US set to unveil long-awaited crackdown on real estate money laundering

US set to unveil long-awaited crackdown on real estate money laundering

美國即將推出期待已久的房地產洗錢打擊行動

【摘要2023.8.22.二.自由】◎盧永山

The U.S. Treasury Department will soon propose a rule that would effectively end anonymous luxury-home purchases, closing a loophole that the agency says allows corrupt oligarchs, terrorists and other criminals to hide ill-gotten gains.

美國財政部很快將提出1項規則，有效終止匿名豪宅購買，堵住該機構所稱的允許腐敗政商巨頭、恐怖份子和其他犯罪份子隱藏非法取得財富的漏洞。

The long-awaited rule is expected to require that real estate professionals such as title insurers report the identities of the beneficial owners of companies buying real estate in cash to the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

這項期待已久的規則，預計將要求產權保險公司等房地產專業人士，向美國財政部金融犯罪執法局（FinCEN）報告，以現金購買房地產的公司的實質受益人身份。

FinCEN is slated to propose the rule sometime this month, according to its regulatory agenda, though the timeline could slip, said two people briefed on the developments. Anti-corruption advocates and lawmakers have been pushing for the rule, which will replace the current patchwork reporting system.

據2名了解事態發展的人士表示，根據其監管議程，FinCEN定於本月某個時候提出該規則，但時間表可能會延後。反腐敗倡議人士和國會議員一直在推動這項規則，該規則將取代目前拼湊而成的申報制度。

Criminals have for decades anonymously hidden ill-gotten gains in real estate, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in March, adding that as much as $2.3 billion was laundered through U.S. real estate between 2015 and 2020.

美國財長珍妮特‧葉倫今年3月表示，數十年來，犯罪份子一直匿名隱藏在房地產中非法取得的財富，2015年至2020年間，透過美國房地產洗錢的金額高達23億美元。

新聞辭典:

ill-gotten：形容詞，非法取得的。例句：He deposited his ill-gotten gains in foreign bank accounts.（他把自己非法取得的金錢存進外國銀行帳戶。）

patchwork：名詞，拼湊成的東西。例句：We looked out of the aircraft window down onto the patchwork of fields below.（我們從飛機的機窗俯瞰下面縱橫交錯的田地。 ）