InfoBytes Blog
FinCEN Director encourages specificity in Covid-19 SARs filings
On September 29, FinCEN Director Kenneth A. Blanco spoke at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) virtual AML conference, noting that FinCEN has received over 91,000 suspicious activity reports (SARs) referencing Covid-19 and the federal stimulus programs under the CARES Act. Blanco stated that the vast majority (about 71 percent) of the Covid-19 SARs have come from depository institutions, while 17 percent have come from credit unions and five percent have come from the Money Services Business (MSB) industry. The securities and casino industries account for the final three percent. Blanco urged financial institutions to be “as specific as possible” when filling out their Covid-19-related SARs to ensure it gets to the right investigative team expeditiously. Blanco noted that “vague references to ‘stimulus’ or ‘CARES Act’ or ‘benefit,’” hinders the agency’s ability to get the SAR to the right team. Additionally, Blanco emphasized FinCEN’s advisories and guidance related to Covid-19 fraud (covered by InfoBytes here, here, and here) and encouraged the audience to review the agency’s dedicated Covid-19 webpage.