Remittances: How are AML/KYC responsibilities divided for online transfers from the U.S. to foreign countries?

Cross-Border Payments
Asked by Question Bot04/Oct/20141 answer

1 Answer

F

Faisal Khan

Answered 04/Oct/2014

AML-KYC is the responsibility of both the parties.

From the US (Remitting side) your US based MSB is responsible for doing the AML and KYC checks (amongst others, think: OFAC, SAR, CTR, etc.)

On the receiving side (Beneficiary country) you would be responsible for doing the AML/KYC checks based on your own country's laws as laid out by your financial regulator.

Ideally, both transactions should do a swap check as well, to ensure the money transfer transaction does not have to be reversed unnecessarily.

This means:

Remitting Side
Will do a check on the Sender as well as the Beneficiary

Receiving Side
Will do a check on the Sender as well as the Beneficiary

Both these checks should happen prior to the transaction being executed.