USA PATRIOT Act
The PATRIOT Act greatly expands the government’s ability to identify and monitor suspected money laundering activities, and it makes financing terrorist activities a criminal activity. Terrorism is the attempt to intimidate a population or government and to direct its behavior through the threat of violence. Terrorist financing uses the techniques of money laundering but with an ideological motive as opposed to profit-seeking.
As it relates to securities regulation, the PATRIOT Act requires firms to develop and implement an anti-money laundering program designed for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Some of its more important elements are described below.
Cooperative efforts to deter money laundering. Financial institutions, regulatory authorities, and law enforcement agencies are directed to share information with re