This Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) based training will explain the need and provide tips on how to establish the structure and training for the branch inquiry process for both front line employees and the BSA Department. This training will also cover how and why AML investigators/analysts should create and send fruitful branch inquiries to avoid adverse customer impact, limit front line staff impact, and eliminate multiple inquiry requests for the same customer.
This training will advise attendees on how to create and maintain an effective BSA branch inquiry structure.
Many times as analysts are working through an AML or BSA investigations they come to an impasse where additional information is needed to continue the review. This is where the analyst will create and send questions to another department who will then reach out to the customer to gather that additional information. But issues arise with this process, because too often front-line employees are not fully knowledgeable in AML or BSA structures and AML investigators do not ask straightforward or fruitful questions to truly gain insight for their investigation. This training will cover tips to establish a system for the branch inquiry process between BSA and front-line staff employees. We will also cover how investigators should be forming and asking fruitful questions to gain an understand of the activity and the customer.
When you utilize the branch inquiry process to its full capabilities and formulate fruitful questions you open up an opportunity to gain so much valuable information, update internal systems, and ensure that you disposition to your investigation is correct and that you have properly mitigated the risk. This training is geared towards making your BSA branch inquiry structure a success.
Thamecia Bullard is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) with over 8 years of professional experience in fraud and AML investigations. She began in the financial services industry holding various positions at a large financial institution. Thamecia has expertise in fraud, specialty fraud, and money laundering- working investigations for retail, credit card, business and individual accounts.
In 2017, Thamecia joined Ameris Bank as an analyst conducting alert level and case level reviews including SAR filings, fraud, complex and continuation SAR filing investigations. At Ameris Bank, Thamecia spent some time being a Team Lead and currently works as a Subject Matter Expert in the AML Investigations department. Aside from working investigations, Thamecia is also a trainer and has experience conducting team and BSA department trainings and workshops on various AML related subjects.