100-Question AML / CFT Practice Test
Interactive exam-style quiz based on the CAMS study material. Choose a part, answer the questions, get your score, and review the correct answers for missed questions.
AFC / AML / CFT Study Guide — Animated Exam Summary
Updated for the v7.03 study guide: financial crime risks, banking and nonbank typologies, DNFBPs, global AFC frameworks, compliance program design, transaction monitoring, investigations, technology and data.
What changed in this v7.03 version?
This version is broader than a simple AML/CFT summary. It uses the AFC language of the new guide and adds stronger coverage of sanctions evasion, bribery/corruption, sector-specific risks, three lines of defense, continuous risk assessment, technology, AI, perpetual KYC, screening, blockchain tracing, data quality and data lineage.
Financial Crime and Money Laundering Flow
1. Predicate Crime
Crime generates value: fraud, trafficking, corruption, sanctions evasion, cybercrime, tax crime, environmental crime or drug trafficking.
2. Placement
Criminal proceeds enter the financial system through cash, accounts, mules, MSBs, casinos, crypto or front businesses.
3. Layering
Funds move through wires, shell companies, trade, investments, crypto, offshore structures and complex chains to hide the origin.
4. Integration
Value appears legitimate through real estate, high-value assets, business income, loans, wealth products or investments.
40 Core CAMS v7.03 Study Cards
Financial Crime
Financial crime covers money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, sanctions evasion, bribery, corruption, cyber-enabled crime and other illegal use of financial systems.
Money Laundering
Concealing the existence, source, movement, destination or criminal use of property or funds so they appear legitimate.
Placement
Criminal proceeds first enter the financial system, often via cash deposits, currency exchange, casinos, MSBs, mules or cash-intensive businesses.
Layering
Funds are moved through complex transactions, accounts, jurisdictions, companies, cryptoassets or trade flows to hide the origin.
Integration
Laundered value returns to the legitimate economy through assets, real estate, investments, loans, luxury goods or business income.
Predicate Crimes
Underlying crimes that generate proceeds, such as drug trafficking, fraud, corruption, tax crime, human trafficking, environmental crime and sanctions evasion.
Sanctions Evasion
Sanctions targets hide payments, trade routes or ownership to continue prohibited activity; common tactics include stripping, shell companies and transshipment.
Bribery & Corruption
Bribery involves improper benefit for misuse of power; corruption includes bribery, embezzlement, extortion, graft and influence peddling.
Tax Evasion vs Avoidance
Tax evasion is illegal concealment or false reporting; tax avoidance uses lawful planning, although aggressive structures may still raise risk.
Fraud & Cyber-Enabled Crime
Fraud uses deception for financial gain; cyber-enabled crime includes phishing, BEC, ransomware and identity-based schemes.
Terrorist Financing
TF raises, moves, stores or uses funds for terrorist purposes; the source can be legal or illegal, but the purpose is hidden.
Human Trafficking & Smuggling
These crimes generate proceeds and can show red flags such as controlled accounts, transport/lodging payments and unusual cash activity.
Environmental Crime
Illegal logging, poaching, waste trafficking and similar crimes can generate proceeds that enter trade, banking and asset channels.
Banking Risk
Retail, commercial, private, correspondent and investment banking can be abused through accounts, wires, loans, cards and trade finance.
Shell & Shelf Companies
Shell companies lack real business activity; shelf companies are old inactive entities used to appear established and credible.
PEP Risk
Politically exposed persons are higher risk because their role may create exposure to bribery, corruption or misuse of public funds.
Control & Ownership
AML/AFC controls must identify who owns, controls and benefits from entities, including nominees, trusts and indirect structures.
Concentration Accounts
Internal bank accounts can combine customer activity; weak controls can obscure true source, owner or purpose of funds.
Trade Finance Risk
Trade finance can be abused through false invoices, over/under-invoicing, phantom shipments, third-party payments and unusual routes.
Credit & Card Risks
Loans, credit products and cards can be used to layer, repay with illicit funds, move funds quickly or disguise source of funds.
Private Banking & Wealth
Higher risk because of large values, offshore structures, trusts, SPVs, PEPs, complex source of wealth and confidentiality expectations.
Correspondent Banking
A bank provides services to another bank; risk arises because the correspondent may not directly know the respondent’s customers.
Capital Markets Risk
Securities, derivatives, penny stocks, market manipulation, rapid buying/selling and third-party funding can support layering and fraud.
Payment Service Providers
PSPs, e-commerce and MSBs can move funds quickly across borders with limited face-to-face contact and high transaction volumes.
Insurance Risk
Investment-linked insurance can be abused through single premiums, early surrender, third-party payments and unclear source of funds.
Cryptoassets & FinTech
Cryptoassets, stablecoins, tokens, NFTs and DeFi create risk through pseudonymity, speed, cross-border value movement and weakly regulated providers.
Mixers & Tumblers
Crypto mixing services obscure transaction trails and can be used to layer proceeds from ransomware, darknet markets and fraud.
DNFBPs
Designated nonfinancial businesses and professions include lawyers, accountants, real estate, TCSPs, gaming and high-value asset dealers.
Gaming & Casinos
Casinos can convert cash to chips and checks; risk rises when customers gamble minimally, structure activity or use third parties.
Real Estate Risk
Real estate supports integration through cash purchases, offshore entities, unclear UBOs, rapid resale, unusual pricing and third-party payments.
High-Value Assets
Gold, diamonds, luxury watches, vehicles, art and jade can store, move and disguise value because pricing and ownership can be opaque.
Free-Trade Zones & Import/Export
FTZs and import/export businesses can be exploited through transshipment, false documents, weak oversight and complex trade chains.
Charities & NGOs
Charities and NGOs can be misused for terrorist financing, sanctions evasion or diversion of funds, especially in conflict zones.
FATF Standards
FATF sets global AML/CFT/PF standards, including the 40 Recommendations, Immediate Outcomes, mutual evaluations and high-risk jurisdiction processes.
Global AFC Bodies
UN, World Bank, IMF, OECD, Basel, Egmont, Wolfsberg, IOSCO, G20, Transparency International and others provide guidance and cooperation frameworks.
Regulatory Landscapes
Major regimes include BSA, USA PATRIOT Act, AMLA 2020, OFAC, EU AML package, AML Authority, MiCA, UK, APAC and UAE rules.
AFC Program
A modern AFC program uses policies, governance, risk assessment, controls, training, monitoring/testing, reporting, QA/QC and independent audit.
Three Lines of Defense
First line owns customer risk, second line sets oversight and challenge, third line independently audits program effectiveness.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment identifies inherent risk, control effectiveness and residual risk across customers, products, geography, channels and business lines.
Technology & Data
V7.03 adds stronger emphasis on digital ID, biometrics, AI, perpetual KYC, screening, data quality, data lineage and blockchain tracing.
