© ACAMS. All rights reserved. This information is subject to change.

Investigations course syllabus updated 17MAR2019 1

INVESTIGATIONS

Course Syllabus

Audience

The primary target is the frontline analyst, teaching skills that benefit new and experienced employees, especially as regulator and market expectations increase. This course assumes the employer has already introduced that organization’s unique roles, processes, systems, and common cases, and this course will not conflict with those. To bring all learners to a shared baseline of terminology, concepts, and processes, the course starts with the “Essentials” video and then builds from there.

The course is written and presented by subject matter experts working around the world. It pulls examples from many countries, and is globally appropriate. The lessons and examples are relevant to any industry. A primary focus is “financial institutions,” including banks, credit unions, asset managers, insurance, MSB, securities broker-dealers, credit card issuers, alternate payment systems, etc.

Course Structure

ACAMS allows you 4 calendar weeks to complete 4 hours of coursework, including a final assessment. You will be guided using a learning path on ACAMS’ learning management system (LMS). Follow carefully all instructions. Live virtual classroom events are pre-scheduled before you purchase the course. 4 weeks from the course start date your access expires.

Assignment Format Download from LMS

Week 1 30 mins – VIDEO “Essentials”

Video: Self-paced, available anytime PDF quick reference

Week 2 90 mins – VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

Live event: See LMS for date/time. Later a recording will be on the LMS.

PDF slides

Week 3 90 mins – VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

Live event: See LMS for date/time. Later a recording will be on the LMS.

PDF slides

Week 4 15 mins – HOMEWORK 15 mins – ONLINE ASSESSMENT

Self-paced, available anytime. Self-paced, available anytime.

PDF Assignment PDF ACAMS Certificate

To earn the certificate you must pass the assessment within the 4 weeks. The assessment has 20 questions. The minimum passing score is 80%. Multiple attempts are allowed. When you pass, your ACAMS Certificate will be available in the learning path itself. Click to download a PDF. ACAMS will automatically add 4 CAMS Credits to your profile.

© ACAMS. All rights reserved. This information is subject to change.

Investigations course syllabus updated 17MAR2019 2

Technical Requirements:

The course is compatible with most operating systems and browsers to make it easy to participate. The video, homework, and final assessment are mobile-friendly. The virtual classroom uses Webex Event Center which currently does not support mobile devices. The ACAMS Learning Management System (LMS) is https://lms.acams.com. Contact your organization’s IT department for assistance.

© ACAMS. All rights reserved. This information is subject to change.

Investigations course syllabus updated 17MAR2019 3

Build skills to investigate and communicate suspicious activity.

Behavioral outcomes of this course:

1. Understand the regulations and legal process for SAR/STR filing

2. Develop an investigative mindset

3. Identify relevant facts to support SAT/STR decision making

4. Understand importance of an effective financial investigation

Course content

WEEK 2 – Live Event

Minutes Content

5 Welcome and Introductions

10 Course overview Learning objectives 1. Understand the regulations and legal process for SAR/STR filing

2. Develop an investigative mindset

3. Identify relevant facts to support SAT/STR decision making

4. Understand importance of an effective financial investigation

5 Poll question

15 Regulations and legal process 1. Regulations

a. FATF

b. Global money laundering regulations

2. Legal process

a. Primary legislation for AML, CTF, and ABC

i. Examples of US, UK, and EU law

b. Information sharing law

i. Examples of US, UK, and EU law

c. Privacy and human rights law

i. Examples of US, UK, and EU law

d. Partnership requirements

i. FATF

2. JMLIT

3. FBI

4. SWIFT

3. Communications with law enforcement

4. Consequences

a. Negative

b. Positive

5 Poll question

5 Q&A highlights

© ACAMS. All rights reserved. This information is subject to change.

Investigations course syllabus updated 17MAR2019 4

25 Investigative mindset 1. Mindset

2. Process

a. Policies and procedures to identify and detect suspicious activity

b. Process outcome

i. Law enforcement

ii. Internal processes improvement

c. Law enforcement interview techniques for non-law enforcement situations

3. Intuition

4. Vigilance/follow-up

5. Strategies

6. Public versus private sector investigations

7. Financial crimes typologies

8. Decision making and risk management or mitigation…… which leads to investigations

5 Q&A highlights

5 Poll question

5 Close and Homework

Week 3 – Live Event

Minutes Content

5 Welcome

5 Poll question

5 Course review

20 SAR/STR decision making 1. Intelligence

a. What is it?

b. Process/cycle

2. Analysis

a. Objectivity and process

b. Application to strategy and tactics

3. Decision making

a. Reason to file

b. Reasons not to file

c. Process examples and frameworks

4. How it fits together for the risk based approach

5. Dissemination

a. Internal

b. External

5 Poll question

5 Q&A highlights

© ACAMS. All rights reserved. This information is subject to change.

Investigations course syllabus updated 17MAR2019 5

15 FIU and the importance of an effective financial investigation 1. Determine financial institutions needs

a. No FIU

i. iAnalyze your unique institutional characteristics

1. Products/services

2. Customers

3. Geographic presence

ii. Identify needs to build FIU

1. Skills

2. Functions

3. Technology

4. Processes

5. Scale

b. Already have an FIU?

i. How many people?

ii. Roles?

iii. Compliant with the risk based approach?

2. Best practices

3. Business as usual vs Rapid Response teams

a. Examples

10 Case studies

5 Q&A highlights

5 Poll question

5 Close and next steps