Leslie R. Caldwell, former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the DOJ, told a group of bankers while in office that they need to expand upon the ‘suspicious activity reports’ they are required to file on their customers by calling law enforcement directly on anyone withdrawing a large amount of cash, according to investor and financial blogger Simon Black.
Banks are already required to file ‘suspicious activity reports’ on their customers, with threats of fines and even jail time for directors if financial institutions don’t meet quotas.
But as investor and financial blogger Simon Black points out, last week, “A senior official from the Justice Department spoke to a group of bankers about the need for them to rat out their customers to the police.”
Assistant attorney general Leslie Caldwell gave a speech in which he urged banks to “alert law enforcement authorities about the problem” so that police can “seize the funds” or at least “initiate an investigation”.
As Black highlights, according to the handbook for the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council, such suspicious activity includes, “Transactions conducted or attempted by, at, or through the bank (or an affiliate) and aggregating $5,000 or more…”
Black provides a chilling scenario under which an attempt to withdraw your own money from your bank account could end with a home visit from the cops.
“As you pull into your driveway later there’s an unexpected surprise waiting for you: two police officers would like to have a word with you about your intended withdrawal earlier,” writes Black, who accuses banks of already operating as “unpaid government spies”.
“Do you need to withdraw cash to purchase a used car from a private seller? Or perhaps you are pulling out some emergency cash for a loved one,” writes Mac Slavo.
“Either one of these activities are now considered suspicious and if your cash withdrawal amounts to even a few thousand dollars your bank teller is under a legal requirement to alert officials about your suspected criminal activity. And before you argue that you can’t possibly be a suspect because you have done nothing wrong, consider that even being suspected of being a suspect is now enough to land you on a terrorist watchlist in America.”
The war on cash is intensifying as authorities attempt to crack down on one of the few remaining modes of anonymity.
Over in France, Finance Minister Michel Sapin hailed the introduction of measures set to come into force in September which will restrict French citizens from making cash payments over 1,000 euros.
The new regulations, introduced in the name of fighting terrorism, will also see cash deposits of over 10,000 euros during a single month reported to anti-fraud authorities.
Meanwhile, in the UK, HSBC is now interrogating its account holders on how they earn and spend their money as well as restricting large cash withdrawals for customers from £5000 upwards.
Back in America, purchasing Amtrak train tickets with cash is being treated as a suspicious activity as part of a number of behaviors that are “indicative of criminal activity”.
Banks are also making it harder for customers to withdraw and deposit cash, with Chase imposing new capital controls that mandate identification for cash deposits and ban cash being deposited into another person’s account.
The time to overthrow has been apon us for quite awhile ! I have all the steps necessary and what it would take but dont dare share thell come lock me up as a terrorist when im really a fkn patriot who will die defending our constitution from domestic threats! Its our duty
I dont use banks never have get no intrest for holding my $ so whats the I point only person that holds my $ is me and i have and several model fire arms protecting it at all times
It’s invasive ‘Big Brother’ decision making such as this that provides fodder for anti-government extremism. The anger generated in ordinarily patriotic citizens by faceless bureaucrats who exercise unilateral decision-making power over people’s lives is understandable but no less a negative force in a democratic society. I believe government is necessary but actions like this by the DOJ make it too easy for many to see it as less necessary and more evil.
How about if the doj would come while my$#%&!@*after I take a$#%&!@* It always the innocents that get screwed with the most
How long is it going to be before the DOJ comes into our homes to whipe our asses after we$#%&!@* this has been done before. They take away Someone’s legitimate money and its cost them more to get back than what was taken. They function a lot like the EPA pretty much do what they want when and how they want and dam the constitutional law and yes about like Obama
I have been asked by tellers during large withdrawls what I am using the mobey for. Who the hell are you? None of your business.
fuckin big brother putting its nose where it doesnt belong i mean jesus christ where the$#%&!@*u think we get money to put in the bank oh yeah most of us work so we can pay taxes so these lazy fuckin welfare recipients can get their free govt money and health care $#%&!@*obama and this$#%&!@*govt
we need to take a fuckin stand and collectively overthrow this govt oh thats right americans r too fuckin afraid theyll get tossed in jail thats why they just bend over and let the govt just keep fuckin them in the$#%&!@* shame on us were nothing more than fucking cowards
Let’s have fun and withdraw a huge sum in the a.m. and deposit it back in the p.m. and repeat the next day
That’s b******t