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The BSA Examiner - Archives
The BSA Examiner is a quarterly newsletter published by Wayne Barnett Software.
2025
Volume 99 – 4th quarter
Case #1 – FinCEN Alternative Collection Method to Obtain TIN
When a widow walks into a branch after her husband passed, a new Federal Reserve CIP clarification helped meet her with empathy at a critical time while also remaining compliant.
Case #2 – A Cautionary Bank Tale
Telltale signs of ACH fraud and kiting help banks stay one step ahead of money mules. New NACHA rules help strengthen this monitoring.
2025
Volume 98 – 3rd quarter
Case #1 – Fraud in the Rescue Squad
When a trusted treasurer in Alabama misused more than $45,000, it was strong bank monitoring and fast action that stopped the bleeding. Diligent teams used the Barnett Suspicious Activity Monitor tool to catch fraud and preserve taxpayer dollars.
Case #2 – Fuel Theft and Cartel Financing
FinCEN’s latest alert (FIN-2025-Alert002) shines a spotlight on fuel theft as a major funding source for cartels. With red flags ranging from mismatched wire activity to suspicious addresses, community banks need to stay sharp to detect and report these schemes.
Update – Fedwire ISO 20022 Migration
In July 2025 Fedwire, the US standard for wire transfers, officially moved to ISO 20022. While inbound wires from Fed ran smoothly, outbound transitions were more challenging. We give an update on how community banks managed the shift.
2025
Volume 97 – 1st quarter
Case #1 – What Jason Bateman Taught Me about Money Laundering
Netflix’s Ozark gave us more than suspense — it offered a fictional but surprisingly accurate look at money laundering schemes. From structuring to shell companies, Marty Byrde’s playbook highlights what happens when BSA/AML controls fall short. Here’s what community banks can learn.
Case #2 – Tell Me you Love Me When Glenda fell for a man she met online, she unknowingly became a money mule in a romance scam. As these scams grow more sophisticated, financial institutions must sharpen their monitoring and customer due diligence practices to spot them early.
2024
Volume 96 – 4th quarter
Case #1 – The waiting is the hardest part. M&A transactions at community banks are commonly held up by regulators’ concerns about BSA risk ratings. If your bank is hoping to sell in the next 3-5 years, get your BSA operations in order now.
Case #2 – Make that connection. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2020 strengthened FinCEN’s authority to impose and revise anti-money laundering (AML) rules. As we get further from the start of the 2020 pandemic, expect the rules to connect to more vigorous enforcement actions. Simple, consistent BSA reporting will go a long way.
2024
Volume 94 – 3rd quarter
