ACAMS Updated CAMS Exam Questions and Answers by abu

According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Special Recommendation IV, if financial institutions, or other businesses or entities subject to anti-money laundering obligations, suspect or have reasonable grounds to suspect that funds are linked or related to, or are to be used for terrorism, terrorist acts or by terrorist organisations, they should be required to report promptly their suspicions to the competent authorities1. This is consistent with the FATF Recommendation 20, which requires the same reporting obligation for money laundering and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction2. Reporting suspicious transactions related to terrorism is a key measure to detect, prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism and terrorist acts, and to facilitate international cooperation and information exchange.

1: The FATF Recommendations - Financial Action Task Force

2: IX Special Recommendations - Financial Action Task Force

According to the ACAMS Study Guide for the CAMS Certification Exam (6th edition), page 211, dealers in precious metals and stones (DPMS) are vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing risks due to the high value, portability, and fungibility of their products. Therefore, DPMS should apply a risk-based approach to their AML/CFT compliance program and monitor their customers and transactions for any red flags or suspicious activities. One of the red flags for DPMS is receiving payments from or sending payments to unknown or unverified third parties, especially if they are located in high-risk jurisdictions that have weak AML/CFT controls, are subject to sanctions, or are known to be sources or destinations of illicit funds. Suchpayments may indicate that the DPMS is being used as a conduit or a front for money laundering, terrorist financing, tax evasion, or other criminal activities. Therefore, if a precious metals dealer opens a new account with a bank and receives or makes payments that reference unknown companies from high-risk jurisdictions, the bank should refer the account to AML investigations for further review and verification of the source and purpose of the funds, the identity and legitimacy of the third parties, and the nature and rationale of the business relationship.

https://egmontgroup.org/en/content/about

"The Egmont Group is a united body of 165 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs). The Egmont Group provides a platform for the secure exchange of expertise and financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF). This is especially relevant as FIUs are uniquely positioned to cooperate and support national and international efforts to counter terrorist financing and are the trusted gateway for sharing financial information domestically and internationally in accordance with global Anti Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards.