On May 23, 2024, the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (the
"J5") published an advisory note for financial institutions,
identifying red flags associated with crypto-related illicit
activities. The J5 is a collaborative partnership of tax
authorities from the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and the
Netherlands. The advisory note is not the first time the J5 has
addressed crypto; in 2022, the J5 released a set of red flag
indicators highlighting risks associated with non-fungible
tokens.
In the advisory note, the J5 identifies risk indicators it
believes play a pivotal role in enabling financial institutions to
detect and report money laundering, tax evasion and other illicit
activities involving crypto. The risk indicators are numerous and
address crypto asset layering, geographical risk, high-risk
counterparties, new client onboarding, ransomware and cybercriminal
risk. One such risk indicator is that sending or receiving from
crypto mixers may suggest money