ONE CANNOT WIN THE WAR AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING WITH CLOCK-PUNCHERS AND BOX-CHECKERS

AML/CFT is not a job; it must be a calling for compliance officers assigned to Account Opening and Transaction Monitoring. It is not for people who scurry out of the office at the official close of business, with that urgent, time-sensitive matter left on their desks; it is definitely not for those who pass a borderline suspicious transaction, just to move on to the large pile which some non-compliance officer is urging that they complete before five o'clock rolls around, because a certain account executive wants to open those new accounts pronto.

Anti-money laundering is never a chore; it should be considered a daily challenge to be fought, something close to being fun, while understanding that it is a serious task, but performed with a zeal that only one devoted to that profession can muster up. Every day, joust against the laundrymen, by exposing them; take their actions out in the sunlight,and either shut them down, or make your bank a place where they fear to tread, lest they be caught in the act.

I realize, as a former career money launderer, I regard AML as nothing short of an adventure in intellectual stimulation; others may find it mundane or stressful, but I relish those challenges. Make sure that those individuals who lead your compliance department also see it as a duty. Be the resolute gatekeeper, pushing back against the money laundering darkness, ladies & gentlemen.