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The impact of anti-money laundering oversight on banks' suspicious transaction reporting: Evidence from Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Mario Gara

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Francesco Manaresi

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Domenico J. Marchetti

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Marco Marinucci

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

We provide the first thorough investigation of the effect of anti-money laundering inspections on banks' reporting of suspicious transactions. We do so by using highly detailed data from Bank of Italy and UIF (Italian authority for anti-money laundering), which include information on i) on-site inspections by authorities and follow-up actions, and ii) quantity and quality of suspicious transactions reports being filed by banks before and after inspections. Through a difference-in-differences econometric analysis we find that inspections (notably when followed by some type of intervention by the authority) induce, ceteris paribus, an increase in suspicious transaction reports being filed by banks. Crucially, the effect is not limited to low-quality reports, as feared in the literature ('crying wolf' effect) but is spread to high-quality reports. Authorities' oversight is thus shown to increase the quantity of information shared by banks without deteriorating its quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Gara & Francesco Manaresi & Domenico J. Marchetti & Marco Marinucci, 2019. "The impact of anti-money laundering oversight on banks' suspicious transaction reporting: Evidence from Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 491, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_491_19
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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2019-0491/QEF_491_19.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stefano Costa, 2008. "Implementing the new anti-money laundering directive in Europe: legal and enforcement issues; the Italian case," Global Business and Economics Review, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(3), pages 284-308.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mario Gara & Claudio Pauselli, 2020. "Looking at ‘Crying Wolf’ from a Different Perspective: An Attempt at Detecting Banks Under- and Over-Reporting of Suspicious Transactions," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 6(2), pages 299-324, July.
    2. Lucia Dalla Pellegrina & Giorgio Di Maio & Donato Masciandaro & Margherita Saraceno, 2020. "Are Bankers "Crying Wolf"? The Risk-Based Approach to Money-Laundering Regulation and its Effects," Working Papers 444, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2021.
    3. Bartolozzi, D. & Gara, M. & Marchetti, D.J. & Masciandaro, D., 2022. "Designing the anti-money laundering supervisor: The governance of the financial intelligence units," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1093-1109.
    4. Valentina Aprigliano & Guerino Ardizzi & Alessia Cassetta & Alessandro Cavallero & Simone Emiliozzi & Alessandro Gambini & Nazzareno Renzi & Roberta Zizza, 2021. "Exploiting payments to track Italian economic activity: the experience at Banca d’Italia," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 609, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    5. D. Bartolozzi & M. Gara & D.J. Marchetti & D. Masciandaro, 2019. "Designing The Anti-Money Laundering Supervisor: Theory, Institutions And Empirics," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 19126, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Money laundering; Financial regulation; Economic crime; Banking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

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