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Home » News & Insights » Tips for SMEs – Why are cash businesses targeted by criminals?

Tips for SMEs – Why are cash businesses targeted by criminals?

Posted on 1st August 2020

Cash Intensive Businesses

It is estimated that serious organised crime costs the UK alone £24billion per year.

Whether it’s drug trafficking, people trafficking or cybercrime, the illicit proceeds need to be cleaned and this is where you and your business could be affected.

Criminals use a variety of methods to clean dirty money, these fall into two categories –

  • Cash based money laundering, essentially the physical movement of money. Large sums are broken down into smaller amounts or they will buy assets which are then sold making it harder to track the original source of funds.
  • High end money laundering which focuses on high value ‘transactions’ abusing the financial sector to hide and disguise the illegally gained money.

Are you vulnerable?

Criminals will seek to find businesses that are easily accessed and exploited to facilitate money laundering. This places cash intensive businesses at the top of the list because it will not be out of the ordinary for the business to show a large number of cash transaction – at first sight anyway.

Is your business considered cash intensive? If you fall into one of the following, you could well be the perfect target for money laundering;

  • Retail
  • Restaurants
  • Pubs

Red Flags

Remember that industry patterns of trading can be monitored and if money laundering activity is occurring you will no doubt be seeing periods of increased revenue that are not in line with natural economic growth. HMRC could view this as a red flag and launch further investigations. Therefore it’s important for you to be familiar with your figures, so that you may spot unusual patterns in trading.

Precautions

Engaging with an accountant is one of many steps you can take to keep on top of your figures.

Avanti accountants do so much more than year end, and even if that’s all you need, we’re here to advise and assist as and when. Helping you to have real time information, and the whole picture. A business owner who has a knowledge of the businesses financial picture will be far less attractive to criminals

Call Avanti today to see how we can make you a less attractive proposition to criminals (08000) 388 799

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Filed Under: Tips for SMEs

Disclaimer:- The information contained herein is given by way of general guidance only and no action should be taken solely on the basis of the information contained herein. The Avanti Group (UK) Ltd will be pleased to provide further guidance on the issues, and how they might affect you. No liability is accepted by the firm for any action taken without seeking appropriate professional advice

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