Description

A focused course, tailored for you

AML Typology to Escalation: Financial Crime Risk Practitioner

Build the end-to-end financial crime risk skill set that turns transaction alerts into defensible AUSTRAC-ready decisions.

The gap between a competent analyst and a financial crime risk manager who can own a decision is not knowledge of the law. It is the ability to produce artefacts that survive scrutiny: SAR/SMR narratives that give AUSTRAC what it needs, escalation memos that hold up in an FCR committee, typology matrices that explain why an alert was closed as well as why it was filed.

$199 one-time

Tailored to your situation. Access within 24 hours. 30-day money-back.

Includes a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access, generated for your specific situation.

Why this course

Financial crime risk sits at the intersection of transaction data, regulatory obligation, and internal politics. The RM who disputes a de-risking call, the Legal team that sends the SMR narrative back for another round, the AUSTRAC examiner who wants to see how the annual program review links back to the institution's specific risk profile. Each of these interactions demands a different artefact, and the quality of that artefact determines whether the institution is in a defensible position or scrambling to reconstruct its rationale. Most financial crime training focuses on the legal framework. This course focuses on the practitioner artefacts that make the framework operational.

What you walk away with

Produce SAR/SMR narratives that meet AUSTRAC Part B submission standards without a Legal round-trip.
Build a typology matrix tailored to your institution's specific customer segments and product risk.
Draft escalation memos that give the FCR committee a clear decision rather than a summary of the alert.
Structure the annual AML/CTF program review to address your institution's residual risk profile, not just the prior year's audit findings.
Document de-risking rationale in a format that holds up to RM challenge and regulatory scrutiny.
Design a correspondent banking risk assessment framework that satisfies FATF Recommendation 13 and AUSTRAC expectations.

The 12 modules

Module 1. The Alert Triage Decision

How to move from a transaction monitoring hit to a documented triage decision in under 30 minutes without creating a paper trail that contradicts itself. This module covers the alert classification framework, the customer context lookup, the typology match, and the written triage note that explains both the decision to close and the decision to escalate. You will produce a triage note template calibrated to your institution's alert volume and risk appetite.

Module 2. Typology Mapping for Your Customer Book

A generic typology library is not a defence. This module walks through the process of building a typology matrix specific to your institution's customer segments, product set, and geographic exposure. You will map AUSTRAC's published typology guidance against your actual alert history, identify the gaps, and produce a working typology matrix that an examiner can follow from the source guidance to the institution's specific controls.

Module 3. SAR/SMR Narrative Construction

The SMR narrative is the artefact AUSTRAC actually reads. This module covers the structure of a Part B submission that answers the three questions examiners look for: what the transaction did, why it is suspicious, and what the institution did next. You will work through three example narratives across different typology categories (structuring, third-party payment, and trade-based money laundering) and produce a reusable narrative template for your most common SMR type.

Module 4. Escalation Memo for the FCR Committee

The escalation memo that lands in front of the FCR committee needs to hand the committee a decision, not a summary. This module covers the structure of an effective escalation memo: the risk quantification, the typology rationale, the customer relationship context, the proposed outcome, and the dissenting view if Legal and Compliance are not aligned. You will produce a memo template that shortens the committee discussion rather than lengthening it.

Module 5. De-risking Rationale Documentation

When the relationship manager disputes a de-risking recommendation, the defence has to be in writing before the meeting starts. This module covers the de-risking rationale memo: how to document the risk basis, the proportionality analysis, the alternatives that were considered, and the final decision. Includes the specific AUSTRAC and FATF references that support a de-risking outcome and the internal sign-off chain that makes it binding.

Module 6. Correspondent Banking Risk Assessment

FATF Recommendation 13 and AUSTRAC's correspondent banking guidance require a documented due diligence assessment of each correspondent relationship. This module covers the correspondent banking risk assessment framework: the AML/CTF program review of the respondent institution, the PEP and sanctions screening of its beneficial owners, the typology analysis of the payment flows, and the ongoing monitoring trigger events. You will produce an assessment template that covers AUSTRAC's mandatory elements and the FATF-recommended enhanced due diligence steps.

Module 7. PEP and Sanctions Screening Decision Framework

A PEP hit or a sanctions match does not end at the alert. This module covers the decision framework for PEP and sanctions screening: the risk rating of the match, the customer relationship context, the source of funds and wealth verification artefacts required, the escalation threshold, and the documentation that supports the decision to onboard, restrict, or exit. Includes the specific AUSTRAC Part A obligations for PEP customer monitoring and the OFAC and UN sanction list cross-reference process.

Module 8. The Annual AML/CTF Program Review

The annual program review required under the AML/CTF Act is not a backward-looking compliance report. It is a forward-looking risk assessment that explains how the institution's controls address its current residual risk. This module covers the structure of a review that satisfies AUSTRAC: the risk assessment update, the control effectiveness evidence, the gap analysis, the remediation plan, and the board sign-off artefact. You will produce an outline and a section template for each element.

