GIS used stop money laundering

The USPS is a multimillion dollar industry, delivering over 212 pieces of mail each year as well as issuing billions of dollars in money orders. With such a high volume of money order transactions, USPS is a prime target for money laundering criminals.  "The transactions are a tool of choice because a customer can purchase money orders for under $3,000 without having to provide any personal identification. In addition, money orders can be redeemed anywhere in the United States."



The USPS is using GIS software to track trends in sales and redemption's of money orders. "The BSA Compliance Office can identify a post office or series of offices that have an unusually high number of suspicious money orders over a certain time period. It can view money orders that look suspicious such as a large number of sequentially numbered money orders, or see where individuals have made unusual money order transactions. The office can also determine if a number of money orders have been purchased from numerous locations and have been cashed by a single individual or at a single location."



The information being collected is being used to help criminal investigators track possible illegal activities. It is also being used prosecuting criminals that have been caught because of the mapping. One of the big uses is it's ability to be displayed in court. No longer is it just an area map but now it's a map with valuable information displayed on it.



The use of GIS mapping is making it harder and harder for criminals to operate. This use of it prevents money laundering through the purchase of money orders. It is a system that is helping the government stop being a source of money laundering which they are trying to stop to begin with.

http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer08articles/usps-fights-crime-with.html