Under the ACFE Fraud Examiners Manual, Law Section, specifically in the Money Laundering chapter , money services businesses MSBs are non-bank financial institutions that provide services such as currency exchange, money transmission, check cashing, issuing or selling money orders, and dealing in stored value. These entities are specifically recognized in anti-money laundering frameworks because of their exposure to cash-based and cross-border transactions.
A currency exchange clearly falls within the definition of an MSB because it engages in the exchange of one currency for another, often involving large volumes of cash transactions. Such businesses are subject to anti-money laundering compliance requirements, including customer identification procedures, recordkeeping, and reporting of suspicious transactions.
Depository institutions, including commercial or investment banks, are generally regulated as banks rather than MSBs. Furthermore, MSBs are often considered higher risk for money laundering due to the volume of cash transactions and international transfers they process. While MSBs are regulated, they do not typically have stricter regulations than full-service banks, which are subject to comprehensive prudential and AML supervision.
Therefore, the most accurate statement is that a currency exchange is classified as an MSB.
