AML & Compliance
What is suspicious activity report (SAR)?
A regulatory filing that financial institutions must submit to FinCEN (in the U.S.) or equivalent authorities when they detect transactions or behavior that may indicate money laundering, terrorism financing, fraud, or other financial crimes. SARs must be filed within 30 days of detecting suspicious activity, are confidential, and must not be disclosed to the subject of the report. SAR filing quality and timeliness are key areas of regulatory examination.
How it works
Example: A compliance analyst observes a customer receiving large wire transfers from multiple international sources, immediately converting them to cryptocurrency, and transferring them to external wallets. The analyst files a SAR with FinCEN, documenting the pattern and supporting evidence.


