Crime in business and trading is as old as anything. Anywhere that involves where trading is done, there are potential risks of financial crimes. It is quite possible that criminals and fraudsters may manipulate complex frameworks and entities, such as shell companies, to launder illicit money while making it appear legal. Trading is spread across the globe. Regardless of the size of the business and industry, trade is involved. KYB solutions help in combatting the potential risk of money laundering. Since the moving of trade towards the commercial side, there has been a rise in financial crimes. Launderers use trade-based money laundering for their profits earned through illegal means. Unfortunately, trade has become a major medium for concealing unlawfully obtained money. There are proper criminal groups that exploit the companies for routing their illegal funds or financing terrorist organizations.

What is Trade-Based Money Laundering?

Trade-based money laundering is the intricate form of money laundering that exploits the trade system, making the illegal money appear legitimate. In this type of financial fraud, trade transactions are disguised as legal through fake invoices and under and over-invoicing. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) details trade-based money laundering and its multiple mechanisms. In reality, it is done through the misinterpretation of the quantity or quality of the goods. In addition to that, this type of money laundering is often used with other types of money laundering that further obscure the route of money.  A top-tier digital signage company might inadvertently become a part of this scheme if it is used to create or disseminate misleading information related to these transactions.

Common Techniques of TBML

  • Over Invoicing

In this procedure, overpricing of goods or services is documented through an inflated invoice, where the buyer pays the increased amount. This excess money can then be transferred to a criminal company and disguised as legitimate. To mitigate such risks, an active directory security assessment can be instrumental. This assessment helps ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive financial and transactional systems, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorized modifications and fraudulent activities associated with invoice overpricing and financial transfers.

  • Under Voicing

Undervoicing involves a lower value for goods or services. In this method, the sellers usually receive payment for the true value. The difference in the amount between the actual and real values represents the illegal funds.

  • Multiple Invoicing

In this method of trade-based money laundering, the same goods or services are provided to different parties. This allows the same shipment to be paid multiple times, enabling the transfer of large sums of money. To combat such fraudulent practices, blockchain intelligence can be highly effective. This technology provides advanced tools for tracking and analyzing transactions across blockchain networks, offering insights to help detect and prevent the repetition of payments and other suspicious activities related to trade-based money laundering.

  • Over and Under Shipment

When it comes to shipping goods, over-shipment involves moving more products than what is stated on the invoice, allowing for the transfer of a higher value than officially reported. Conversely, under-shipment involves creating a paper trail that obscures the true value of the goods being transferred. To address these issues effectively, businesses might explore Qualtrics alternatives that offer robust analytics and monitoring tools. These alternatives can provide advanced data analysis and reporting features to detect discrepancies and ensure accurate reporting, thereby helping to prevent fraudulent activities related to both over-shipment and under-shipment.

  • Shell Companies

Shell companies, also called ghost entities, are used to disguise illegal transactions, leading to various financial crimes beyond money laundering. These companies exist only in documents, facilitating trade-based money laundering by generating fake contracts, invoices, and other documents. To uncover and address these fraudulent activities, forensic accounting plays a crucial role. Forensic accountants specialize in examining financial records and transactions to detect discrepancies, uncover hidden schemes, and provide evidence that can help expose and dismantle these deceptive practices. 

Why KYB Solutions Are Needed?

Know Your Business solutions are needed during the business verification. 

  • Identification of Suspicious Businesses

Some businesses have suspicious operations that often raise red flags for them. KYB solutions have a set of procedures that verify such companies by gathering their data and screening it in government databases.

  • UBO Checks

UBO are the most important components of the corporate structure. For this reason, regulatory bodies collect and verify their information. Ownership structures are usually very intricate, and due to these reasons, there is difficulty in identifying them. Businesses go for KYB solutions to verify a company’s actual owners.

  • Verification of Risk Profiles

Risk profiles in KYB categorize businesses based on factors like industry, geography, ownership structure, and transaction patterns. KYB solutions determine the level of due diligence required, with high-risk entities undergoing more rigorous checks. This approach enables businesses to manage compliance effectively while mitigating financial crime risks.

Future of KYB in TBML Prevention

The evolution of Know Your Business (KYB) in preventing Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) is increasingly guided by technological advancements and international cooperation. Advanced KYB solutions that integrate machine learning, blockchain, and no-code platforms are poised to improve the identification and monitoring of suspicious trade transactions. No-code platforms, in particular, offer a user-friendly way to develop and deploy customized compliance tools without extensive coding knowledge. So it’s important to choose the right platform for it.  

These tools enable real-time risk evaluations, allowing businesses to swiftly authenticate trading partners and uncover concealed ownership arrangements. It is also essential that businesses use these tools in a way that aligns with employee rights and ethical labor practices. Furthermore, regulatory efforts aimed at fostering global data exchange and standardization will further fortify KYB procedures. As TBML tactics continue to develop, KYB solutions must adjust to ensure that businesses can adhere to regulations and mitigate the dangers of financial crime in cross-border trade. In this evolving landscape, companies might also consider leveraging PEO pricing models to manage their compliance costs effectively. Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) can offer tailored pricing structures that help businesses manage administrative burdens and compliance requirements more efficiently, allowing them to focus on adapting their KYB strategies to combat financial crime.

Concluding Remarks 

Trade-based money laundering is a complex and pervasive problem in the business world that involves financial operations and trade. It requires concerted efforts from governments, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, and organizations to overcome. Companies can understand the procedure through which criminals launder money in order to interrupt this illegal activity. The fight against trade-based money laundering is not just a legal obligation but a social responsibility all companies must ensure for a fair and equitable economic landscape.