The account profiles are then used to locate suspect transactions, against tolerances entered and defined by the user.

Note that the user has complete control of how the account profiles are created.

In addition to the type and frequency of transactions, the following might be added to a profile :-

• Countries which sent and received funds, financial instruments etc.
• Overseas transaction counts
• Total traffic through account
• Countries and currencies on blacklists
• Etc. etc.

As an example consider how a man, with a large amount of illegal money may operate.

He might create several accounts in a bank or other financial institution and he may well move money between and in and out of these accounts to create an aura of respectability.

When he is sure that he is a respected client, he will then use the accounts to legitimise his illegal money.

By profiling the accounts, when the use of an account changes, say when foreign transactions suddenly appear, simple reporting can be used to bring these accounts to the attention of the Compliance Officer.