The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

Download Report

    n-img-roi-cross

    Before You Go, Schedule Your Free Demo Today

    Valid Invalid number


    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.

    n-exit-img-roi-cross

    Thank you for your demo request

    We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing how our solution can meet your needs. Expect to hear from us shortly with scheduling details.

    Close

    AML Compliance in High-End Vehicle and Yacht Sales

    blog aml compliance

    High-end vehicles and expensive properties are the universal status symbols that represent the excess of wealth and resources. Dealers that sell luxury cars like Rolls Royce and supercars like Lamborghini are used to having big names in their clientele, including wealthy politicians and football players. 

    However, high-end vehicles are not only purchased using legitimate money. Many of the wealthy politicians, kleptocrats, and oligarchs obtain their funds from the proceeds of crime. As a result, anyone working in the automotive sales sector without proper identity verification measures is at risk of becoming the source of money laundering.

    Money Laundering Through Luxury Car Purchases

    Many years ago, a money laundering case made the headlines involving Malaysian businessman Jho Low, who purchased a superyacht for $250 million. It was found that the money was actually obtained from the Malaysian Welfare Fund. As things came to light, the businessman was nowhere to be found, while the yacht was put on sale for a price tag of $100 million less than what he had paid for it. Similarly, in July 2021, anti-corruption sanctions were imposed on the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, by the UK. Teodoro was known to steal government funds and obscure the origin of his money by purchasing luxury cars. The vice president had previously faced sanctions in 2016 and 2017 after European authorities seized his 26 supercars, including Ferraris, Bentleys, and Lamborghinis worth a total of $27 million.

    What Makes the Automobile Industry Vulnerable to Financial Crime

    The target audience of luxury car brands are clearly those who make big money, which is why these vehicles always have high price tags. This is one of the major reasons why the automotive sector is vulnerable to financial crime, as bigger amounts of black money can be spent at once in a single transaction. The financial criminal can then put the high-end vehicle on sale to gain legitimate cash. 

    Furthermore, car dealerships are comparatively less regulated than investment companies and banks, meaning that the monitoring and oversight on transactions is weak. In Canada, for example, the anti-money laundering requirements are not even applicable on car dealers. The lack of awareness among vehicle dealerships regarding the sensitive single cash transactions. Transparency International also states that high-value car dealers have a bad record of non-compliance with AML requirements. According to them, these businesses do not even report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.

    No Negotiation on Vehicle Price

    Money laundering is the art of hiding the origin of funds obtained through illegal ways. When this criminal activity is being carried out, the money launderer is less concerned about the price tag and more about how he can quickly buy a luxury car with his black money. One of the most common red flags for money laundering in high-end vehicle sales is when a buyer does not even try to negotiate on a vehicle’s price. On the contrary, any real buyer would always try to bring the price down as much as they can by bargaining.

    Cash Payments of Amounts Close to $10,000

    Money launderers, like other criminals, are sophisticated and stay updated with the latest requirements. One of the requirements for transactions is the Form 8300 which does not allow transactions about a threshold amount of $10,000. When money launderers make single cash transactions, they usually try to pay amounts as close to the threshold as possible. For car dealerships, the obvious red flag is when transactions exceed the threshold amount. However, they should also keep an eye out for transactions less than, but very close to $10,000.

    vicious cycle of money

    The process of money laundering isn’t over once the cash transaction is made. The criminal then has to sell the luxury vehicle purchased using dirty money and obtain legal funds. This means that buyers who visit car dealerships rather frequently to re-sell their car and buy another one are also potential money launderers.

    Payments Involving Third Parties

    Third-party payments are also part of the tactics used by money launderers as they are often ignored in Form 8300. As third-party names are not written on the purchase contract, the payments are usually overlooked, leading to suspicious transactions. As third parties facilitate payments in large amounts, details in the form of paper trails are significantly reduced.

    Straw Purchases

    Straw purchases involve a unique mechanism where the money is obtained by the car dealership but the name of the individual driving the car is not mentioned in the contract or title. The reason why straw purchases open doors for money laundering is when a third party provides money for the purchase to the buyer. Ultimately, the straw buyer sells the car within a defined time frame and sends the clean money to the money launderer, the third party.

    Generic-Looking Documents or Paperwork

    It’s important for vehicle dealerships selling luxury cars to review their customers’ background information to check for possible suspicious activities. Financial criminals often use forged/fake documents and related paperwork such as foreign IDs or international driving licenses. These documents are used as a mask to hide their identity while proceeding with their illicit motives. Although there is a possibility that the buyer can have an identity document from a foreign country, car dealerships should employ identity verification measures to know who they are dealing with. 

