing with cross-border money laundering?
New methodologies used by criminals
10%
2
Movement of money through intermediary countries
10%
2
New funding channels used by criminals
0%
0
All of the above
81%
17

September 2011

Is customer due diligence considered a financial burden at your institution?
Yes
31%
47
No
66%
99
Undecided
3%
4