What is Money Laundering?:-
When money is obtained from criminal acts such as drug trafficking or illegal gambling, the money is considered “dirty” in that it may seem suspicious if deposited directly into a bank or other financial institution. Therefore money laundering means running the money through a number of legitimate businesses before depositing it. Because the act is specifically used to hide illegally obtained money, it too is unlawful.
Money laundering techniques:-
Large scale criminal groups may use complex money laundering techniques in order to avoid detection. Such money laundering techniques may include:
1. Transferring money from bank to bank or from account to account
- Breaking up large amounts into smaller bank deposits
- Transferring or concealing the source of the money through complex or multiple transactions
- Purchasing money orders in smaller money amounts.
- Breaking the cash into small amounts and purchasing cashier’s checks
- Returning the money back into the financial world so that it appears legitimate.
For example, Sally steals a large amount of cash from her business. She wants the money to go undetected, so instead of making one large deposit into her savings or banking account, she breaks the money up and deposits one small amount each week. This ensures the bank does not look at her transaction suspiciously since it is uncommon for her to deposit large sums of money.