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Outlier Compliance Group welcomes Divya Bhaktha!

The Outlier Compliance Group team is thrilled to welcome our newest member, Divya Bhaktha.

Divya brings deep money services business (MSB) and banking experience.

Divya’s Bio

Divya joins the Outlier team with more than 15 years compliance experience working within the Money Services Business and Financial Institution sector. Throughout her career she has held both operational and oversight roles managing regulatory compliance and risk, contributing to the development and implementation of policies and procedures, conducting comprehensive internal compliance audits, effectiveness reviews, risk assessments and the training of team members, senior management and executives; with proven strengths in communication and building strong business relationships.

Divya got into compliance after a short role in accounting, her initial step into the world of AML/ATF was in 2009 when she was given an opportunity to handle the Compliance program for an MSB. In the same year, she gained her ACAMS designation and subsequently attended several ACAMS and MSB conferences to strengthen her knowledge. Once exposed to this world there was no looking back. She started by understanding the societal impact of money laundering and terrorist financing, the critical need for regulations and importance of compliance.

Her passion to get a broader exposure led her to gain experience at an FI and also in the crypto space. It was while working at the FI, that she became aware of something called “Bitcoin” which piqued her interest in crypto. Her experience has provided her with insights into the perspectives and challenges of both the MSB and FI sectors. She is enthusiastic about rethinking problems to uncover solutions and make operational success a reality.

As with all our consultants, Divya has deep subject matter expertise and supports Outlier’s mission statement “good compliance can enable good business”. She is passionate about compliance and risk management, and believes that businesses can be successful and compliant at the same time.

Please join us in welcoming Divya!

She’ll be attending the Futurist conference in Toronto as her first official Outlier event. Please say hello and welcome her to the team.

9 Years of Entrepreneurship


If you had told me ten years ago that I would be in the longest-running position in the history of my career, I wouldn’t have believed you. Back then, I was unhappy for various reasons, and while I had started to think about what I really wanted from my work life, I had yet to take some of the big steps to get there. I won’t go into the gory details of where I was or the situations that weren’t working for me. Suffice it to say that there was a lot that wasn’t working, and I didn’t know how to fix it… but I had some ideas.

If you’re sitting in a spot, like I was then, perhaps feeling a bit despairing and lost despite what many might consider your own success, this post is for you. It’s been written as a love letter, from the woman that I am today to the woman that I was then… Whether today you’re solving problems like a champion, just putting one foot in front of the other, or sitting on the couch thinking that you may want to get up – it’s all part of the journey.

Give yourself permission to name the things that you really want

Once, a former mentor (Lin, a founder of CU Training, now retired) literally gave me permission to take notes with coloured markers. The notes included cartoons of key points. I love to draw. It’s a great memory aid, but it’s something that I saw as being “unprofessional” and had trained myself out of…

This conversation got me thinking – what else hadn’t I given myself permission to write (or draw)? Were there things that I wasn’t giving words to?

Of course, there were.

In fact, there were a whole lot of things that I had been afraid, for one reason or another, to think too deeply about, let alone describe. So many of these things related to what I really wanted from life.

Write it down

This led to a trip to a shop in Victoria, BC, where I bought a beautiful notebook that I didn’t write anything in for a while. It would become the place where I wrote down what I wanted in life. This is the page from that book for “work.”

When I put pen to paper in this book, the rules are simple. I don’t beat myself up about what’s not working in my current state. I have a good think about what I really want, and I write it down. Whether it seems improbable or downright impossible, I write it down.

Looking back at this page, written over a year before my company, Outlier Compliance Group was a conscious thought, I can see its beginnings here.

Keep writing

I look back at and add to the old pages, building on the ideas there. It makes me smile to see where I’ve grown into myself and accomplished things that I thought impossible. I add new pages to the book.

It’s easier now to give myself permission to write than it was at first, but it’s still not easy! That’s okay. I think that’s part of how I know that I’m still growing and pushing myself.

