• FinCEN has issued the seventh edition of The SAR Activity Review By the Numbers . The report is a compilation of numerical data gathered from Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) filed by depository institutions, certain money services businesses, casinos and card clubs, and by certain segments of the securities and futures industries.
• The SAR Activity Review By the Numbers is published twice annually covering two filing periods: January 1 to June 30, and July 1 to December 31. The report can be accessed at: http://www.fincen.gov/sar_review_by_the_numbers_issue7.pdf - PDF 1.24mb ( PDF Help )
• The SAR Activity Review By the Numbers serves as a companion report to The SAR Activity Review – Trends, Tips & Issues .
• Between January 1 and June 30, 2006, over 3.6 million SAR forms had been filed with FinCEN. Of that total, over 2.4 million were filed by depository institutions.
• Bank Secrecy Act/Structuring/Money Laundering continues to be the leading characterization of suspicious activity.
• A comparison of SAR filing trends for the first six months of 2006, over the corresponding period in 2005, includes a 94% increase in consumer loan fraud; a 75% increase in false statement filings; a 51% increase in mortgage loan fraud filings; and a 56% increase in bribery/gratuity filings.

Distribution:
FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

Suggested Routing:
Chief Executive Officer
BSA Compliance Officer

Note:
FDIC financial institution letters (FILs) may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/2007/index.html .

To receive FILs electronically, please visit http://www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/fil.html .

Paper copies of FDIC financial institution letters may be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 3501 Fairfax Drive, E-1002, Arlington, VA 22226 (1-877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200).