Glossary

AML/CTF terms in plain English

A quick reference to the AML/CTF terms Australian Tranche 2 organisations come across. General information only — check AUSTRAC and seek professional advice for your situation.

A–Z

24 key terms

AML/CTF
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing — the regime that requires regulated businesses to help detect and deter financial crime.
AML/CTF program
The framework a reporting entity maintains to identify, manage and reduce money-laundering and terrorism-financing risk, including its policies, processes and governance.
AUSTRAC
Australia’s financial intelligence agency and AML/CTF regulator. Reporting entities enrol with, and report to, AUSTRAC.
AML/CTF compliance officer (AMLCO)
The person an organisation appoints to be responsible for oversight of its AML/CTF program.
Audit trail
A record of important actions and decisions, kept so activity can be reviewed and evidenced later.
Beneficial owner
The individual who ultimately owns or controls a customer, such as a person behind a company or trust.
Customer due diligence (CDD)
Identifying and verifying a customer, understanding the nature of the relationship, and assessing the risk it presents.
Designated service
A specific service listed in the AML/CTF law that brings the business providing it into the regime. Scope depends on the service, not the profession.
Enhanced customer due diligence (ECDD)
Additional checks applied in higher-risk situations, such as a politically exposed person or an unusual transaction.
Enrolment
Registering with AUSTRAC as a reporting entity when you provide designated services.
Evidence
The documents and records collected to support identity verification and due diligence decisions.
IFTI
International funds transfer instruction — a type of report some reporting entities must lodge for transfers into or out of Australia.
KYC (know your customer)
A commonly used term for the customer-identification part of customer due diligence.
ML/TF risk assessment
An assessment of money-laundering and terrorism-financing risk across the services offered, customer types, delivery channels and countries involved.
Ongoing customer due diligence
Keeping customer information current and proportionate to risk through monitoring and periodic or triggered reviews.
PEP (politically exposed person)
A person who holds or has held a prominent public position, or a close associate of one. PEPs are not automatically suspicious but generally carry higher risk.
Reporting entity
A business that provides one or more designated services and therefore has AML/CTF obligations.
Risk-based approach
Applying effort and controls in proportion to the level of assessed risk, rather than treating every customer the same.
Sanctions screening
Checking a customer against government sanctions lists to identify prohibited dealings.
SMR (suspicious matter report)
A report to AUSTRAC where a reporting entity forms a suspicion on reasonable grounds about a customer or transaction.
Source of funds / source of wealth
Where the money used in a transaction comes from (funds), and how a customer accumulated their overall wealth (wealth).
Tipping off
Improperly disclosing that a suspicious matter report has been, or may be, made — an offence under the AML/CTF law.
Tranche 2
The newly regulated professional-services sectors brought into Australia’s AML/CTF regime: legal professionals, accountants, conveyancers, real estate professionals, and dealers in precious metals, stones and products.
TTR (threshold transaction report)
A report to AUSTRAC of a cash transaction at or above the reporting threshold.

New to AML/CTF? Start with the plain-English guides in the resources hub.

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