CAMS · Question #402
Which two aspects of the security broker dealer industry increase its exposure to money laundering? Choose 2 answers
The correct answer is C. Disposing of cash through securities purchases D. Fast paced transactions conducted electronically. The broker-dealer industry is particularly exposed to money laundering through securities purchases that convert illicit cash into assets and through the speed of electronic transactions that obscure suspicious activity.
Question
Which two aspects of the security broker dealer industry increase its exposure to money laundering? Choose 2 answers
Options
- AThe routine use of wire transfers from, to or through multiple jurisdictions
- BThey easy conversion of holdings to cash with significant loss of principal
- CDisposing of cash through securities purchases
- DFast paced transactions conducted electronically
How the community answered
(33 responses)- A6% (2)
- B12% (4)
- C82% (27)
Why each option
The broker-dealer industry is particularly exposed to money laundering through securities purchases that convert illicit cash into assets and through the speed of electronic transactions that obscure suspicious activity.
Wire transfers across multiple jurisdictions are a general financial risk factor, not a structural characteristic that uniquely or specifically elevates broker-dealer exposure to money laundering.
Converting holdings to cash with a significant loss of principal is a deterrent rather than a vulnerability, as money launderers typically avoid transactions that result in large financial losses to their illicit proceeds.
Disposing of cash through securities purchases is a classic money laundering technique in the broker-dealer industry, allowing illicit funds to be converted into seemingly legitimate investment assets that can later be liquidated as clean proceeds.
The fast-paced, high-volume nature of electronic securities transactions makes it difficult to identify and flag suspicious activity in real time, creating a significant vulnerability to the placement and layering stages of money laundering.
Concept tested: Broker-dealer industry AML exposure factors
Source: https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/key-topics/aml
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