Be open to opportunity

In the last decade, I’ve worked with amazing companies and entrepreneurs. I’ve consulted governments and NGOs. I’ve taught classes and presented at conferences around the world. I’ve made the type of career decisions and personal investments that have set me up to be secure in a way that I would have found unfathomable. Some of the people that I admire most in the world have become mentors and friends.

Sometimes, I think about where I was at various points in my life: living in poverty, in the foster care system, in very unhealthy work environments, and I wish that I could reach back into the past and let that version of me see the me that I am today… to let that version of me know that all of the hard work that I was doing would prepare me for opportunities that I wouldn’t have dared to dream of then.

The best part is that, eventually, success can become a virtuous cycle. The more opportunity I seize, the more seems to flow my way, and the more I am prepared to tackle… and the more that I am able to help others to help themselves along the way!

Take enough risk to get knocked down

This is not to say that it’s easy to seize opportunities, or that I don’t get knocked down from time to time. I do, and it’s not fun!

When something knocks me down, I try to remember that this is the price of “stepping into the ring.” Sometimes, I’ll get knocked down.

This is part of the risk-return curve; there’s no success without risk.

Get back up and do it again

Once, an interviewer presented me with a big list of leadership characteristics and asked me what the most important was to me. After reading the list, I asked if I could add another word to the list. That word is relentlessness, and I stand by it.

This is not to say that I keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, but rather that I learn, adjust tactics and pursue my goals with ardour.

If you can’t find it, build it

I think that everyone close to me had a sense that I would do something entrepreneurial long before I did. I was always looking for novel ways to solve problems, no matter the environment that I was in. This has become the number one question that I ask entrepreneurs that come to me for advice – what problem are you solving?

It’s important from a business perspective, as well as from a personal satisfaction perspective. When we understand what we’re doing and why, we all tend to be more motivated and focused.

Find your tribe

I am grateful every day for the incredible people in my life. I grew up feeling like an outsider, and I had to a large extent, accepted that this is the way I would always feel (and I was ok with that). It takes me by surprise sometimes to realize that I don’t feel that way anymore. I spend most of my waking hours solving problems and socializing with people that I love, respect and admire. Even when we’re dealing with difficult or stressful situations, I am still grateful for my friends, colleagues and clients every day.

The caveat here is that there are only 24 hours in a day. Each hour that you spend with the wrong folks is a missed opportunity to spend time with the right folks. Choose wisely!

Forgive yourself

This is something that I am still learning, and maybe I will be forever… When I make mistakes, I take it hard. I can hold a grudge for a very long time, and while I think that’s healthy in some cases, I shouldn’t be holding a grudge against myself. Making mistakes is part of learning and growing, and I need to be honest, forgive myself and get to learning rather than dwelling.

The idea that there are only 24 hours in a day is important here too. Time spent beating oneself up is not time well spent.

FINTRAC MSB Registration Expired?!?

FINTRAC Registration

Over the past few months, we have heard from several money services businesses (MSBs) that have experienced issues in renewing their MSB registrations with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). In most cases, these issues are easily resolved. However, if MSB registration issues are not addressed promptly, administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) or criminal charges may ensue.

It is likely that registration-related issues have become more common as FINTRAC is increasingly requesting additional information or clarifications from MSBs as part of the initial registration and registration renewal process. These requests are sent via email to the contact person listed in the MSB registration form.

Check Your MSB registration Status

You can view the status of your MSB registration by searching for your business on the public MSB registry. While this article is about the MSB registration status, anytime you are on this page, it is a useful practice to check to ensure that all of the information is up to date. There are several possible options for the “Registration status of MSB” field:

Registered: this is the status that is displayed for active MSBs. The detailed view will also show the expiry date of the registration.

Ceased: this status is displayed when an MSB has cancelled their registration (e.g. because the business is no longer conducting MSB activity or is only performing MSB activity as the agent of another MSB).

