Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2013 | Page 46

FORENSICS JOURNAL

CONCLUSION

are reported. Guidance for specific customer identification programs
and the reporting of suspicious activity are outlined in 1) the Bank
Secrecy Act (transaction reporting standards); 2) the USA PATRIOT
Act (anti-money laundering); and 3) the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
(privacy standards). It is essential that the private sector, especially the
finance and banking industries, understand the legal standards as well
as set company policies that follow or exceed the minimum requirements.

There is no single agency, person, or system that can defend against
terrorism and identity theft. Previous instances of terrorists using
fraud to conduct their activities have shown that when collective
forces are not diligent or cooperative, the terrorists succeed. However,
the instances of cooperation among the private and public sectors
that have led to the arrests of terrorists and their co-conspirators
are increasing. In July 2011, a chemical supplier, Carolina Biological Supply Co, and a freight company, Con-way Freight, separately
reported the suspicious purchase and shipment of chemicals by Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a twenty year old Saudi Arabian (Keller). The
tips led to the arrest of Aldawsari by the FBI who searched his residence and found evidence indicating that he was planning attacks on
U.S. hydroelectric dams, nuclear power plants, and former President
George W. Bush’s residence in Texas (U.S. Department of Justice).
Aldawsari wrote in his journals about using a forged U.S. birth certificate and various driver licenses to carry out his explosive plots (U.S.
Department of Justice). Without the information from the chemical
and freight companies, the outcome of the situation could have been
significantly worse.

The private sector must also become better educated in the prevention of fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing in order to
actively participate in the detection and prevention of crime. To better
assist law enforcement agencies and to more efficiently divide the
work-load of detecting complex terrorist financing techniques, financial intelligence units must be better staffed with trained personnel
such as Certified Fraud Examiners and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (“CTITF Working Group Report,” 7,10). A more
knowledgeable private sector, well-versed in both the laws and the
fraud schemes pertaining to terrorist financing, will enhance investigations, accelerate apprehension of criminals, and reduce time spent
prosecuting offenders.

Cooperation and awareness at all levels of society are indispensable
factors when fighting terrorism and crime. Citizens cannot rely solely
on the government and law enforcement agencies to ease the threat.
Agencies must continue to foster community involvement and education to build valuable partnerships that promote working together to
effectively reduce the likelihood of terrorism.

INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS’ EFFORTS
Individual citizens must p ^HH\