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Child Sexual Exploitation Red Flags

Child Sexual Exploitation Red Flags

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Money laundering indicators related to possible perpetrators who are consumers or facilitators of online child sexual exploitation

  • Transactions with individuals connected to child sexual exploitation.
  • Frequent transfers of low-value funds to the same female or multiple females in high-risk jurisdictions for child sexual exploitation in a short time frame or with no apparent familial or other legitimate connection to the country or recipient.
  • Transactions conducted or accounts accessed in high-risk jurisdictions for child sexual exploitation (e.g., ATM cash withdrawals, account logins through an IP address in a high-risk. jurisdiction)Purchases at vendors that offer online encryption tools, virtual private network (VPN) services, software to clear online tracking, or other tools or services for online privacy and anonymity.
  • Payments to online file-hosting vendors or platforms.
  • Transfers through peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms or payment processors, including ones that deal in virtual currencies.
  • Purchases at online merchants offering live streaming, gaming, dating, or adult entertainment.
  • Purchases at multiple vendors of electronics, computers, or cellphones, or payments to multiple cellphone service providers.
  • Transactions to reload prepaid credit cards (particularly ones that deal with virtual currencies)Purchases of gift cards or payments using gift cards.
  • Use of virtual currencies to fund a virtual currency account, convert funds or transfer funds to another virtual currency wallet, obtain a cryptocurrency loan, or withdraw funds in cash.

Money laundering indicators related to possible perpetrators who are producers of online child sexual exploitation material

  • Purchases at vendors that offer P2P software sharing platforms or software for capturing video from websites or other online platforms, or that specialize in equipment or software for photography or video-making.
  • Purchases for Voice-over-IP communication services.
  • Purchases at domain registration or website-hosting entities or creator-content streaming websites.
  • Financial indicators possibly related to online child sexual exploitation in the form of luring.

Financial indicators possibly related to online child sexual exploitation in the form of luring

  • Multiple purchases for lodging accommodations, particularly at venues near an individual’s residence.
  • Long-distance travel purchases (e.g., air travel, city-to-city bus).
  • Use of separate email accounts to send or receive email money transfers, particularly to multiple females or minors.
  • Purchases at youth-oriented stores or youth-oriented live online chatrooms as well as cannabis or cannabis-related venues and pharmacies.



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