• Smurfing is a money laundering technique that involves structuring large amounts of cash into multiple small transactions.

  • The Smurfs often spread these small transactions across many different accounts to keep them within regulatory reporting limits and avoid detection.
  • Smurfing is a form of structuring in which criminals use small, cumulative transactions to stay below financial reporting requirements.
  • The Patriot Act gave law enforcement greater powers to stop money laundering by establishing reporting requirements for any deposits, withdrawals, or currency exchanges in excess of $10,000.
  • The term “smurf” appears to be borrowed from illegal drug manufacturers who use multiple accomplices to circumvent legal restrictions on the purchase of drug components.