We provide expert Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance support that is meticulous, discreet and aligned with regulatory and legal standards.
We specialize in KYC and AML compliance services for:
- Financial institutions onboarding new clients and counterparties
- Cryptocurrency exchanges and virtual asset service providers
- Payment providers and fintech platforms
- Corporate entities conducting enhanced due diligence on beneficial owners
- Trust and company service providers requiring independent verification support
- Businesses navigating cross-border AML obligations in high-risk jurisdictions
Our KYC and AML compliance capabilities include:
- Identity verification and beneficial ownership tracing across global registries
- Sanctions, politically exposed person (PEP) and adverse media screening
- Source of funds and source of wealth verification
- Risk-based ongoing transaction monitoring frameworks
Our KYC and AML compliance work has supported:
- Enhanced due diligence for cryptocurrency exchange onboarding
- Beneficial ownership verification for cross-border corporate structures
- Sanctions exposure reviews ahead of high-value transactions
- AML framework gap assessments for regulated entities
A Client Success Story
A cryptocurrency exchange approached us seeking enhanced due diligence support ahead of onboarding a new institutional client. Our investigation uncovered a layered beneficial ownership structure that had not been disclosed during the client’s initial application. Our detailed report allowed the exchange to escalate the relationship for senior compliance review before any funds moved, protecting the platform from significant undisclosed risk. The exchange continued the relationship under enhanced monitoring, with full visibility into who they were actually dealing with.
How We Strengthen KYC and AML Compliance
Our team provides strategic KYC and AML compliance support designed for regulated entities, cross-border transactions, and risk-sensitive client relationships. We conduct in-depth identity verification, beneficial ownership tracing, and sanctions screening using advanced intelligence tools and global database research. Our approach is discreet, precise, and insight-driven, delivering clear, audit-ready findings that help clients meet their regulatory obligations with confidence.
Identity Verification & Beneficial Ownership
We verify customer identity and trace beneficial ownership through layered corporate structures, holding companies, and trusts.
Sanctions, PEP & Adverse Media Screening
We screen customers and counterparties against global sanctions lists, politically exposed persons databases, and adverse media sources.
Source of Funds & Cross-Border Compliance
We verify the source of funds and the source of wealth, and support clients navigating inconsistent AML standards across multiple jurisdictions.
Independent forensic AML support for financial institutions — from transaction-level typology analysis to comprehensive compliance program review, with fifteen years of Bank Secrecy Act expertise.
CAT Investigators' AML practice is one of the most specialized capabilities we offer. Financial institutions facing regulatory scrutiny, enforcement risk, or unexplained transaction patterns retain us for independent forensic review that goes beyond what compliance teams can produce internally. We are not a compliance consulting firm. We are investigators — and we bring an investigator's eye to financial transaction data: we do not look for patterns that fit a model; we look for what the model missed.
Over fifteen years, our AML work has addressed structuring and smurfing, trade-based money laundering, real estatebased laundering, cryptocurrency off-ramping, hawala and informal value transfer, MSB abuse, politically exposed person (PEP) flows, and the full range of layering and integration techniques used by sophisticated criminal enterprises. We have worked with regional banks, community banks, international financial institutions with US operations, money services businesses, and cryptocurrency platforms.
Core capabilities
- Independent transaction monitoring review — identifying what automated systems missed
- Enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers — PEP, correspondent banking, MSBs
- BSA/AML gap analysis — mapping existing program against regulatory expectations
- Cryptocurrency exchange AML support — wallet screening, VASP compliance
- Typology analysis — identifying money laundering methods in transaction data
- Trade finance AML — TBML investigation, documentary credit review
- SAR preparation support — narrative development, supporting evidence packaging
- Real estate AML — beneficial ownership, source of funds verification
- MSB compliance investigation — FinCEN registration, BSA program, SAR obligations
- Regulatory examination preparation — examiner-ready remediation packages
- Beneficial ownership investigation — KYC enhancement, CDD analysis
- Look-back reviews — historical transaction reexamination under regulatory order
Regional bank NYDFS remediation
An independent AML forensic review helped a regional bank close its NYDFS MRA. 22 SARs were filed, three MSB relationships ended and the program earned a Satisfactory rating at follow-up.
Cryptocurrency exchange AML architecture review
A proactive review led to a clean examination and detection of previously missed suspicious activity. Three high-risk accounts were terminated.
Trade finance over-invoicing
We investigated documentary credits with inflated invoices and newly formed beneficiaries. All four relationships were terminated, the case referred to Homeland Security Investigations and the bank received a regulatory commendation.
Selected engagements are presented anonymized, with client authorization, or on the basis of the public record. Outcomes depend on the facts and the independent decisions of courts, prosecutors, and agencies, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does your AML practice do?
We provide independent forensic review for financial institutions: BSA/AML gap analysis, transaction look-backs and examination readiness, along with typology analysis of what automated monitoring may have missed.
How is this different from compliance consulting?
We are investigators, not a compliance consulting firm. We examine the underlying transaction data for what a model missed rather than only testing the program against a framework.
Can you help before a regulatory examination?
Yes. We review your program and transaction activity independently, identify gaps and support remediation and examination readiness.
How does an engagement begin?
It starts with a confidential consultation of 30–60 minutes. The conversation is covered by confidentiality whether or not you proceed, and there is no obligation. If we go ahead, a written agreement sets out the scope, objectives, deliverables, timeline and fees within 24–48 hours.
Will my matter stay confidential?
Yes. Unless you have authorized disclosure or the matter is part of the public record, we do not confirm or deny any engagement. Every team member is bound by a confidentiality obligation that survives the end of the engagement.