    AML Regulations for Vehicle Sales

    As per the latest AML regulations, vehicle dealerships are obliged to detect and report suspicious activities that may lead to money laundering and other such financial crimes. Normally, banks, insurance firms, and law firms are obliged to follow these requirements as they handle large amounts of money belonging to their customers. The same conditions apply to vehicle dealers as they receive large amounts of money in the form of payments for high-end vehicles. Depending on their size and location, car dealers can be categorized under financial institutions or high-value dealers.

    What Shufti Offers

    Financial criminals deploy various sophisticated methods to obscure the origins of their ill-gotten funds. One of the convenient methods is the purchase of high-end vehicles with cash or through a car dealership to launder money. That being said, legitimate car dealers need to identify and report individuals and companies involved in suspicious activities by deploying AML Screening measures. 

    Rather than facing the consequences of unintentionally getting involved in a money laundering case, vehicle dealerships should put aside an amount of money for implementing a robust AML compliance program. Shufti’s AI-driven AML Screening solution enables car dealerships to avoid sourcing financial crimes such as money laundering to stay clear of regulatory fines and other adverse consequences. 

    Want to learn more about AML Compliance for your vehicle dealership?

    Related Posts

    Blog

    Perpetual KYC: The Future of Due Diligence in the Financial Industry

    Digital transformation is paving the way for quick growth in the compliance sphere. However, regu...

    Perpetual KYC: The Future of Due Diligence in the Financial Industry Explore More

    Blog

    A Comprehensive Guide to AML Compliance [2020]

    Anti-money laundering (AML) laws are the primary target of regulatory authorities. These regimes ...

    A Comprehensive Guide to AML Compliance [2020] Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology

    Fintech Trends – Unlocking the Unmapped Potential

    Fintech, a blend of two words Finance and Technology, represents the collision of two worlds that...

    Fintech Trends – Unlocking the Unmapped Potential Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    KYC for Banks: Reducing financial risk with a perfect digital solution

    The banking sector has to tread a very balanced path between compliance regulations and customer ...

    KYC for Banks: Reducing financial risk with a perfect digital solution Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    4 Fraud Prevention Tips For Your E-commerce Business this Holiday Season

    With the holiday shopping season in full swing, e-commerce fraud risk is a glaring reality that n...

    4 Fraud Prevention Tips For Your E-commerce Business this Holiday Season Explore More

    Blog

    The Relentless Rise of Fraud in the FinTech Industry – How CDD Helps

    Fraud has always been on the rise ever since the advent of the FinTech industry. As perpetrators ...

    The Relentless Rise of Fraud in the FinTech Industry – How CDD Helps Explore More

    Blog, Financial Crime / AML

    AML Rules for Virtual Currency and Legal Sector – FATF 2019

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental regulatory authority. It was founded ...

    AML Rules for Virtual Currency and Legal Sector  – FATF 2019 Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention, Online Marketplace

    Why Digital KYC is Important for Insurance Fraud Prevention

    KYC For Insurance Companies : Basically, a system that can carry out real-time identity verificat...

    Why Digital KYC is Important for Insurance Fraud Prevention Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    User as Owner: Why KYC Software Needs to Respect Privacy Laws?

    User as Owner is a simplistic concept that stipulates that all the data of any user collected by ...

    User as Owner: Why KYC Software Needs to Respect Privacy Laws? Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC: Taking Traditional KYC to the Next Level

    Know Your Customer (KYC) has undergone continuous evolution since its inception. Its purpose is t...

    Video KYC: Taking Traditional KYC to the Next Level Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Reg Tech

    EU’s Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6)

    Summary: Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) highlights a stringent framework to combat...

    EU’s Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) Explore More

    Blog

    A Brief Overview of KYC Requirements for Foreign Exchanges in EMEA

    The forex industry is recognizable for being a dynamic and profitable platform due to its high li...

    A Brief Overview of KYC Requirements for Foreign Exchanges in EMEA Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    Fraud Protection services for Online Retail Businesses

    Online Marketplace faces Chargeback issues Fraud Protection Services are an integral part of reta...

    Fraud Protection services for Online Retail Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    Covid Report Verification: New Restriction for Airports

    The Covid-19 cases have drastically increased over time and as of February 6, 2021, 18,262 new ca...

    Covid Report Verification: New Restriction for Airports Explore More

    Blog

    Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud – How to Prevent False Chargebacks?

