To support law enforcement efforts to fight human smuggling and human trafficking, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) seeks to advise financial institutions on how to detect and report suspicious financial activity that may be related to human smuggling and/or human trafficking. Financial institutions, large and small, can play a critical role in identifying and reporting transactions related to these unlawful activities based on their observations when interacting with customers and their monitoring processes.

FinCEN, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations and members of the financial industry, has identified financial indicators, or “red flags,”
that may indicate financial activity related to human smuggling or human trafficking. In addition to identifying red flags, this advisory provides common terms that financial institutions may use when reporting activity related to these crimes. The use of common terms will assist law enforcement in better identifying possible cases of human smuggling or human trafficking reported through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).