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As AML & Financial Crime Investigators, conducting copious amounts of research can be time consuming. With an increase in fraud and money laundering activities; there is also an increase in workload and the expectations for analysts. We conduct several searches just to find that one link, article, document, or any piece/pieces of information that will resolve our case. And we try to do all this in a timely matter without costing our employer any money. That is quite a hefty responsibility we bare. This site was created as a guide containing various free external sources to hopefully make conducting external research a bit easier.

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Thank you and Happy Researching!

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*Note: This site and its contents are for research and educational purposes. You are encouraged to use these links, but please ask your manager for specific guidance and continue to follow procedures outlined through your employer.

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LET'S DO SOME RESEARCH

  • Abbreviations, Acronym, & Definitions                                                                                          This section contains the AML glossary, dictionary, fraud terms, banking terms, street terms, industry acronyms, slang terms, and text chat abbreviations."
    ACAMS AML Glossary of Terms Banking Terms Fraud Terms Glossary of Legal Terms Industry Acronyms1 Industry Acronyms2 Language of Human Trafficking Logistics Glossary States and their Abbreviations Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative Terms Street Terms (Drugs) Street Terms (Drugs) 2019 PDF Texting and Online Chat Abbreviations Urban Dictionary Urban Thesaurus Webster's Dictionary & Thesaurus
  • Advanced Search Tips                                                                                                                   This section contains links for advanced search tips.
    Advanced Google Search Tips Cheat Sheets of Advanced Search Tips
  • Area Demographics                                                                                                                     This section contains links which provide area demographics.
    Area Demographics1 Area Demographics2 Area Demographics3 United States Census Bureau
  • Business Searches                                                                                                                             The section contains links to various searches to verify businesses & business information.
    Aardvark Business Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Search Angie's List (business search & reviews) Better Business Bureau (BBB) Bizeurope (Europe Biz) Bloomberg Bpubs (business publication) Business Seek Business.com Buzzfile Canada411.ca (look up phones & address) Central and Eastern European Business Directory Chinese Company Search Council on Licensure Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) Crunchbase (business search) Dun&Bradstreet GSA Federal Acquisition Service (Contractor List) H-2A Labor Certification Debarment List(Agriculture and Farming) Industry Canada- Corporation Search IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Insider Pages (business reviews) Jadye.com List of company registers Manta National Company Directory North American Industry Classification System NAICS Code Lookup Open Corporates Prisoner Locator Tools from State Agency Databases Public Records Search Russian Company Search Standard Industrial Classification- SIC System Search UK Company Search Yelp
  • Cannabis and Banking                                                                                                             This section has information about Cannabis, MRB, & banking."
    BSA Expectations Regarding Marijuana-Related Businesses CSBS Cannabis Job Aid FinCen Guidance FinCen Marijuana Banking Updates Providing Services to Customers Engaged in Hemp Business - FDIC
  • Charity & Non-Profit Searches                                                                                                       The section contains links to various searches to verify and find additonal information on non-profit organizations, foundations, and charities."
    5013clookup.org Charity Navigator Charity Search- Affinity Fundraising Charity Search- Give.org Foundation Directory Online Quick Search Great Non-Profits IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Guidestar.org
  • Computers and Technology                                                                                                           This section contains links to a website checker, review website archive pages, and review website traffic and statistics."
    CuteStat.com (Website Stats and Valuation) Domain to IP Converter edu. Domain web search Email Address Verification Follow That Page (monitors webpage and sends email if update made) IP Address lookup1 Wayback (it allows the user to go “back in time” and see what websites looked like in the past) Website Reputation Checker Website Traffic Tracker and Domain Tools1 (review website statistics) Website Traffic Tracker and Domain Tools2 (review website statistics)