Expired: this status is displayed when an MSB has not submitted an MSB registration renewal on time, has not responded to requests for information from FINTRAC, or has not provided sufficient information to FINTRAC to complete the renewal process.

Revoked: this status indicates that FINTRAC has revoked an MSB’s registration.

If the Expiry Date is Coming Up Soon

If you notice that your MSB’s registration is expiring soon, there are several steps that you should take proactively. First, make sure that you have your login credentials and access FINTRAC’s secure MSB Registration portal. On the left-hand side of the screen, you may see an option to submit your renewal application. If this option is not yet present, it is still a useful practice to select “view completed form” and review the MSB information to ensure that everything is up to date. If there is anything that needs to be updated, you can update the form (information must be updated within 30 days of any changes; do not wait for the renewal date to make updates).

If the renewal can be processed at this time, make sure that you take the time to look at all data fields. Are these fields complete and accurate? Does the information related to the MSB’s beneficial ownership match what will be found in any corporate registries (if not, additional information and/or correction may be required before the registration can be processed). FINTRAC may request additional information by email, and your registration will not be renewed until these queries have been satisfied.

If the Registration is Expired

If you notice that your registration has expired, you should immediately access FINTRAC’s secure MSB Registration portal to renew it. It may be that you have simply missed a deadline, or that you did not notice an error message or request for additional information from FINTRAC. Whatever the cause, you should work to resolve the issue and renew the registration as soon as possible.

If you are not able to renew the registration, contact FINTRAC immediately by emailing guidelines-lignesdirectrices@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca and MSBRegistration@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca immediately with the subject line “URGENT – MSB Renewal Issue – Renewal Date Passed”.

  • In the body of the email, let them know:
  • The company name and MSB number
  • That you have been attempting to renew the MSB registration
  • If you have responded to any requests for additional information, the details of these correspondences (attach copies if possible)
  • Ask what information is needed at this stage to renew the MSB registration

Keep a copy of this and all communications with FINTRAC.

You may also want to consider making a voluntary self-declaration of non-compliance (VSDONC) to FINTRAC. For help with disclosures, check out our previous blog post.

If you receive a “Notice of Violation”

Where an MSB registration is expired, and the MSB continues to perform MSB activities (other than as an agent for another MSB), a penalty may be assessed, and a “Notice of Violation” may be issued. At this stage, a law firm should be engaged (we’re happy to recommend competent firms if this is something that you need). There are specific and relatively short timeframes for all response steps, and this should be treated as urgent.

We’re here to help.

If you are not sure what to do next or need assistance with compliance, please get in touch.

Outlier Compliance Group welcomes Karene Lewis!

The Outlier Compliance Group team is thrilled to welcome our newest member, Karene Lewis!

Karene brings deep banking (including credit union) and money services business (MSB) experience.

Karene’s Bio

Karene joins the Outlier team with more than 15 years of experience in the financial services sector; over 10 years of experience working in the Credit Union sector; over eight years of working experience building relationships with MSBs and PSPs, and enhancing and managing compliance programs for a variety of regulated entities.

Her areas of knowledge and experience in regulatory compliance and risk management were gained through various roles throughout her career in the financial services sector; managing regulatory compliance and risk, contributing to the development and implementation of policies and procedures, conducting comprehensive internal compliance audits, effectiveness reviews, risk assessments and the training of team members, senior management and executives; with proven strengths in communication and building strong business relationships.

Karene got into compliance when in her role as Business Relationship Manager, she was tasked with managing the MSB and high-risk client program for the financial institution. In order to become more familiar with the industry that she was now going to be working so closely with, she attended a Canadian MSB conference, where she learned so much about these regulated entities, how they are typically formed out of a need to provide financial services to often underserved communities and as a way for families to send financial assistance to family members in need, in diasporas around the world. With this knowledge, she was hooked and wanted to find out how she could help bring a positive light to this much-needed service while ensuring adherence to all applicable regulatory compliance laws and regulations.

