Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Money Laundering:

A Banker's Guide to Avoiding

Problems

Where to Get More Information

If a national bank suspects someone has violated the BSA, is laundering money, or has

structured a transaction to avoid BSA reporting, it must file a CRF with the OCC and the local

office of the IRS-CID. To obtain the phone number of the local office of the IRS-CID call 1-800-

800-CTRS. Referrals made by national banks must be on the OCC's Criminal Referral Form.

If a bank suspects activity related to possible smuggling offenses, it should call the U. S. Customs

Service at 1-800-BE-ALERT.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN"), U.S. Treasury Department, created in

1990 to detect money laundering and other financial crimes, is building a database to serve as a

central repository for all CRFs. The database, known as the Financial Institutions Regulatory Agency

Criminal Referral Enforcement System, will begin to operate in 1993. It will be able to link

investigations conducted by multiple regulatory, law enforcement, and investigatory agencies.

Creation of the database should make the information supplied by the financial institutions more

accessible to both the regulatory and law enforcement communities. FinCEN also offers some faqs

on money laundering at their web site.

On April 12, 1993, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Financial Enforcement and the Internal

Revenue Service Detroit Computing Center announced the implementation of a Bank Secrecy Act

Bulletin Board System. This automated system offers access to timely information about the BSA to

computer users with a modem. The bulletin board allows financial institutions and the public to

obtain information about the most frequently asked BSA questions and anti-money laundering

initiatives. The telephone number for the BSA Bulletin Board System is (313) 961-4704. Users are

responsible for their telephone expenses. The IRS has a systems operator available. The IRS help

desk is available for assistance at (313) 226-3293.

For More Information About:

Money Laundering and National Banks, contact:

Compliance Management

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Washington, DC 20219 (202) 874-4428

Establishing a National Bank BSA Compliance Program, refer to OCC publications, including:

The Comptroller's Handbook for Compliance

An Examiner's Guide to Consumer Compliance

The issues listed under "What Bankers Should Look

Out For" in this booklet

Money Laundering - Where to Get More Information Page 1 of 3

http://web.archive.org/web/19970728055842/http://www.occ.treas.gov/launder/origh.htm 08/02/11
Refer to IRS publication:

Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act:

Exemption Handbook

Trends in Money Laundering, contact:

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)

Interpretations of BSA, contact:

Department of Treasury

Office of Financial Enforcement

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Room 5000, Annex

Washington, D.C. 20220

(202) 622-0400

Exemptions to the Bank Secrecy Act, contact:

Compliance Review Group

IRS Currency and Banking Reports Section

P.O. Box 32063

Detroit, MI 48232

(313) 226-4431

Filing Currency Transactions Reports (CTRs) and Foreign Bank and Financial Account

Reports (FBARs), contact:

IRS Data Center

P.O. Box 33604

Detroit, MI 44832

(313) 226-4431

Copies of IRS Forms (CTRs, CMIRs, FBARs, Form 8300, etc.), contact:

Eastern Distribution Center

(Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island,

South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia)

P.O. Box 25866 Richmond, VA 23289

Central Distribution Center

(Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota,

Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,

Wisconsin)

P.O. Box 9903

Bloomington, IL 61799

Western Distribution Center (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,

Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

Rancho Cordova, CA 95743-0001

Virgin Islands Distribution Center

(U.S. Virgin Islands)

Money Laundering - Where to Get More Information Page 2 of 3

http://web.archive.org/web/19970728055842/http://www.occ.treas.gov/launder/origh.htm 08/02/11
V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue

Lockharts Garden, No. 1A

Charlotte Amalie

St. Thomas, VI 00802

Many BSA forms are available in PDF format from FinCEN and FedWorld.

OCC Publications and Ordering Information, contact:

Communication Division

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Washington, DC 20219

(202) 874-4700

This is the end of the booklet.

Return to : Contents

Treasury Homepage.........OCC Contents..........OCC Subject Index ........Publications List

Webmaster@occ.treas.gov

Money Laundering - Where to Get More Information Page 3 of 3

http://web.archive.org/web/19970728055842/http://www.occ.treas.gov/launder/origh.htm 08/02/11