Thursday 23 October 2008

An Anonymous Bank Account with Fictitous Beneficial Owner

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/jersey/7686239.stm

Changes target money laundering

Changes to Jersey's anti-money laundering laws have been outlined by the island's Financial Services Commission.  They include making it an offence to set up an anonymous bank account or to run an account using a fictitious name.  Companies could also be ordered not to do business with countries that don't comply with international anti-money laundering standards.  The changes will come into force on 7 November

Has April 1 come early? How many anonymous bank accounts, or fictitious names are there over here? Will we be told?

Banks now have rigorous "know your client" rules, as anyone who has changed their bank account knows. I once had an existing deposit account ("special reserve") which was an "old" one with low interest, that the bank wanted to "retire" so I had to fill in a form to move it to a "new" one, called "first reserve" - and I had to provide a copy of my driving licence, utility bill etc just for this. Then I needed a root filling, and that was the end of that!

What fictitious names could people be using? The whole idea suggests there may be bank accounts in the name of:

Ebenezer Scrooge
James Bond
Mr Bean
Worzel Gummidge
Jim Bergerac

And what in the name of sanity is an "anonymous bank account"?

FSC Official: What's the name of that bank account?
Bank Official: Number Six.
FSC Official: It is anonymous! Tell me who is the person behind it. We want a free man, not a number. He must be stamped, filed, debriefed.
Bank Official: I'm only the new Number Two here.
FSC Official: Who is Number One?

(cue zany weather balloon bobbing up and swallowing Jersey, link in jazzy Ron Grainer music, and cut to shot of Jersey Green candidate peddling furiously on a penny-farthing bicycle)

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner
 

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