    The eCommerce industry continues to grow rapidly, so are fraudulent activities. According to Stat...

    Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud – How to Prevent False Chargebacks? Explore More

    Blog

    Address Verification: Types, Benefits, and Best Practices

    Improving customer service and combating fraud frequently requires swiftly gathering and confirmi...

    Address Verification: Types, Benefits, and Best Practices Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance for Luxury Goods Market – How Shufti can Help

    Money laundering using high-value goods such as jewelry, yachts, motor vehicles, watches, fine ar...

    AML Compliance for Luxury Goods Market – How Shufti can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Talent Acquisition Fraud – Hiring Legitimate Candidates with Identity Verification

    Along with the rise in virtual and remote work, the number of cases of recruitment fraud is incre...

    Talent Acquisition Fraud – Hiring Legitimate Candidates with Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Know your patient process explained [Under the GPhC’s guideline]

    How to make sure that the patient qualifies for purchasing a restricted medicine?  Or  Someone re...

    Know your patient process explained [Under the GPhC’s guideline] Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti Celebrates 5 Years of Innovation in the IDV Industry

    October 2022 marks Shufti’s 5th anniversary – five successful years of building trust globall...

    Shufti Celebrates 5 Years of Innovation in the IDV Industry Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    How API-based Technologies Can Transform the Future of Online Marketplace

    API Based Technologies: Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are giving advanced ways of dig...

    How API-based Technologies Can Transform the Future of Online Marketplace Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti to Revamp Customer Experience with Enhanced Video KYC UX

    Would you ever want to use a product that is hard to understand? A McKinsey Report revealed that ...

    Shufti to Revamp Customer Experience with Enhanced Video KYC UX Explore More

    Blog

    What is Biometric Consent Authentication?

    Biometric Consent Authentication is a modernistic approach to counter the increasing number of id...

    What is Biometric Consent Authentication? Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti’s ID Fraud Report: Reviewing 2022 and a Preview of 2023

    Twenty years back, “identity theft” was imagined as pictures of shady figures rifling through gar...

    Shufti’s ID Fraud Report: Reviewing 2022 and a Preview of 2023 Explore More

    Blog

    Securing Instant Money Transfers in the Banking Sector – EPC’s New Rulebook

    Financial services have always played a vital role throughout the entire history of advanced huma...

    Securing Instant Money Transfers in the Banking Sector – EPC’s New Rulebook Explore More

    Blog

    FATF’s High-Risk Jurisdictions [2022 Update] – How Business Can Comply

    Paris-based global watchdog FATF (Financial Action Task Force) maintains lists of countries that ...

    FATF’s High-Risk Jurisdictions [2022 Update] – How Business Can Comply Explore More

    Blog

    Electronic Identity Verification | Technology and Regulations

    Demand for efficient AML and KYC solutions increases as criminals develop more complex methods of...

    Electronic Identity Verification | Technology and Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    Understanding the Key Role of Risk Assessment in the Crypto Industry

    Cryptocurrencies are becoming a hotspot for scammers to perpetrate financial crime. Over 46,000 i...

    Understanding the Key Role of Risk Assessment in the Crypto Industry Explore More

    Blog

    Anti-Money Laundering Challenges Faced by the Fintech Industry

    Since the implementation of the bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in 1970, the United States government has ...

    Anti-Money Laundering Challenges Faced by the Fintech Industry Explore More

    Blog

    Business transformations for operational resilience amid COVID-19 crisis

    The pandemic continues affecting businesses and consumer operations along with having economical ...

    Business transformations for operational resilience amid COVID-19 crisis Explore More

    Blog

    Estonia’s AML Act Amendments – Securing Virtual Currencies in 2022

    Estonia’s financial institutions are developed and ensure transparency as its laws are well-defin...

    Estonia’s AML Act Amendments – Securing Virtual Currencies in 2022 Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Digital KYC Streamlines Customer On-boarding Process

    Shufti brings forth digital KYC verification services to perform identity verification proces...

    Digital KYC Streamlines Customer On-boarding Process Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Player – Preventing Identity Fraud in Sports Events

    The ongoing trend of globalizing sports activities since the last few decades has resulted in a l...

    Know Your Player – Preventing Identity Fraud in Sports Events Explore More

    Blog

    Liveness Detection and IDV: An Overview of Biometric Facial Recognition

    Identity fraud and cybercrime have significantly surged in the past few years. Deepfake technolog...

