AML red-flag awareness

Preventing Money Laundering

15 minutes

1 module

NOTE

This short anti-money laundering training course is suitable for employees who need practical anti-money laundering awareness, especially where the organisation wants a focused introduction to money laundering risk, suspicious activity and reporting concerns.

It can be used as a standalone awareness course or added to broader financial crime training. Where employees need fuller FICA coverage, including the duties that apply to accountable institutions, the FICA Awareness or FICA for Accountable Institutions courses may be the better fit.

overview

Money laundering risk is not limited to accountable institutions

Some FICA compliance duties apply specifically to accountable institutions. That does not make money laundering irrelevant to every other business. The money laundering offences in POCA apply generally, while section 29 of FICA can require a person carrying on, managing or working for a business to report suspicious or unusual transactions or activity.

This short course gives employees a practical foundation: what money laundering is, how legitimate business activity can be misused, what makes activity suspicious and why concerns must reach the correct reporting route.

The course

Recognise suspicion and know what happens next

The course explains what money laundering is and how the process works. It introduces the South African legal framework, including the objectives of POCA and FICA, who must comply with FICA, what an accountable institution is and the duties that apply to accountable institutions.

Learners are introduced to suspicious transactions, who may have a reporting duty, the protection available to people who report money laundering activity to the Financial Intelligence Centre, and the consequences of non-compliance.

Scenario-based examples connect these concepts to the situations employees may encounter at work.

Beyond Schedule 1

Not being an accountable institution does not make suspicious activity someone else’s problem.

Course level

AML awareness, not a full FICA compliance programme

This 15-minute course is designed for employees who need a focused introduction to money laundering risk and suspicious activity. It is not training on how to operate an accountable institution’s risk management and compliance programme (RMCP), conduct customer due diligence or manage its full FICA control environment.

It helps general employees understand the risk, recognise when something may require attention and know why reporting or escalation matters. Organisations that are accountable institutions, or employees with specialist FICA responsibilities, should use the fuller FICA training appropriate to their role.

Give employees practical AML red-flag awareness.

Got questions? Start here.

Does an organisation need to be an accountable institution to use this course?

No. The course is suitable for organisations that want employees to understand money laundering risk and suspicious activity, including businesses that are not accountable institutions. It provides general AML awareness rather than an accountable institution compliance programme.

Who should complete this money laundering awareness course?

It is useful for employees who may encounter transactions, payments, clients, suppliers, accounts, records or reporting concerns. The organisation should select the audience according to its own risk profile and the situations employees may realistically encounter.

Does suspicious-transaction reporting only apply to accountable institutions?

No. Section 29 of FICA can require a person who carries on, manages or works for a business to report suspicious or unusual transactions or activity. Other FICA duties, including registration, customer due diligence and an RMCP, apply specifically to accountable institutions.

Does the course include practical warning signs and examples?

Yes. All Compliance Online courses use scenario-based examples. This course uses practical situations to help learners understand suspicious activity, why it matters and when a concern should be reported or escalated.

How is this different from fuller FICA training?

This is a short, focused introduction to money laundering and suspicious activity. It does not train learners to operate an accountable institution’s full FICA compliance framework. Employees with broader or specialist responsibilities should complete the FICA course appropriate to their role.