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#2256551 - 07/12/21 03:28 PM Questionable Wire for Foreign Workers
Brandi S. Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
We have a good business customer who owns many retail stores in our area who, like most, is experiencing staffing issues. We are located in a tourist area where many businesses hire J1 students to work here in the summer months.

Well, our business customer has decided to try something different for next summer. They've contracted with a staffing company that helps hire foreign employees and this staffing agency also helps the employees acquire work visas that allow them to work in the U.S. for only a specific employer. These workers are to come from Central America specifically. Our business customer sent a wire to the staffing agency to pay for the workers visas and associated fees. I researched the company name and address from the wire form and feel uneasy with the results. I couldn't find an official business website and the beneficiary address from the wire form was a very small run down house in a neighboring state.

So my question is, what should I do? I have the PB for our business customer asking a few extra questions- for example, "how did you find this company?". I'm hoping I missed something, but I feel at the worst this could be potential human smuggling.

Any experiences or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

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#2256560 - 07/12/21 04:16 PM Re: Questionable Wire for Foreign Workers Brandi S.
Paul Offline
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 41
I am sure some (maybe many) would disagree with my answer; however, if you do not feel comfortable file a SAR.

The only exception would be if there is some piece of evidence that you feel the customer can give you that would make you feel 100% comfortable with the wire recipient. In that case, I would contact the customer and ask your question.

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#2256597 - 07/13/21 12:35 PM Re: Questionable Wire for Foreign Workers Paul
Brandi S. Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Thanks, I agree. I'm hoping they'll give me a website I missed, but I doubt it.

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#2256602 - 07/13/21 02:48 PM Re: Questionable Wire for Foreign Workers Brandi S.
one deer Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 79
Any where but work
I would discuss this with my customer, share exactly what my research found, and voice my concerns. I also tell them that once a wire is sent it is unrecoverable; so they must be certain of whom they are dealing with. In the end it is their decision, sometimes you can help them pump them brakes and sometimes not. Our wires go through our correspondent bank and if their wire department questions validity, we go right back to the customer with that information and let them decide what their risk appetite is.

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