Karene supports Outlier’s mission statement, “good compliance can enable good business.” She is passionate about compliance and risk management and believes that businesses can be successful and compliant at the same time; sometimes all you need is a little help and some guidance to set you on the right path.

Please join us in welcoming Karene!

She’ll be attending the Futurist conference in Toronto as her first official Outlier event. Please say hello and welcome her to the team.

EFTs, PSPs & Crowdfunding : Canada’s Changing Regulatory Landscape

On April 27th, 2022 amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations (PCMLTFR) and associated regulations related to penalties for non-compliance were passed. These amendments were unusual, as there was little prior public consultation, no pre-publication for public comment, and they came into force “on publication” (right away). This is particularly unusual, as new business models were included in the money services business (MSB) and foreign money services business (FMSB) categories.

Specifically, a number of payment services providers (PSPs) became MSBs through a change in the definition of electronic funds transfers (EFTs), and companies that provide crowdfunding services also became MSBs/FMSBs. Historically, these types of changes would have included a pre-publication of the proposed amendment with time for industry participants to comment. There is also, generally, a period of time between the publication of final amendments and the coming into force date (often a year). Absent these buffers, both industry and Canada’s AML regulator, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) have been scrambling to assess the many nuances of the amendments.

While we’ve seen a number of responses to individual applicants for MSB registrations and requests for policy interpretations from FINTRAC, today’s release was the first substantial piece of public guidance from the regulator. For those inclined, it can be accessed here: https://fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/notices-avis/2022-07-21-eng

EFTs and PSPs

What may have seemed like an inconsequential change to the definition of EFTs, which removed certain exemptions, has significant impacts on payment services providers.

“As payment services are not a prescribed service under the PCMLTFA, FINTRAC is taking the position that persons or entities that provide invoice payment services or payment services for goods and services are engaged in the business of remitting or transmitting funds, or dealing in virtual currency.”

FINTRAC’s guidance goes on to define each of these activities and the (very limited) exemptions in each case.

Crowdfunding

While crowdfunding gets a nod in the title of the guidance, it doesn’t really factor into the substance of today’s piece. There are definitions in the amendments themselves in this case, and it’s likely that additional guidance will follow as FINTRAC works through these registrations.

“crowdfunding platform means a website or an application or other software that is used to raise funds or virtual currency through donations. (plateforme de sociofinancement)”

“crowdfunding platform services means the provision and maintenance of a crowdfunding platform for use by other persons or entities to raise funds or virtual currency for themselves or for persons or entities specified by them. (services de plateforme de sociofinancement)”

FINTRAC’s MSB/FMSB Registration Process

The guidance notes that FINTRAC is working on getting businesses registered “over the next several weeks.” As there are many businesses that will be newly registering as MSBs or FMSBs, industry participants should expect some delays. It has also become much more common for FINTRAC to ask for additional details about the business, such as the business model and flow of funds.

There is also a tool to check to see if your business should be registered: https://www.fintrac-canafe.gc.ca/msb-esm/questions/2-eng

If you’re ready to register, you can find an overview of the process and links to the pre-registration form here: https://fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/msb-esm/register-inscrire/reg-ins-eng

Requesting Policy Interpretations

There are two important FINTRAC email addresses. If you have a question specifically about whether or not your business should register, first try msb-esm@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca.

For other policy interpretation requests (or if your request is particularly complex), your best avenue is most likely guidelines-lignesdirectrices@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca.

Enforcement Actions

FINTRAC’s guidance indicates that the regulator will take a reasonable approach to entities required to register.

“We understand that there will be challenges in meeting certain obligations. FINTRAC will be reasonable in its assessment and enforcement approach, and is committed to working with reporting entities subject to the PCMLTFA and its Regulations to increase their awareness, understanding and compliance with their obligations. Please continue to monitor our website for updates or additional guidance.”

