FinCEN’s analysis of suspicious identity activity reveals „existence of significant identity-related exploitations through a wide variety of schemes”

Report examines suspicious activity tied to the exploitation of identity processes during account creation, account access, and transaction processing

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Financial Trend Analysis (FTA) on information linked to identity-related suspicious activity in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports filed in calendar year 2021. „FinCEN’s analysis found that approximately 1.6 million reports (42% of the reports filed that year) related to identity—indicating $212 billion in suspicious activity.” according to the press release.

The report, which is part of what FinCEN has previously referred to as its Identity Project, explores how bad actors exploit identity-related processes involved in processing transactions as well as opening and accessing accounts. FinCEN identified over 14 typologies commonly indicated in identity-related BSA reports. The most frequently reported were fraud, false records, identity theft, third-party money laundering, and circumvention of verification standards. These top five typologies accounted for 88% of identity-related BSA reports and 74% of the total identity-related suspicious activity amount reported during calendar year 2021.

Trends found in the BSA reporting include:

. Although identity-related suspicious activity impacted all types of financial institutions, depository institutions filed the most identity-related BSA reports, around 54% of all identity-related filings.

. While most financial institutions in the identity-related BSA dataset reported impersonation as their top identity exploitation, money services businesses most often reported circumvention of verification.

. The report found that compromised credentials have a disproportionate financial impact as compared to other types of identity exploitation.

“This report reveals the existence of significant identity-related exploitations through a large variety of schemes,” said FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki. “Robust customer identity processes are foundational to the security of the U.S. financial system, and critical to the effectiveness of financial institutions’ programs to combat money laundering and counter the financing of terrorism. Financial institutions are encouraged to work across their internal departments to address these schemes.”