    Liveness Detection and IDV: An Overview of Biometric Facial Recognition Explore More

    Blog

    On-Premises vs Cloud Services – Two Sides of the Same Coin

    With the advent of technology, industries are streamlining all their processes and ensuring highe...

    On-Premises vs Cloud Services – Two Sides of the Same Coin Explore More

    Blog

    Digital Identity checks for secure and swift customer onboarding

    The digital transformation of businesses continues apace, driven in part by regulations that mand...

    Digital Identity checks for secure and swift customer onboarding Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC – Understanding the ‘what’ and ‘how’ [A short guide]

    Archaic and lengthy KYC procedures were soon to be rendered obsolete by the rapid rate of digitis...

    Video KYC – Understanding the ‘what’ and ‘how’ [A short guide] Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti’s Bug Bounty Programme: Strengthening Security Via Ethical Hacking

    With the avalanche of security vulnerabilities in the verification industry, Shufti is launch...

    Shufti’s Bug Bounty Programme: Strengthening Security Via Ethical Hacking Explore More

    Blog

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Roadblock for Money Mules and Illicit Fund Transfers

    Cybercrimes are becoming increasingly complex and diverse in the era of digitization, with frauds...

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Roadblock for Money Mules and Illicit Fund Transfers Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Compliance Will Become Your Competitive Edge

    Businesses, particularly the financial services sector, have been observing Know Your Customer KY...

    KYC Compliance Will Become Your Competitive Edge Explore More

    Blog

    A Brief Insight Into Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations in Colombia

    Money laundering has become a global issue, and almost all countries are facing this threat in va...

    A Brief Insight Into Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations in Colombia Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    Face Verification Technology Grooving in the Education Sector

    We are now in a golden age of face recognition. The main reason for rapid adoption is recognition...

    Face Verification Technology Grooving in the Education Sector Explore More

    Blog

    5 AML Compliance Trends for 2023 – New Regulations and Technological Advancements

    From digital payments to new regulations on preventing fraud and FINRA’s guidelines on penalising...

    5 AML Compliance Trends for 2023 – New Regulations and Technological Advancements Explore More

    Blog

    Online Dating Scams – ID Verification Solution to the Rescue

    COVID-19 exposures and its associated risks with today’s in-person meetups and traditional ...

    Online Dating Scams – ID Verification Solution to the Rescue Explore More

    Blog

    KYC & AML Regulations in the UK: An Ultimate Guide

    Financial crimes have been around since the invention of money. Some argue that their origins are...

    KYC & AML Regulations in the UK: An Ultimate Guide Explore More

    Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Online Marketplace

    Smaller Banks are in dire need of AML Compliance to avoid fines

    Smaller banks are being considered an easy target for money laundering activities because of thei...

    Smaller Banks are in dire need of AML Compliance to avoid fines Explore More

    Blog

    Dirty Funds & Tax Evasion – Can the Crypto Sector Be Safeguarded?

    2021 has turned out to be another eventful year for the cryptocurrency sector. In just a span of ...

    Dirty Funds & Tax Evasion – Can the Crypto Sector Be Safeguarded? Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Verification – Defeating Anonymity on Social Media Platforms

    In the introductory phase, social media platforms were merely a small part of the internet where ...

    KYC Verification – Defeating Anonymity on Social Media Platforms Explore More

    Blog

    Avoid Non-Compliance Fines with AML Transaction Monitoring

    Cybercriminals in the realm of fraud and financial crime are constantly revising exploitation met...

    Avoid Non-Compliance Fines with AML Transaction Monitoring Explore More

    Blog

    Cybersecurity vs User Experience – Knowing the Art of Balancing

    Several years of debate between cybersecurity and customer experience has driven most people craz...

    Cybersecurity vs User Experience – Knowing the Art of Balancing Explore More

    Blog

    A Statistical Analysis of Prevalent Crimes in the Global Financial Industry – [2022 Overview]

    Over the past few years, the financial industry has witnessed significant technological changes, ...

    A Statistical Analysis of Prevalent Crimes in the Global Financial Industry – [2022 Overview] Explore More

    Blog

    Japan’s Act on Personal Information Protection – What Businesses Must Do

    New and emerging ways to bypass verification checks have allowed fraudulent entities to breach th...

    Japan’s Act on Personal Information Protection – What Businesses Must Do Explore More

    Blog

    Risks of Vaccine Verification Apps & What IDV Industry can Offer

    COVID-19 has brought enough changes to make the world smarter. Businesses and customers migrating...