This gentle approach will not last indefinitely. If your business needs to be registered (and get its house in order AML compliance-wise), it’s time to get started.

We’re here to help.

Whether you want a hand drafting a policy interpretation request, an AML compliance program, or training for your newly minted AML Compliance Officer (congratulations, I’m sorry), we’re here to help. Please get in touch.

Outlier Solutions Inc. Offering Compliance Services to the Metaverse in Decentraland

February 23, 2022 Toronto — Outlier Solutions Inc. doing business as Outlier Compliance Group, a consultancy specializing in compliance solutions for reporting entities ranging from banks to dealers in virtual currencies (like bitcoin) to real estate firms, is one of the first to offer compliance services in the metaverse. Outlier will be joining as one of the professional service providers setting up shop in conjunction with Grinhaus Law Firm, a leading Canadian law firm in Blockchain regulatory advisory, and DGM Financial Group, a prominent Trust and corporate services office which helps structure crypto businesses internationally, in Decentraland, to service clients globally and through the metaverse.

Visitors to Decentraland will now be able to visit Outlier’s office, and book meetings with one of the team members. Visitors can discuss their Canadian compliance needs on topics such as Canadian anti-money laundering (AML), anti-terrorist financing (ATF), privacy, and regulatory compliance management. Virtual spaces include traditional offices and a fountain (and of course, meetings can also be requested in person and via more traditional virtual meeting software). The Decentraland office is located at -39, 121, in the same neighbourhood as Decentraland University.

“The world, actual and virtual, is evolving rapidly” said Outlier’s Co-Founder and CEO, Amber D. Scott. “It’s important to understand what shape that evolution is taking, and no better way to learn than to be involved directly.” She adds, “It just makes sense that in order to be good advisors to companies operating in the metaverse, we would be there too.”

Scott’s avatar in Decentraland checks out the new virtual office space.

Founder of Grinhaus Law Firm, Aaron Grinhaus, stated, “we are pleased to welcome Outlier Solutions Inc. and complement our line up of professional services to help people and businesses navigate the ‘gray areas’ and legitimize the existence of the metaverse.”

Decentraland, with its 800,000+ residents and $54B in transactions, is also home to a wide array of companies and institutions from academia to crypto companies to fashion. This represents an opportunity to strategically grow Outlier’s presence as well as participate in the booming growth and creation in the metaverse.

Please direct media inquiries to decentraland@outliercanada.com.

About Outlier Solutions Inc.
Outlier Solutions Inc. dba Outlier Compliance Group is a Canadian consulting firm, founded in August of 2013, which is focused on developing compliance solutions for reporting entities. Outlier’s areas of expertise include anti-money laundering (AML), anti-terrorist financing (ATF), privacy, and regulatory compliance.

For further information please visit https://www.outliercanada.com

About Grinhaus Law Firm
Grinhaus Law Firm was established in 2012 and is a business, tax and regulatory focused firm with a niche expertise in Blockchain and Smart Contract law.

For further information please visit https://grinhauslaw.ca

About DGM Financial Group
DGM Financial Group is a global financial services firm that provides Trust Administration, Corporate Services, Management Services to insurance and non-insurance companies, Family Office, Director Services, and is a Listing Sponsor on the Barbados Stock Exchange.

For further information please visit https://dgmfinancialgroup.com/

About Decentraland
Decentraland is the first fully decentralized virtual world. Powered by DAO, which owns the most important smart contracts and assets of Decentraland. Decentraland is a software running on Ethereum that seeks to incentivize a global network of users to operate a shared virtual world. Decentraland users can buy and sell digital real estate, while exploring, interacting and playing games within this virtual world.