  • Counterparty Research                                                                                                                 This section contains some suggestions for conducting research on counterparty research.
    Sorry, no quick links here. I wish it were that simple. I do, however, have a few suggestions on some ways to conduct searches to find a relationship. Try searching using both names Try narrowing results by removing middle name, initials, corporate identifiers, etc. Try narrowing results by putting the name in "quotation marks" Try narrowing results by including occupation/industry/business name Try narrowing results by including city and/or state If it’s a business, review their website to see if they mention the counterparty as a client (Note: they may use the counterparty’s logo instead of a business name). *Try searching by customer name and last name of the counterparty or vice versa (Note: it is very rare, but I have found some good information this way a few times). You can also try a combination of the search parameters mentioned above. Just remember too many search variables or restrictions/specifics will limit your results. So start with big searches first and add additional factors to narrow your results down. Also, be mindful of individuals who have AKA, DBAs, or multiple last names. This may require additional searches.
  • Crimes & Illegal Activities                                                                                                                             This section contains links for red flags, language used by criminals, information for trade based money laundering (TBML), elderly abuse, human trafficking, forgery, fraud, fugitives list, spotting fake identification, & etc. *Many links in this section are informative in nature."
    ACAMS Human Trafficking Information Common Warning Signs or “Red Flags” for Tax Fraud (Tax Evasion) Detecting Human Trafficking in Financial Institutions Elder Abuse Red Flags Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Common scams and crimes Global Modern Slavery Directory H-2A Labor Certification Debarment List (Agriculture/Farming) Homeland Security Indicators of Human Trafficking Homeland Security Investigations Red Flags of Human Trafficking Human Trafficking Center Flow Map Info on Forged Signatures Info on Forgery and Forged Documents Language of Human Trafficking Market Value and Prices of Illegal Goods and Services (black market prices) Migration Policy Institute National Institute on Drug Abuse Real ID- REAL ID Documents By US State and Territory Recognizing Human Trafficking Scam Advisor Small Arms Survey Stockholm International Peace Research institute (Arms Embargoes) Stockholm International Peace Research institute (Trade Register) Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative Street Terms (Drugs) Street Terms (Drugs) 2019 PDF Tax Evasion vs Tax Avoidance (info & definition from IRS) Terrorist Financing Information The Investigative Project on Terrorism Trade Based Money Laundering (TBML) United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes United States Drug Enforcement Administration All Fugitives List What Licenses Should like for Each State (Spot a Fake)
  • Cryptocurrency                                                                                                                                This section contains links for Blockchain, Wallet Explorer, Bitcoin owner & Price Tracker"
    Bitcoin Rich List Bitcoin Price Tracker Blockchain Explorer Matbea Bitcoin owner tracker Wallet Explorer
  • Currency, Finances, and Salary                                                                                                  This section contains links for currency checks, converter, industry payscale and labor statistics."
    Country Currency Check Currency Converter Market Watch (Stock Market News) Pay Search Calculators1 Payscale Pay Search Calculators2 Salary.com Pay Search Calculators3 Glassdoor Pay Search Calculators4 US Bureau of Labor Statistics Minimum Wage for each State
  • Financial Institutions, Banking, Regulatory Compliance & Federal                                              This section contains links to bank mergers and acquisitions, MSB register, RSSD Look Up, BIN Lookup, ABA Routing number look up, SWIFT Code finder, & etc."
    ABA Routing Number Look Up Bank Mergers and Acquisitions Bin Lookup Credit Card and Debit Card Tools1 (Bank identification number-the initial 4-6 numbers that appear on a credit card). Control Risks and Control Risk Map 2020 Department of Labor for each State Detecting Human Trafficking in Financial Institutions Employer Identification Number (EIN) Look Up FDIC Bank Find- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Bank Find FDIC Failed Bank List Federal Trade Commission Trade Consumer Information FFIEC Manual-Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) AKA "AML Bible" Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Financial Regulators Getaway-(Law and Regulation in the US and World) Foreign Agents Registration Act - Quick Search GSA Federal Acquisition Service (Contractor List) Internal Affairs Office - Professional Licensing & Related Searchable Databases Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - (this link has info on the cash intensive audit techniques - I have found very useful in investigations) Investment Adviser Public Disclosure Money Service Business (MSB) FinCen Registrant Search OFAC Sanctions List Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Country Search) Routing Number Lookup- (personally, I tend this link because information can be pulled with just a few numbers sometimes the full routing number is not provided). This tool provides enough information to narrow down a search with little) RSSD Lookup - (Research, Statistics, Supervision, and Discount) Search for FINRA (US Securities and Exchange Commission Disciplinary Actions) State Websites Links- (Find Each State's Online Searchable Databases) SWIFT Code Search & Finder Tools SWIFT Lookup The Public Records Authority- State Occupational Licensing Boards The World Bank Data (Country and Indicator Demographics)- Free and open access to global development data
