Canada has earned itself a reputation as a hub for dirty money over the past years, and it doesn’t seem to be phased by it. Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC) data show reports of suspicious transactions have surged higher in recent years. At the same time, the financial watchdog is conducting fewer compliance audits. The move is particularly problematic for real estate, where housing is rising at a record rate and compliance audits are 60% lower than they were last year.

Canada Has Seen Suspicious Transactions Rise 270% Since 2016

Reports of suspicious transactions have exploded over the past few years in Canada. The agency received 468,079 suspicious transaction reports in the 2020-2021 period ending March 31. It’s 21.2% higher than a year before and 271.6% higher than the 2016-2017 period. Remember, these are just suspicious transaction reports — not the total received reports. The agency receives and “stores” over 30 million transaction reports annually.

FINTRAC Audits Have Fallen Over 62%

A surge in suspicious transactions didn’t cause FINTRAC to break a sweat, apparently. The agency dropped compliance audits sharply, conducting just 151 in the 2020-21 period. This is a drop of 62.2% from the previous period. The pandemic played a role in fewer audits, but this has been a longer-term trend…read more.