    Risks of Vaccine Verification Apps & What IDV Industry can Offer Explore More

    Blog

    Source of Funds | A Critical Step in Mitigating the Risk of Money Laundering

    As the world continues on a path of digitization, business operations persist to undergo signific...

    Source of Funds | A Critical Step in Mitigating the Risk of Money Laundering Explore More

    Blog

    5 Technology Trends To Disrupt Banking in 2020

    Living in the digital era, technology is driving major changes in almost every industry. Whether ...

    5 Technology Trends To Disrupt Banking in 2020 Explore More

    Blog

    How identity verification can help prevent Medical Identity Theft?

    Digitization is reshaping the future of healthcare. With the healthcare industry, having more res...

    How identity verification can help prevent Medical Identity Theft? Explore More

    Blog

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Identity Verification

    The digital age has offered unprecedented convenience and connection, but it has also introduced ...

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Understanding UBOs: A Critical Component in Enhancing Security in the Financial Sector

    Regulated entities must be aware of who they are interacting with. Validating the real identities...

    Understanding UBOs: A Critical Component in Enhancing Security in the Financial Sector Explore More

    Blog

    Combatting Identity Theft with KYC Verification – A Risk-Based Approach in Online Shopping

    The proliferation of online stores has radically transformed how people shop and greatly affected...

    Combatting Identity Theft with KYC Verification – A Risk-Based Approach in Online Shopping Explore More

    Blog

    Safeguarding Financial Operations with Transaction Monitoring and AML Screening

    To enhance the power of anti-money laundering regulation, transaction monitoring systems have evo...

    Safeguarding Financial Operations with Transaction Monitoring and AML Screening Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology

    How Blockchain is Making the World a Better Place

    Verify identity: The whole world lives online now. Yes, that’s an exaggeration but we are gradual...

    How Blockchain is Making the World a Better Place Explore More

    Blog

    Fintech 2021: KYC/AML Bringing New Innovation to the Table

    2020 was all about surviving the pandemic, but it has also kickstarted a new wave of innovation. ...

    Fintech 2021: KYC/AML Bringing New Innovation to the Table Explore More

    Blog

    Prevailing Identity Fraud in Telecom Sector – How Shufti Can Reduce the Risks

    The telecommunication industry holds significance for the information sector as it is primary inf...

    Prevailing Identity Fraud in Telecom Sector – How Shufti Can Reduce the Risks Explore More

    Blog, Business Technology

    4 Fintech trends to look forward in 2019

    FInTech has come a long way from being a mere futuristic technology and has achieved scalability ...

    4 Fintech trends to look forward in 2019 Explore More

    Blog

    The Top 10 Advantages of OCR for Business Owners

    In our current data-driven and digital world, many organisations struggle with vast quantities of...

    The Top 10 Advantages of OCR for Business Owners Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    6 Steps of Online Fraud Prevention for Businesses

    With the rapid development in the online retail industry and banking industry, there is an increa...

    6 Steps of Online Fraud Prevention for Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    The Most Common Use Cases of Identity Document Verification

    As data breaches and other crimes increase, regulators must impose strict rules that corporations...

    The Most Common Use Cases of Identity Document Verification Explore More

    Blog

    UK’s FIU Issues New Guidelines for Suspicious Activity Reporting

    The UK’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) has issued new guidance in August 2021. The latest i...

    UK’s FIU Issues New Guidelines for Suspicious Activity Reporting Explore More

    Blog

    4 Tips to avoid digital payment frauds

    Due to the contingency caused by the rapid expansion of the Covid-19, online transactions have in...

    4 Tips to avoid digital payment frauds Explore More

    Blog

    Transaction Monitoring: Going Beyond AML Screening

    Whether you are an accountant in Wall Street or a developer for Google, money laundering will not...

    Transaction Monitoring: Going Beyond AML Screening Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    Identity Theft Frauds – How can you stay a step ahead?

    Identity theft is ‘a hot potato’ these days. Every day we come across news of online fraud that h...

    Identity Theft Frauds – How can you stay a step ahead? Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Combating Money Laundering in Luxury Vehicle Dealings

    Financial criminals usually look for priceless items like art, antiquities, as well as luxury veh...

    AML Screening – Combating Money Laundering in Luxury Vehicle Dealings Explore More

    Take the next steps to better security.

    Contact us

    Get in touch with our experts. We'll help you find the perfect solution for your compliance and security needs.

    Contact us

    Request demo

    Get free access to our platform and try our products today.

    Get started