Identifying financial patterns of money laundering with social network analysis: a Brazilian case study

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to understand how forensic accountants can analyse bank transactions suspected of being involved with money laundering crimes in Brazil through social network analysis (SNA). Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach taken in this study was exploratory. This study cleaned and debugged bank statements from criminal investigations in Brazil using computational algorithms. Then graphs were designed and matched with money laundering regulations. Findings The findings indicated that graph techniques contribute to a range of beneficial information to help identify typical banking transactions (pooling accounts, strawmen, smurfing) used to conceal or disguise the movement of illicit resources, enhancing visual aspects of financial analysis. Research limitations/implications Research found limitations in the data sets with reduced identification of originators and beneficiaries, considered low compared to other investigations in Brazil. Furthermore, to preserve restrict information and keep data confidential, data sets used in research were not made available. Practical implications Law enforcement agencies and financial intelligence units can apply graph-based technique cited in this research to strengthen anti-money laundering activities. The results, grounded in analytical approaches, may offer a source of data to regulators and academia for future research. Originality/value This study created data sets using real-life bank statements from two investigations of competence by the Brazilian Federal Justice, including real-data perspectives in academic research. This study uses SNA, which is a popular approach in several areas of knowledge.

Tindak Pidana di Luar KUHP Pencucian Uang terhadap Kasus Gagal Bayar Pemilik Grup Kresna Terancam Dipidanakan 20 Tahun Pidana

“…Namun demikian, dengan menggunakan harga tertinggi yang tercatat dalam tiga tahun kita dapat mengetahui bahwa saham-saham ini dapat bernilai total Rp6,56 triliun sebelum krisis COVID-19. Selain itu, perlu dicatat bahwa Kresna Life memiliki saham minoritas kurang dari 5% PT NFC Indonesia Tbk (NFCX) dan PT City Development Tbk (NIRO), terlepas dari kepemilikan saham di kedua perusahaan tersebut (Lima, 2022). https://journal.pubmedia.id/index.php/lawjustice Pada tanggal 14 Mei 2020, kurang dari tiga bulan setelah surat pertama dikirimkan kepada nasabah pada bulan Februari 2020, Kresna Life kembali mengirimkan surat ke alamat yang sama.…”