Indicators

The Kuwaiti Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) issues technical indicators designed to enable regulated entities to identify patterns associated with money laundering and terrorist financing. These indicators cover financial sectors such as banks, investment companies, and insurance companies, as well as non-financial professions.

	Description	View File
	Indicators related to Banking Sector The banking sector is considered one of the most exploited and used sectors in terrorist financing operations and throughout all stages of money laundering.	View File
	Indicators Related to Securities Sector There are different types of securities providers and intermediaries who may be involved in securities-related transactions, which affects how investment funds and securities investments are managed, and may create opportunities for criminals to launder money and finance terrorism. Therefore, it is essential to monitor indicators that may reveal suspicious transactions.	View File
	Indicators Related to Insurance Sector The nature of the activities and services provided by insurance companies may contribute to increased money laundering risks, due to the enormous sums these entities receive, which adds difficulty to tracking illicit funds.	View File
	Indicators Related to Exchange Companies For many years, specialized financial companies have played an increasing role in providing certain types of services, including money transfers, foreign exchange, and issuing various payment methods. With the development of information technology, the movement of money around the world has become easier, thus stimulating the growth of these specialized financial services and the diversification of their distribution channels, in addition to the high speed of transfer. These are considered cash-intensive businesses, which may provide greater opportunities for criminals seeking to launder money and finance terrorism. Therefore, indicators have been developed that may monitor the common patterns used.	View File
	Indicators Related to Exchange Institutions The role of specialized financial institutions for many years has been to provide foreign exchange services (buying and selling), as these are cash-intensive activities, which may make it easier for criminals to launder their illicit funds through exchange institutions, or to carry out other illegal activities. Therefore, we will highlight the indicators that may detect common patterns used.	View File
	Indicators Related to Payment Agencies and Electronic Settlement In the context of the rapid technological progress that the world has witnessed in recent years, countries have raced to digitize financial services and money, in order to enhance economic development within their local framework. However, the application of this digital technology to financial services has created new challenges for countries and institutions to confront money laundering and terrorist financing operations resulting from the use of various means and tools of financial technology (Fintech), which are provided by (payment agents) and providers of electronic payment and settlement systems services.	View File

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	Indicators related to Real Estate Sector Previously, the goal of owning real estate was for residential or commercial purposes, but currently the goals and methods by which the real estate sector is exploited have multiplied, such as investment companies, funds, and real estate development and management entities using funds provided by third parties to implement these investments allocated for commercial purposes, or these investments are held in various legal entities of companies that are created only to facilitate specific transactions. Therefore, these indicators should be considered by both small companies or real estate professionals to monitor suspicious transactions related to buying and selling real estate in compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations.	View File
	Indicators related to Lawyers Sector The legal profession, like other sectors, has gaps and weaknesses that can be exploited by money laundering/terrorist financing professionals. Understanding these gaps and identifying risks through those concerned in this sector leads to raising the level of efficiency in combating illegal operations related to money laundering/terrorist financing.	View File
	Indicators related to Accountants Sector This guide contains indicators that accountants may encounter while performing their professional obligations, with the aim of enabling them to effectively control and manage the risks of the services they provide, which apply to a specific category of accountants, whether they are auditors or chartered accountants.	View File
	Indicators Related to Gold and Precious Metals and Stones Sector The gold sector is considered one of the most cash-intensive sectors, so it is greatly exploited by criminals for money laundering and terrorism financing. The latest global trends, directions, and effective practices regarding combating money laundering and terrorism financing and monitoring their indicators have been revealed, which helps in designing and preparing effective systems and controls to reduce the risks of exploiting the gold and precious metals sector for money laundering and terrorism financing.	View File

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	Indicators Related to Politically Exposed Persons Politically exposed persons are considered a high-risk client class by nature due to the nature of the power entrusted to them, which may expose them to a lot of pressure, as well as opportunities that enable them to obtain financial returns through illegitimate means.	View File
	Indicators Related to Corruption Corruption-related crimes are closely linked to money laundering/terrorism financing, in which public authority is abused to achieve private interests, or for others, whether through (misappropriation of public funds, bribery, abuse of power, forgery and counterfeiting, crimes of obstructing the course of justice, customs smuggling, tax evasion, crimes of disclosing commissions offered in contracts and tenders).	View File
	Indicators Related to Financing of Terrorism Terrorism is financed by collecting, receiving, possessing, supplying, transporting, providing funds, weapons, ammunition, explosives, machinery, information, materials, or other things, directly or indirectly, and by any means, including digital or electronic means, with the intention of using them, in whole or in part, in committing a terrorist crime, or with the knowledge that they will be used for that purpose, or by providing safe haven to one or more terrorists or to those who finance them in any of the aforementioned ways. The stages of financing terrorism begin with collecting funds, then transferring them, and finally using them to finance terrorist acts, terrorists, and terrorist organizations. Therefore, the indicators that help in monitoring it have been listed.	View File
	Indicators Related to Financing of Proliferation of Weapons One of the most common methods used by criminal groups to finance and conceal transactions related to the proliferation of weapons is through (shell companies, the use of third parties, correspondent banks, transfers, open accounts, and other fraudulent methods) in order to conceal the actual beneficiaries. In cases of high risk, countries should require financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to take appropriate measures to manage and reduce risks.	View File
	Indicators Related to Non-Profit Organizations Non-profit organizations are one of the sectors exploited by money launderers/terrorism financiers to disguise their illicit transactions. They include organizations that aim to support public or private humanitarian work without any material or non-material compensation, and their activities are diverse across wide fields, whether religious, cultural, educational, or social.	View File
	Indicators Related to Businesses Fraudsters use multiple business methods to achieve their goals, such as manipulating documents for goods or services (manipulating prices, quantities, specifications), using shell companies (front companies) or fictitious trade, in addition to exploiting commercial services because of their intangible characteristics that open up a wider field for manipulation.	View File
	Indecators Related to Virtual Assets This type of asset has become a reality that cannot be ignored and requires significant cooperation at the level of countries and institutions in order to find the necessary legal legislation to regulate it, so that it does not become a means for criminals to exploit loopholes in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems regarding virtual assets (VAs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to transfer their illicit funds across countries.	View File