IHE Spark Series – 20

🎤 Speaker

Moumita Bhattacharya

Lecturer in Commerce

MJPTBCWREIS, Government of Telangana

Area of Expertise: Finance, Banking, Financial Markets and FinTech

Moumita Bhattacharya is a Lecturer in Commerce at MJPTBCWREIS, Government of Telangana, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Commerce from Osmania University. She holds an M.Com degree, for which she was awarded a Gold Medal, and an MBA in Financial Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

Her academic and professional interests include Commerce, Finance, Financial Markets, FinTech, Behavioural Finance, Investment Decision-Making, and emerging developments in the financial services sector. She is particularly interested in exploring the intersection of finance, technology, and human behaviour, with a focus on contemporary issues influencing financial decision-making and financial markets.

As an educator, she is passionate about connecting academic concepts with practical financial issues. Her experience in the government education sector has provided opportunities to engage with diverse learners and contribute to academic and institutional activities. She has actively participated in academic conferences, seminars, webinars, workshops, and research paper presentations.

With an interdisciplinary approach to research and a strong commitment to teaching, research, and continuous learning, she aspires to contribute meaningfully to the academic community through knowledge sharing, research, and professional engagement.

LinkedIn Profile: Moumita Bhattacharya

💡 Title of the Talk

Following the Money: An Introduction to Anti-Money Laundering

🧠 Webinar Overview

Money laundering is a major challenge for financial institutions, businesses, regulators, and economies worldwide. As financial transactions become increasingly digital and interconnected, understanding how illicit funds move through the financial system has become essential for students, finance professionals, researchers, and aspiring banking and compliance professionals.

This interactive webinar introduces participants to the fundamentals of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and explores how suspicious financial activities can be identified, assessed, and investigated. Through practical examples, real-world scenarios, and interactive activities, participants will learn how to follow the movement of money, recognize potential red flags, understand customer due diligence, and distinguish unusual transactions from genuine evidence of wrongdoing.

The session will also explore key concepts such as Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), Source of Funds, Source of Wealth, Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO), Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs).

By connecting financial concepts with practical investigative thinking, this session aims to develop greater awareness of financial crime prevention, regulatory compliance, and responsible financial decision-making.

📚 Topics Covered

• Introduction to Anti-Money Laundering (AML): Understanding the purpose, importance, and fundamental principles of AML.

• The Three Stages of Money Laundering: Exploring Placement, Layering, and Integration.

• Know Your Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD): Understanding customer identity verification, risk assessment, and due diligence.

• Source of Funds vs. Source of Wealth: Distinguishing the origin of money involved in a specific transaction from a person's overall accumulated wealth.

• Risk-Based Approach and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): Understanding how financial institutions assess and manage higher-risk relationships.

• AML Red Flags: Identifying unusual transaction patterns and potential warning signs of financial crime.

• Money Mules: Understanding their role in moving illicit funds and the indicators that may reveal suspicious activity.

• Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO): Looking beyond corporate structures to identify the individuals who ultimately own or control an entity.

• Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs): Understanding enhanced risk considerations and appropriate screening practices.

• Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE): Exploring its mechanics and its relationship with trade-based money laundering.

• Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and FIU-IND: Understanding suspicious activity reporting and the role of India's Financial Intelligence Unit.

• Tipping-Off and Confidentiality: Exploring the importance of confidentiality and the restrictions associated with AML investigations.

• AML vs. Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF): Understanding their objectives and areas of overlap.

• The Investigation Mindset: Applying analytical thinking, evidence evaluation, and risk-based reasoning through practical case studies.

• Levels of Certainty: Distinguishing unusual activity, red flags, suspicion, and proof of wrongdoing.

👥 Who Should Attend?

This webinar is ideal for:

• Undergraduate and postgraduate students

• Commerce, Finance, Banking, and Management students

• Research scholars and Ph.D. students

• Faculty members and academicians

• Aspiring banking and financial services professionals

• Students interested in FinTech and financial markets

• Individuals exploring careers in AML, KYC, compliance, and financial crime prevention

• Young professionals seeking to understand financial risk and regulatory compliance

• Anyone interested in how financial systems identify and prevent illicit transactions

🎯 Key Takeaways

Participants will learn:

• The fundamental purpose of money laundering and why criminals attempt to disguise the origin of illicit assets.

• How to apply the “Follow the Money” principle to understand the origin, movement, and purpose of financial transactions.

• Why KYC goes beyond collecting documents and involves understanding customer identity and behaviour.

• How CDD and EDD help assess customer risk and support appropriate due diligence.

• The difference between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth.

• How to recognize potential AML red flags without automatically assuming criminal activity.

• How complex ownership structures can conceal the Ultimate Beneficial Owner.

• Why PEP status is a risk factor requiring appropriate assessment, not proof of wrongdoing.

• The basic purpose of STRs and the role of FIU-IND in India's financial intelligence framework.

• How AML and CTF differ while contributing to the prevention of financial crime.

• Why confidentiality and appropriate escalation are essential in AML compliance.

• How to approach suspicious financial activity objectively, using evidence, context, and risk assessment.

The Central Compliance Principle:

Unusual does not necessarily mean illegal. A red flag is not proof. Suspicion is not guilt.

📅 Event Details

Programme: IHE Spark Series – 20

Mode: Online

Date: 15 October 2026

Time: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM IST

Platform: Zoom / Google Meet

The meeting link will be shared with registered participants.

🎁 Benefits for Participants

• E-Certificate of Participation

• Live interaction and Q&A with the speaker

• Practical introduction to AML concepts and compliance principles

• Exposure to real-world financial crime scenarios

• Insights into KYC, CDD, EDD, and suspicious transaction monitoring

• Awareness of career opportunities in banking, finance, FinTech, and compliance

• Development of analytical and risk-assessment skills

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📝 Registration

Limited seats available — early registration is recommended.

The registration link will be shared soon.

📩 Contact Us

For queries or registration support:

📧 Email: info@ihedu.org

🌐 Website: www.ihedu.org

🌟 IHE Spark Series

Learn • Connect • Innovate • Grow

The IHE Spark Series is an initiative of the International House of Education (IHE) designed to connect learners, researchers, educators, and professionals with experts from academia and industry through engaging knowledge-sharing sessions. The series promotes continuous learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional development, and the practical application of knowledge to real-world challenges.