  • Fraud                                                                                                                                                      This section contains items relating to fraud (forgery, fake ID, fictious name creater, and fraud scams)."
    Common Scams and Fraud via USA.GOV Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Fraud and Scams Info Fake Name and Information Generator (create a fictious name and information (automated)) Federal Trade Commission Trade Consumer Information (list of recentscam information) List of Fraud Types Fraud Terms Info on Forged Signatures (informative document) Info on Forgery and Forged Documents (informative document) Real ID- REAL ID Documents By US State and Territory What License Should like for Each State (Spot a Fake)
  • Google & Beyond                                                                                                                            This section contains links to various search engines.
    Bing Dogpile (pulls info from Google, Yahoo and Yandex- Russian Portal) DuckDuckGo (tool for searches you don't want tracked) Google Dataset Searches Google Scholar Google.com Google search domains for different countries International Directory of Search Engines- various international search engines 'Lava Jato' The Brasilian Operation- "Car Wash" (Brazil website) List of Search Engines (various search engines by country) Million Short- search remove the top of the search engine results OCCRP Aleph Catalog of Research Databases OCCRP Aleph- Archive research material Open Knowledge Maps (conduct research to understand topics) Search Engines in all countries in the world Search Opener- conduct multiple searches at once Wolfram Alpha- an online service that answers factual queries directly Yahoo Yandex- Russian search engine Yippy- (metasearch engine that groups search results into clusters)
  • Individuals/Person                                                                                                                                  This section contains links for finding various information on an individual.
    Donor Giving Search Donor Look Up Federal Bureau of Prisons General Contractor License Guide GetHuman (find company contact information) Health Guide USA (professional license lookup) Inmate Search Lava Jota Operation- "Car Wash" (Brazil website) Lawyer Verification Littlesis (database of who-knows-who at the heights of business and government) MyLife.com (people search) Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Peek You (people search) People Search Records PI.Buzz (nationwide employment locator) Politically Exposed People (PEP) Prisoner Locator Tools from State Agency Databases Professional Licensing & Related Searchable Databases1 Professional Licensing & Related Searchable Databases2 Public Records Search Search Lobbyview Database The Public Record Authority (public search) Username Check Voter registration check by state White Pages Yellow Pages
  • International, Languages, & Country Searches                                                                                      This section contains links for international security, world facts, Know Your Country, country risk rating, customs & import restrictions, Google Translate, Google Domains for various countries, country currency list, and basic country guides (covering language society culture, custom, and etiquette (including facts and statistics))."
    Alilbaba (global wholesale trade) Baidu (China search engine) Bizeurope (Europe Biz) Canada Business Search Canada411.ca (look up phones & address) Center for International Security & Cooperation Charity Navigator- Charity Search (Canada) CIA World Fact Book Country Codes List Country Currency Check Country Insight Reports- basic level country guide which covers language society culture, custom, and etiquette (includes facts and statistics) Country language list Country Profiles Country Risk Rating Customs and Import Restrictions Eniro (Sweden search engine) Google search domains for different countries Google Translate Holiday Calendars Around the World Industry Canada- Corporation Search International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) International Directory of Search Engines International Trade Administration (Country Code Guides) Islamist Organisations Jurisdication Information Know Your Country List of Countries and & Currency Made in China Master Seeker- conduct large business searches Najdi.si (Slovenian search engine) Naver.com (South Korean search engine) Onet.pl- (Polish search engine) Real Estate Japan Searches from all countries of the world Seznam (Czech Republic search engine) The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) World Culture Encyclopedia
