Which of the following corporate structures present a higher money laundering risk due to reduced transparency? (Select Three.)
Correct Answer: A,C,E
Certain corporate structures obscure beneficial ownership, making them attractive for money laundering.
Option A (Correct): Nominee shareholders and directors conceal the true owners of a company, increasing AML risk.
Option C (Correct): Bearer shares allow ownership to be transferred anonymously, making it difficult to trace transactions.
Option E (Correct): Private investment companies in tax havens with strict secrecy laws enable illicit fund movements.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
Option B (Incorrect): A private company that does not operate in a tax haven presents lower ML risk.
Option D (Incorrect): A foreign LLC is not necessarily high-risk unless linked to a secrecy jurisdiction.
Best Practices for Identifying High-Risk Corporate Structures:
Require full disclosure of beneficial ownership.
Apply enhanced due diligence (EDD) on tax-haven entities.
Monitor for unusual cross-border transactions.
Reference:
FATF Recommendation 24 (Beneficial Ownership Transparency)
6th EU AML Directive (6AMLD) on Corporate Transparency
OECD Guidance on Tax Haven Risks & Shell Companies