Module 9. Working with Internal Investigation Teams

Financial crime risk managers regularly hand matters to internal investigation or external law enforcement. This module covers the referral artefact: the investigation brief that gives the investigation team what it needs without compromising the institution's position, the tipping-off risk documentation, and the case management handover note. Includes the specific AUSTRAC and Proceeds of Crime Act obligations that constrain what the institution can disclose and to whom.

Module 10. Trade Finance and Trade-Based Money Laundering Controls

Trade finance is the highest-risk product category for TBML and also the one where transaction monitoring generates the most false positives. This module covers the TBML red flag matrix, the documentary credit review checklist, the under- and over-invoicing detection approach, and the escalation threshold for trade finance alerts. You will produce a red flag matrix specific to your institution's trade finance product set and geographic corridors.

Module 11. AUSTRAC Engagement and Examination Preparation

An AUSTRAC examination is not the time to discover that your program documentation does not match your operational practice. This module covers examination preparation: the gap analysis between the institution's documented AML/CTF program and its actual controls, the artefact pack that AUSTRAC examiners typically request, the response protocol for information requests, and the remediation letter format for findings. Includes the AUSTRAC enforcement action case studies that identify the most common documentation gaps.

Module 12. Building the Financial Crime Risk Function's Operating Cadence

A financial crime risk function that operates reactively will always be behind. This module covers the operating cadence: the monthly typology review, the quarterly risk appetite statement update, the trigger-event protocol for regulatory change, and the annual program review timeline. You will produce a 12-month operating calendar for the financial crime risk function that links each artefact to the regulatory obligation that drives it and the internal governance body that receives it.

How this addresses your situation

Specific modules that map to what you said you are dealing with.

Alert triage pressure and SMR turnaround time: Modules 1, 3

De-risking decisions challenged by front office: Modules 4, 5

AUSTRAC examination or regulatory inquiry: Modules 8, 11

Correspondent banking review or exit decision: Modules 6, 7

What you get with this course

12 written modules in the Art of Service learning environment
Downloadable artefact templates for each module (triage note, SMR narrative, escalation memo, de-risking rationale, correspondent banking assessment, PEP decision framework, annual program review outline, TBML red flag matrix, examination artefact pack, operating calendar)
Hand-built implementation playbook tailored to your financial crime risk function, delivered alongside course access

What you will have in hand by Day 1, Week 1, Month 1

Course access and tailored implementation playbook provisioned within 24 hours of purchase.

Before and after

Before

Alert-to-decision cycle takes multiple rounds with Legal and Compliance. SAR/SMR narratives come back for revision. De-risking memos are contested at committee. The annual program review is assembled in the last three weeks before the AUSTRAC deadline.

After

Each alert produces a documented triage decision in a single pass. SMR narratives meet AUSTRAC Part B standards without a Legal round-trip. De-risking rationale is in writing before the RM meeting. The annual program review is a rolling artefact rather than a year-end scramble.

What happens if you do not address this

The cost of a poorly documented financial crime decision is not just an AUSTRAC finding. It is the operational overhead of defending every disputed de-risking call, the reputational exposure of an SMR that does not hold up under scrutiny, and the examination risk of a program review that documents the year that passed rather than the risk profile of the institution going forward.

Who it is for

A Manager or Senior Manager in Financial Crime Risk at a regulated Australian financial institution, responsible for transaction monitoring decisions, SAR/SMR preparation, correspondent banking risk, and AML/CTF program compliance. Likely accountable for outputs that go to the Financial Crime Committee, the MLRO, and AUSTRAC. Has the legal background or has absorbed it on the job. The gap is the ability to move from alert to documented, defensible decision with an artefact trail that survives an exam.

Who this is NOT for. Compliance generalists looking for an AML overview. Entry-level analysts who have not yet managed an escalation. Technology or data teams building transaction monitoring platforms without regulatory accountability for the outcome.

How it arrives

Text-based course in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every module, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Time investment. Each module is designed for a focused 45-60 minute session. The full course is completable in two to three weeks alongside a full-time role, or faster if you prioritise the modules most relevant to your current workload.

Why $199 is the right number

AUSTRAC's published guidance and FATF recommendations are essential reference documents but they do not produce practitioner artefacts. External AML/CTF training courses cover the legal framework. This course covers the decisions and documents that a Financial Crime Risk manager produces every week, calibrated to the AUSTRAC regulatory environment and the internal governance structures of an Australian financial institution.

FAQ

Is this specific to Australian regulatory requirements?

Yes. The course is built around AUSTRAC's AML/CTF Act obligations, Part A and Part B program requirements, and AUSTRAC examination practice. It references FATF recommendations throughout, so the framework applies to international contexts, but the artefact templates are calibrated to the Australian regulatory environment.

Does the course cover transaction monitoring system configuration?

No. The course focuses on the human decisions and artefacts that follow a transaction monitoring alert: triage, typology assessment, escalation, filing, and program review. System configuration and rule-tuning are out of scope.

How is the implementation playbook tailored to my situation?

After purchase, you will receive a short intake form asking about your institution type, your primary alert typologies, and your current documentation gaps. The playbook is built around those specifics and delivered within 24 hours of course access being provisioned.

30-day money-back guarantee. If after a week of working through the materials this is not what you needed, reply to the receipt email and a full refund is processed. No questions, no forms.

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.