For further information please visit https://decentraland.org

Fraud & Reasonable Grounds to Suspect

One of the themes that was prevalent in Canadian AML for 2021 was the relatively low bar represented by “reasonable grounds to suspect” (RGS) and the types of transactions for which FINTRAC expected suspicious transaction reports (STRs) to be filed. One of our astute colleagues worked with us to craft some specific scenarios (the full version, including FINTRAC’s response, can be viewed here), and FINTRAC’s response seems to confirm a significant shift in position from previous discussions. Specifically, STRs are expected in cases of fraud, including cases in which the reporting entity’s client is believed to be the victim of fraud.

Here is a scenario that we asked about:

Scenario 2

A client reaches out to notify us that they sent the virtual currency to another party who promised them a generous short-term return. The client never received the promised funds and believes they have been defrauded. We review the customer account activity and do not find any anomalous activity either prior to or after the client sent the virtual currency to the wallet provided by the fraudster. The client appears to have sent their own funds to the fraudster and there is no account activity corresponding to any irregular transactions, including money mule indicators. Our client is simply a victim of fraud.

Based on strictly these facts, context and indicators, we have not reached reasonable grounds to suspect any money laundering or terrorist financing offences by our client. There may be downstream suspicion related to the wallet where the fraudulently obtained funds were sent but we do not have any suspicion based solely on our client’s transactions which include the transmission of virtual currency to that other wallet. We do not have any information or suspicion related to the other wallet except for the knowledge that our client’s virtual currency was sent to it.

Given the above, we believe no STR would be required. Could you please confirm our position? If the position taken here does not seem correct, please provide an underlying rationale.

And an excerpt from FINTRAC’s response:

In scenario 2, an STR should be submitted if the reporting entity reached reasonable grounds to suspect that the transaction or attempted transaction is related to fraud.

Not Just for Virtual Currency

While the scenario that we’ve provided is specific to virtual currency, the implications of this policy interpretation are not limited to transactions that involve virtual currencies. Every reporting entity type will deal with suspected and confirmed cases of fraud that touch their business models.

Why Does It Matter

To really get to why this matters so much, we need to first look at the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), which is where the requirement is first defined in Section 7:

Transactions if reasonable grounds to suspect

7 Subject to section 10.1, every person or entity referred to in section 5 shall, in accordance with the regulations, report to the Centre every financial transaction that occurs or that is attempted in the course of their activities and in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to suspect that

(a) the transaction is related to the commission or the attempted commission of a money laundering offence; or

(b) the transaction is related to the commission or the attempted commission of a terrorist activity financing offence.

This is important as the provision of the PCMLTFA (the section number) is what’s listed in the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations, where potential penalties are defined. Violations of Section 7 of the PCMLTFA are considered “very serious”. In turn, a “very serious” violation can lead to a penalty of up to $500,000 – for each instance.

If you’re a quantitative type quietly working out the rough number of fraud cases that your reporting entity has had recently, multiplying by $500,000, and feeling a bit nervous, you are not alone.

What’s Next?

While guidance and policy interpretations do not carry the force of law, this is often a distinction without a difference. Might a reporting entity take an appeal to federal court and win? Perhaps…though under the existing rules, that reporting entity’s name will be published (required where the violation is considered to be “very serious”), which for some reporting entities would have significant consequences, including the loss of vital banking partner relationships. Further, the cost of competent representation in a federal appeal process is well beyond the means of most small and mid-sized reporting entities.

Industry associations will, no doubt, continue to lead important conversations with FINTRAC and seek clarification for their members.

In the meantime, for most Canadian reporting entities, the most pragmatic decision will likely be to devise internal guidelines that include reporting STRs related to fraud cases.

Need a Hand?

If you want to make updates to your compliance program to reflect this new policy interpretation, or assistance with Canadian AML generally, please contact us.

Don’t Share STRs or STR Data

Recently the Compliance Officer from a small reporting entity reached out to me to ask an uncomfortable question: should they provide copies of the Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) that they had filed with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to their financial services providers such as a credit union or bank?

