CAMS International AML Standards and FATF

Question 1

What is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and what is its primary role?

Accepted Answer

An intergovernmental body that sets international standards for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing

Answer

FATF is an intergovernmental policy-making body established in 1989 that develops and promotes international standards (the FATF Recommendations) for fighting money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

Question 2

How many FATF Recommendations form the current international AML/CFT standard?

Accepted Answer

40

Answer

The FATF 40 Recommendations (last revised in 2012 with subsequent updates) constitute the international standard for AML, counter-terrorist financing (CFT), and counter-proliferation financing.

Question 3

What is the FATF 'grey list' and what are the consequences of a country being placed on it?

Accepted Answer

A list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies who have committed to addressing them, triggering enhanced due diligence for transactions from those jurisdictions

Answer

The FATF grey list (formally 'Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring') identifies countries with strategic deficiencies who have committed to action plans — financial institutions typically apply EDD to transactions involving these countries.

Question 4

What is a FATF 'mutual evaluation' and what does it assess?

Accepted Answer

A peer review process that assesses how effectively a country implements the FATF Recommendations in both law and practice

Answer

A FATF mutual evaluation is a peer review of a member country's AML/CFT system, assessing both the technical compliance of its laws and the effectiveness of implementation in achieving tangible AML outcomes.

Question 5

The FATF Recommendations require countries to criminalize which two underlying offenses to money laundering?

Accepted Answer

All serious offenses generating proceeds AND terrorist financing

Answer

FATF Recommendation 3 requires countries to criminalize money laundering based on all serious offenses (using either an all-crimes or designated categories approach) and Recommendation 5 requires criminalizing terrorist financing.

CAMS - Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Certification Practice Test

CAMS - Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Certification Practice Test

CAMS International AML Standards and FATF