What will banks do if they suspect money laundering?
If your bank suspects that your bank account is being used to commit crime, or money laundering, it will make a suspicious activity report (SAR) to the National Crime Agency (NCA) who may investigate you if they see fit. The account will be frozen and your bills and standing orders etc stopped.
What are suspicious transactions?
A suspicious transaction is a transaction that causes a reporting entity to have a feeling of apprehension or mistrust about the transaction considering its unusual nature or circumstances, or the person or group of persons involved in the transaction.
What are the red flags of money laundering?
Unusual transactions, discrepancies in the customer due diligence process, frequent transfers from accounts without logical explanations, VA-fiat conversion or vice versa, transactions from sanctioned locations, and multiple accounts of the same customer are some of the red flags shared by FATF.
Can I withdraw money from a frozen account?
When an account is frozen, account holders cannot make any withdrawals, purchases, or transfers, but they may be able to continue to make deposits and transfer into it. Put simply, a consumer can put money into an account, but cannot take money out of it.
How do I unfreeze my bank account?
For this, you will have to visit the home branch of your bank. Here, you have to put a request to reactivate the account in writing. Do carry the necessary documents for KYC with you. Remember that the bank cannot charge you any fee for reactivating your account.
Do bank need to report attempted money laundering transaction?
It is clarified that banks should report all such attempted transactions in STRs, even if not completed by customers, irrespective of the amount of the transaction. These guidelines are issued under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Rules ibid.