This was a difficult situation for the reporting entity’s Compliance Officer because they were afraid of pushing back too much with the financial services provider. Like most non-bank reporting entities, they rely heavily on the services provided by the bank in order to be able to operate their business. Financial service providers, such as banks and credit unions, have the ability to close the accounts of businesses in Canada (often called de-risking), and it can be difficult for some types of reporting entities to establish new banking or payments relationships. The financial services provider in this situation has significantly more power than the reporting entity that is dependent on them.

My gut reaction was that the reporting entity should not disclose the contents of their STR reports, or provide copies. In Canadian legislation, disclosing the fact that an STR was made, or disclosing the contents of such a report, with the intent to “prejudice a criminal investigation” can be punishable as a criminal offence, with penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment (this is also known as “tipping off”). While there did not appear to be any intent to prejudice a criminal investigation in this case, it still seemed like a bad idea. I did a quick check-in with fellow AML geeks on LinkedIn. There are some great comments here, and I had a number of conversations in DMs and by phone. No one seemed to think that the reporting entity should be providing copies of STRs.

The question then became how to best empower the reporting entity to push back effectively. I submitted the following request to FINTRAC and to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC), both of which have mechanisms to allow Canadians and Canadian companies to ask the regulators to opine on matters free of charge:

One of our clients, a Canadian Money services business (MSB) has been asked by their financial services provider (bank/credit union) to provide copies of the suspicious transaction reports (STRs) and Attempted Suspicious Transaction Reports (ASTRs) that have been filed with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) on an ongoing basis. This struck us as being an overreach in terms of the information that should be disclosed to a service provider, and we are reaching out for an opinion on the appropriateness of these requests.

The financial service provider appears to be of the opinion that this is a reasonable request, and that they may close the MSB’s bank account if the STRs and ASTRs are not provided by the MSB.

I let both FINTRAC and OPC know that I had submitted requests to both. So far, only FINTRAC has responded. Their response is below in full (TL:DR: reporting entities should not share copies of STRs reported to FINTRAC).

Thank you for contacting the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Canada’s independent agency responsible for the receipt, analysis, assessment and disclosure of information in order to assist in the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities in Canada and abroad.

I am writing further to your email of July 16th, 2020, wherein you requested clarification regarding the sharing of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) submitted to FINTRAC.

As you know, section 8 of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) states that no person or entity shall disclose that they have made, are making, or will make a report under section 7, or disclose the contents of such a report, with the intent to prejudice a criminal investigation, whether or not a criminal investigation has begun.

The PCMLTFA sets out a regime in which the information contained in financial transaction reports sent to FINTRAC (including STRs) is protected from disclosure except in very limited circumstances. The Act also includes specific provisions aimed at protecting the personal information under FINTRAC’s control. For example, as you may be aware, the PCMLTFA is founded on a prohibition on disclosure (s. 55(1), PCMLTFA). Any disclosure of information or intelligence by FINTRAC must fall under one of the exceptions to this prohibition. Outside of these exceptions, FINTRAC is prohibited from disclosing the contents of financial transaction reports, or even acknowledging their existence.

While reporting entities (REs) are not subject to the same prohibitions, FINTRAC strongly believes that STRs should be regarded as highly sensitive documents, given the role FINTRAC plays in the fight against money laundering (ML) and terrorist activity financing (TF) in Canada, and the fact that STRs are a key source of FINTRAC’s intelligence holdings. From FINTRAC’s perspective, it is not in the public interest for REs to disclose financial transaction reports and the information contained therein. Even beyond this, the collection or disclosure of financial transaction reports, including STRs, without a valid purpose and authority, may infringe on legislated privacy protection obligations. Almost all information within financial transaction reports is personal information about an identifiable individual and is considered financial intelligence by

FINTRAC, collected for the sole purpose of reporting to FINTRAC. The potential harm that could occur from the disclosure of the information in these financial transactions reports is great, and includes compromising: (1) police and national security investigations that are both ongoing or could be undertaken in the future; (2) sources of the information/intelligence within the reports, placing those sources at risk of retaliation; and (3) FINTRAC’s compliance activities, given that data provided by REs is always provided in confidence and that confidence is expected to be maintained by all parties. FINTRAC relies on the information included within STRs to support disclosure of financial intelligence to police and other law enforcement and national security organizations, in the interest of detecting, preventing and deterring ML and TF.

