Suspicious activity escalation is the process by which a concern that a customer or transaction may involve money laundering, terrorist financing or another crime is passed from the person who noticed it to those with authority to investigate and decide on reporting. Concerns come from two main sources: staff who see something unusual in dealing with a customer, and analysts who cannot explain an alert during alert triage. The escalation is usually recorded on an internal form, often called an unusual activity report.
The matter then moves to a suspicious activity investigation and, where suspicion is confirmed, to the money laundering reporting officer, who decides whether to file a suspicious activity report. Firms set time limits for each step because legal reporting deadlines run from the point of suspicion. Staff must escalate promptly, must not be discouraged by managers from doing so, and must observe the anti-tipping-off rule by not alerting the customer.