CAMS Exam Dumps - ACAMS AML Certifications Questions and Answers

Before opening for business, a bank must have independent compliance testing to ensure controls are functioning, qualified staff who understand AML/CFT requirements, and documented policies and procedures to guide day-to-day compliance. These are foundational elements of an effective AML/CFT framework.

Fingerprint is an inherent factor because it is a biometric trait - something the user is. Inherent factors rely on physical or behavioral characteristics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or voice, which are unique to the individual.

Customer loyalty program tracking and product usage analysis can uncover unusual patterns or behaviors that deviate from expected norms. These insights may help detect suspicious activity or hidden risks, making them valuable tools for supporting AML compliance even if not directly linked to traditional monitoring systems.

Life insurance products vary significantly in their exposure to money laundering risk. FATF guidance and insurance-sector AML standards emphasize that flexibility, liquidity, and cross-border features increase product risk.

Products that allow changes to beneficiaries after policy inception present higher risk because criminals may initially name a legitimate beneficiary and later substitute another party to obscure the true recipient of funds. This flexibility can be exploited to disguise beneficial ownership.

Products with cash surrender values are particularly vulnerable to money laundering. Criminals may place illicit funds into policies and later redeem them, creating an appearance of legitimate insurance proceeds. This characteristic is widely recognized as a high-risk factor.

International coverage, including cross-border health insurance features, increases geographic risk exposure, particularly when funds or claims involve higher-risk jurisdictions with weaker AML controls.

By contrast, annuities with deferred income streams typically limit liquidity, reducing laundering risk. Products that restrict fund transfers further reduce misuse potential and are considered lower risk.

B: If a bank fails to demonstrate sustained improvement or cannot resolve identified deficiencies, it can face civil or even criminal penalties from regulators. Regulators expect not just policy changes, but proof of effectiveness and ongoing compliance improvements.

C: Even after addressing many concerns, if all issues are not resolved—such as outstanding transaction monitoring backlogs—regulators may issue orders to further remediate the AML program until full compliance is achieved.

CAMS 6th Edition and regulatory guidance clarify that “regulators may impose penalties, issue consent orders, or require further remediation where weaknesses persist.”

Incorrect:

A: Secondary sanctions generally apply to sanctions violations, not standard AML program weaknesses.

D: Regulatory actions can be public and do pose reputational risk.

E: While transparency is sometimes required, this is not a universal regulatory response.

Accounting can help detect irregular financial patterns, technology solutions and IT security provide systems for monitoring and data protection, and fraud risk management identifies and mitigates suspicious activities - all of which are essential to supporting AML and sanctions compliance programs.

Classic indicators of suspicious activity often involve use of proxies, unusual cash access, or attempts to avoid scrutiny, as highlighted in FATF and FIU guidance.

Frequent access to a safe deposit vault to withdraw cash by a person closely associated with a government official raises heightened concern. Such behavior may indicate attempts to conceal illicit funds, particularly given the potential exposure to corruption risk associated with politically exposed persons (PEPs) and their close associates.

Similarly, requesting a third party to execute wire transfers on one’s behalf to a FATF grey-listed jurisdiction is a well-recognized red flag. This behavior suggests an attempt to evade transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, or enhanced due diligence requirements by distancing oneself from the transaction.

The remaining scenarios describe activities that are either legitimate or explainable with proper documentation and transparency. Merely dealing with an institution previously fined for AML violations or conducting legitimate trade with customs compliance does not, on its own, constitute suspicious activity.

Tax evasion is a criminal offense and is widely recognized as a predicate offense to money laundering under FATF standards and national AML laws.

It involves the deliberate non-payment or under-reporting of taxes, often through false declarations, concealment of income, or failure to file required tax returns. The key distinction is intentional deception of tax authorities.

In contrast, tax avoidance refers to lawful strategies used to minimize tax liability within the boundaries of the law. Deductions and tax planning activities are legal and do not constitute tax evasion.

Because tax evasion generates illicit proceeds, it is directly relevant to AML/CFT frameworks, and financial institutions must be alert to indicators of tax-related financial crime.

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is widely used in AML/CFT investigations to support customer due diligence, adverse media screening, and financial crime analysis. However, because OSINT sources vary widely in quality and reliability, regulators and investigative best practices emphasize verification and corroboration.

The most effective way to ensure the reliability of open-source information is cross-checking information across multiple independent sources. Corroboration helps confirm accuracy, reduce the risk of misinformation, and identify inconsistencies or bias. This approach is especially important when using online media, public records, blogs, or social media content.

Excluding entire categories of sources—such as the dark web or social media—may result in missed intelligence and does not ensure reliability. Similarly, relying only on international news agencies limits coverage and may overlook relevant local or niche reporting.

Therefore, triangulation through multiple sources is the most effective and regulator-aligned method for validating OSINT.