Predicting Money Laundering Using Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks Algorithms in Banks

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a leading technology of the current age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0 or 4IR), with the capability of incorporating human behavior and intelligence into machines or systems. Thus, AI-based modeling is the key to build automated, intelligent, and smart systems according to today’s needs. To solve real-world issues, various types of AI such as analytical, functional, interactive, textual, and visual AI can be applied to enhance the intelligence and capabilities of an application. However, developing an effective AI model is a challenging task due to the dynamic nature and variation in real-world problems and data. In this paper, we present a comprehensive view on “AI-based Modeling” with the principles and capabilities of potential AI techniques that can play an important role in developing intelligent and smart systems in various real-world application areas including business, finance, healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, cybersecurity and many more. We also emphasize and highlight the research issues within the scope of our study. Overall, the goal of this paper is to provide a broad overview of AI-based modeling that can be used as a reference guide by academics and industry people as well as decision-makers in various real-world scenarios and application domains.

Trade-based Money Laundering, a new form of money laundering using international trade as a signboard, always appears along with speculative capital movement which has been accepted as the most concerned and consensus incentive giving rise to the collapse of the financial market. Unfortunately, preventing money laundering is very difficult since money laundering always has a plausible trade characterization. To reach this goal, supervision for regulator and financial institutions aims to effectively monitor micro entities’ behavior in financial markets. The main purpose of this paper is to establish a monitoring method including accurate recognition and classified supervision for Trade-based Money Laundering by means of knowledge-driven multi-class classification algorithms associated with macro and micro prudential regulation, such that the model can forecast the predicted class from the concerned management areas. Based on empirical data from China, we demonstrate the application and explain how the monitor method can help to improve management efficiency in the financial market.

Financial services organisations facilitate the movement of money worldwide, and keep records of their clients’ identity and financial behaviour. As such, they have been enlisted by governments worldwide to assist with the detection and prevention of money laundering, which is a key tool in the fight to reduce crime and create sustainable economic development, corresponding to Goal 16 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper, we investigate how the technical and contextual affordances of machine learning algorithms may enable these organisations to accomplish that task. We find that, due to the unavailability of high-quality, large training datasets regarding money laundering methods, there is limited scope for using supervised machine learning. Conversely, it is possible to use reinforced machine learning and, to an extent, unsupervised learning, although only to model unusual financial behaviour, not actual money laundering.