What are exchange transactions?

• A. Funds are moved across borders to disguise their source and ownership, and to avoid being exposed to the law and systems that record money entering into the financial system.
• B. An underground network of currency brokers with offices in North America, the Caribbean and South America allows drug traffickers to exchange pesos for U.S. dollars.
• C. Individuals often use proceeds of crime to buy foreign currency that can then be transferred to offshore bank accounts anywhere in the world.
• D. Provides funds for terrorist activity.

Answer: (C)

Exchange transactions involve converting illicit proceeds into foreign currency and moving those funds across borders to conceal their origin and ownership. The option that describes using proceeds of crime to buy foreign currency and then transferring it to offshore bank accounts fits this idea directly, since it shows both currency conversion and international movement aimed at hiding where the money came from. The other scenarios refer to disguising sources, a drug-money exchange network, or funding terrorism, but they don’t center on the currency exchange and cross-border transfer aspect that defines exchange transactions.