The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's Customer Due Diligence for Banks Paper recommends that banks should verify the bank has a physical presence in the country where it is incorporated and confirm the bank is subject to regulatory supervision with adequate anti-money laundering laws before opening a correspondent account. These steps are intended to prevent the establishment of relationships with shell banks, which are banks that have no physical presence in any country and are not affiliated with a regulated financial group. Shell banks pose a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing, as they can be used to hide the identity and source of funds, evade regulatory oversight, and facilitate illicit transactions. Therefore, banks should conduct enhanced due diligence on correspondent banks that operate in offshore jurisdictions, where the regulatory standards and transparency may be lower or insufficient.
References:
ACAMS CAMS Certification Study Guide, 6th Edition, Chapter 4, Section 4.3.1, p. 1091 ACAMS CAMS Certification Exam Outline, 6th Edition, Domain 2, Task 2.2, p. 52 Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Customer Due Diligence for Banks, October 2001, p. 13-143