Therefore, while your client (MSB) is not prohibited from sharing the STRs it has submitted to FINTRAC with its service provider (Bank/CU), unless it is with the intent to prejudice a criminal investigation, strong consideration should be given to the above.

If you would like a PDF copy of the complete question and policy position for your due diligence files, or to provide to an external party that is requesting copies of your STRs, or information about their content, you can download it here.

Response from FINTRAC – Re_ Sharing Copies of STRs_ASTRs

A version of this Q&A is also now posted on FINTRAC’s website (PI-10662).

The response from OPC, in contrast, was underwhelming. In essence, they will investigate specific complaints, but they will not issue advanced rulings. That said, if any service provider is insisting that copies of STRs must be shared with them, a complaint to the OPC may be an option.

Response from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – INFO-084075

Need a hand?

If you have AML or privacy-related questions, we can help. You can get in touch using our online form, by emailing info@outliercanada.com, or by calling us toll-free at 1-844-919-1623.

In Memoriam: Colleen P. Waddell

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Colleen P. Waddell. Colleen passed away on September 23, 2020. She was both a valued member of the Outlier team, and a friend to many Outlier ninjas and clients. She will be missed. 

Colleen’s funeral will be on September 28th, 2020:

Ely Funeral Home

3316 State Hwy 33

Neptune, NJ 07753

1 (732) 918-6650

Visitation: 10AM-12PM

Directly Following: Graveside Service at 12:30PM

Monmouth Memorial Park

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made to the Associated Humane Society – Popcorn Park Zoo. Colleen loved animals of all types, and this park close to where she grew up was quite special to her. Those who got to know Colleen’s sense of humour will also appreciate that the park is not operated by Carole Baskin.

To celebrate Colleen’s love of cryptoasset technology, memes, and dogs, Outlier will be sponsoring a Patas monkey named Dogo in her honour.

Regulations Amending the Regulations February 15, 2020- Redlined Versions

The following red-lined versions have been created to reflect the amendments to Canadian anti-money laundering (AML) regulations published in the Canada Gazette on February 15, 2020. You can also read our article “Amending the Amendments!” for a summary of the proposed changes by industry.

Redlined versions of all the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations are listed below for download.

These documents are not official versions of the regulations. Official versions can be found on the Government of Canada’s Justice Laws Website.

Regulations Amending the Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act

Please click the link below for downloadable PDF file.
Amending_the_Regulations_Amending_Certain_Regulations_Made_Under_the_Proceeds_of_Crime_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations

Please click the links below for downloadable pdf files.
PCMLTF_July_2019_Redlined_Full_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Suspicious Transaction Reporting Regulations

Please click the links below for downloadable pdf files.
PCMLTF_Suspicious_Transaction_Reporting_Regulations_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Registration Regulations

Please click the link below for a downloadable PDF file.
PCMLTF_Registration_Regulations_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations

Please click the link below for a downloadable pdf file.
PCMLTF_Administrative_Monetary_Penalties_Regulations_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Cross-Border Currency and Monetary Instruments Reporting Regulations

Please click the link below for a downloadable pdf file.
PCMLTF_Cross-Border_Currency_and_Monetary_Instruments_Reporting_Regulations_July_2019 – Redlined_Feb_2020

Need a Hand?

Whether you need to figure out if you’re a dealer in virtual currency, to put a compliance program in place, or to evaluate your existing compliance program, we can help. You can get in touch using our online form, by emailing info@outliercanada.com, or by calling us toll-free at 1-844-919-1623.

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