  • Legal                                                                                                                                              This section contains links for legal information, lawyers and court documents."
    Martindale Lawyer Search Law Enforcement Directory Lawyer Licensing Lawyer Verification Legal Info Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACE) Court Documents TheLawPages- Quick links to understand legalese (legal jarjon)
  • Maps and Graphs                                                                                                                                   This section contains links for various maps- Google Earth, Natural Disaster Tracker, Crime Maps, and Street Maps, etc."
    Bing Maps Crime Maps1 Dubai Maps Family Watchdog- Registered Sex Offender Search Google Earth Google Maps Google Maps APRS Insight Crimes Map Live Map Mapping Tools for Your Website Natural Disaster Tracker1 OpenStreetCam OpenStreetMaps Travel.State.Gov. (Travel Data) Wigle.net (maps & database of wireless networks & stats) Wikimapia Zip Code Finder
  • Negative News                                                                                                                                    This section contains links for various ways to search negative news for individuals, business, website, including the Offshore Leaks Database."
    Fake Reviews Family Watchdog (registered sex sffender search) Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Search Negative/Adverse News Ripoff Report OFAC Sanctions List Offshore Leaks Database Ripoff Report Spot Fake News Website Reputation Checker
  • Other/Miscellaneous                                                                                                                               Other/Miscellaneous- etc.
    Grammarly (Free Online Writing Assistant) Fake Name and Information Generator (create a fictious name and information (automated)) Financial Crime and Compliance Management: Finding Statistics Follow the Money (Political Contribution Records) Haveibeenpwned (check to see if you have account comprises in data breaches) How Stuff Works Open Source Intelligence Tools (OSINT Framework)-focused on gathering information from free tools or resources. Property Search (real estate property search) UCC Liens (all states listed) Username Check
  • Phones                                                                                                                                                    This section contains links to conduct searches for phone numbers, an international phone directory, area code lookup and phone fraud information."
    Area Code Lookup Phonebook of the World United States and International Phone Directory White Pages
  • Time, Date, Calendar, & Calculator                                                                                                                   The section contains search links to a time and date calculator and time zone converter."
    Time and Date Calculator Time Zone Converter Time Zones
  • Trade, Travel, and Transportation                                                                                                                                This section contains links to verify information on vehicles, air travel, boats, container tracking, US import and export data, etc."
    AirNav Radar Box (live flight tracker & airport status) Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Search Boat, Yacht, & Ship Information Center (verify vessel registration information) Container Tracking Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (Airmen verification) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminstration (FMCSA) HS Codes and Finder (Freight Finder) Marine Traffic Motor Vehicle Divison for each State SeaPort Codes Search Global Trade Data (track shipping information) The Observatory Economic Complexity (OEC) (world's leading data visualization tools for interational trade data) Trades Commodities USA Census Bureau Trade Resources (gives current and cumulative U.S. export and import data) Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for each state World Trade Search
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Welcome,


My name is Thamecia Bullard, CAMS. I'm an Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud, and Financial Crimes Professional with nearly 10 years of experience. I'm always looking for ways to assist analysts and thought it'd be helpful to have an external research platform to help centralize many of the tools we as professionals use everyday. I plan to update this page often with new links as I continue learning and growing in this industry.


I hope you find this website and its tools helpful. If you, have any questions or comments please contact me. I can be reached directly via LinkedIn. I look forward to hearing from you.


Thank you,

Thamecia Bullard, CAMS

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Please Note: The information and views expressed here are that of my own,  and it does not reflect the views, policies or procedures of my current employer.

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