Customer Monitoring

"Guideline on Tightened Measures within the Scope of Customer Recognition Principle" published by MASAK

 "In the customer acceptance and transaction execution processes, lists published by OFAC (United States of America Office of Foreign Assets Control), EU (European Union), UNSC (United Nations Security Council) and some countries, authorised international organisations or provided by some commercial organisations, as well as open sources (newspapers, magazines, internet, etc.) are used. It should be assessed whether the customer/ultimate beneficiary, or if a legal entity, its shareholders/ ultimate controlling shareholders/senior executives, are linked to any crime or negative action at national or international level, or to a terrorist organisation or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

Financial institutions bear a great responsibility for the management and security of customer relationships. Customer authentication, risk assessment and monitoring of suspicious activity is a vital step in financial institutions' efforts to detect and prevent financial crime. In this blog post, the importance of customer monitoring, KYC (Know Your Customer) process, risk assessment, monitoring suspicious activities and the role of technological innovations will be discussed.

Importance of Customer Monitoring

Customer monitoring is a fundamental step in ensuring a secure environment for financial institutions. Verifying customers' identities and examining their backgrounds helps prevent financial crime. In addition, customer monitoring ensures that financial institutions comply with laws and regulations. Customer monitoring makes it possible to detect the traces of criminals in the financial system and to report suspicious activities in a timely manner. This process is vital to ensure the safety of both financial institutions and customers.

KYC (Know Your Customer) Process

KYC (Know Your Customer) is a process used by financial institutions to recognise their customers, verify their identity and perform risk assessment. The KYC process requires the customer to provide identification documents and other relevant information. In this process, information such as the customer's identity, address, occupation, income, etc. is recorded and verified. The KYC process helps financial institutions to detect criminals and illegal activities. In addition, by determining the risk profile of the customer, special measures can be taken for high-risk customers.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is of great importance in customer monitoring. Financial institutions apply risk assessment processes to determine the risk profile of their customers. In this process, factors such as the customer's activities, business, financial status and relationships are taken into account. High-risk customers, especially those considered to be associated with terrorism financing, money laundering or illegal activities, are monitored more closely and additional measures are taken. Risk assessment helps financial institutions direct their resources and attention more effectively and enables them to better detect potential offences.

Monitoring Suspicious Activities

In customer monitoring, monitoring and reporting of suspicious activity is also of great importance. Financial institutions try to detect potential financial crimes by paying attention to certain indicators of suspicious activity. For example, large cash movements, frequent and large international transfers or abnormal transaction patterns may indicate suspicious activity. Financial institutions monitor and record such activities and report them to the relevant authorities when necessary. This makes it more difficult for criminals to conceal their illegal activities through the financial system and contributes to crime prevention.

Customer monitoring is a vital step in ensuring the security of financial institutions and the prevention of financial crime. The KYC process, risk assessment and monitoring of suspicious activities enhance the ability of financial institutions to detect and combat financial crime. Technological innovations play an important role in this process and help financial institutions detect suspicious activity more effectively and quickly.

However, there are some points to be considered in the customer monitoring process. First of all, customer privacy and data security issues should be considered. Customers' personal information and financial data should be properly protected and security measures should be taken against unauthorised access. At the same time, fairness, transparency and protection of the legal framework are of great importance in data collection and analysis processes.