4类房地产洗钱方式将被严查

Core Points - The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the People's Bank of China issued the "Management Measures for Anti-Money Laundering Work of Real Estate Practitioners," which sets regulations for anti-money laundering in the real estate sector [2][3] - The new measures require real estate developers and intermediaries to verify customer identities and report suspicious transactions, extending the record-keeping period for customer data from five to ten years [3][5] Group 1: Regulatory Framework - The new measures are the most detailed document issued by authorities regarding anti-money laundering in the real estate sector to date, reflecting the increasing complexity of money laundering methods in the industry [3][5] - The anti-money laundering regulatory framework in China has been expanding, with significant increases in prosecutions for money laundering crimes, reaching 2,971 prosecutions in 2023, nearly 20 times the number in 2019 [5][6] Group 2: Historical Context - The "Anti-Money Laundering Law" was enacted in 2006, primarily targeting financial institutions, but the focus has shifted to include real estate and other non-financial sectors due to the evolving methods of money laundering [6][7] - Previous regulations required real estate practitioners to retain customer identity information for five years, which has now been extended to ten years under the new measures [3][6] Group 3: Money Laundering Methods - Real estate is a common avenue for money laundering due to its capital-intensive nature and large transaction sizes, with methods including using "straw buyers" and shell companies to obscure the source of funds [9][10][11] - The complexity of money laundering schemes in real estate has increased, with more sophisticated methods and cross-border transactions becoming prevalent [11] Group 4: Future Implications - The implementation of local versions of anti-money laundering measures in real estate is expected to follow, with cities like Beijing already having established guidelines [12][13] - The new measures are anticipated to enhance the operational capabilities of real estate practitioners in complying with anti-money laundering regulations, thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of the regulatory framework [11][12]