What is the first stage of money laundering called?

Asked by: Keshawn Hegmann  |  Last update: April 20, 2026
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The first stage of money laundering is called Placement, where criminals introduce illegally obtained cash ("dirty money") into the legitimate financial system, often by breaking large sums into smaller deposits, buying assets, or using casinos, to distance it from its criminal source.

What are the correct three stages of money laundering?

3 Stages of Money Laundering

  • Placement (i.e. moving the funds from direct association with the crime)
  • Layering (i.e. disguising the trail to foil pursuit)
  • Integration (i.e. making the money available to the criminal from what seem to be legitimate sources)

What are the stages of money?

There are more than five stages of money's evolution. Still, five notable stages include: commodity money (i.e., grains, livestock), metallic money (i.e., coins), paper money, credit and plastic forms of currency, and digital money.

Is layering the first stage of the money laundering life cycle?

Layering is the second of the three stages of money laundering, when successive layers of legitimacy are added to the ill-gotten funds, until their source is sufficiently obscured from authorities to be undetected as ever having been illegal.

What is the layering stage?

Layering (also known as "structuring") is the second stage of the money laundering process. It involves passing illicit funds through a series of complex financial transactions to obscure their origin, making them exceptionally hard to trace.

How Money Laundering Works?

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What are the 4 steps of money laundering?

Money laundering involves 4 stages: placement, layering, integration, and sometimes extraction.

What are the three stages of AML?

AML Awareness: Three stages of money laundering

  • Placement.
  • Layering.
  • Integration / Extraction.

What are three types of money laundering?

The three core stages of money laundering are Placement, Layering, and Integration, a process designed to disguise the illegal origins of funds by injecting them into the financial system (Placement), obscuring their trail through complex transactions (Layering), and then returning them to the criminal as seemingly legitimate money (Integration).
 

What are examples of layering?

Examples of plants propagated by simple layering include climbing roses, forsythia, rhododendron, honeysuckle, boxwood, azalea, and wax myrtle. Simple layering can be done in early spring using a dormant branch, or in late summer using a mature branch.

What is the integration stage?

Integration is the last step in the money laundering process, in which criminals introduce laundered money into the economy through a series of transactions which appear to be legitimate. From money transfers to casino schemes and more, launderers have ways of spending their money while remaining under the radar.

What are the 5 stages of money laundering?

The answer is clear—there are three stages of money laundering:

  • Placement: Introducing illicit funds into the financial system.
  • Layering: Obscuring the trail of funds through multiple transactions.
  • Integration: Reintroducing the “cleaned” funds into the legitimate economy.

What is money laundering in simple words?

In simple terms, money laundering is hiding the illegal source of money (like from drug dealing or fraud) by making it look like it came from a legitimate business or activity, allowing criminals to use the "dirty" cash without getting caught. It's like cleaning dirty money by running it through a series of complex transactions, such as buying and selling assets or using fake businesses, to obscure where it truly originated, making it appear "clean" and usable. 

What are the 4 types of money?

The four main types of money, according to economists, are Commodity Money (intrinsic value like gold), Fiat Money (government-backed currency like dollars), Fiduciary Money (value from trust/promise like checks), and Commercial Bank Money (bank deposits/loans creating credit). These types cover physical goods, government-issued currency, instruments based on promise, and bank-created money, forming the basis of modern financial systems.
 

What are the three rules of money laundering?

While money laundering schemes vary in complexity, they generally follow three core stages: placement, layering, and integration. Each stage plays a crucial role in disguising illicit funds, and understanding these stages helps compliance teams identify red flags early. Let us look at the individual stages.

How is layering different from placement?

This involves several key steps to "clean" the money: 1. Placement: This is the initial step where the criminal introduces the illegal money into the financial system, often by depositing it into banks or using it to purchase easily sellable items. 2. Layering: Next, the focus shifts to hiding the money's trail.

What does CFT stand for in banking?

Effective anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policies and measures are key to the integrity and stability of the international financial system and member countries' economies.

What are four types of layering?

Layering Methods. The five basic types of layering are tip, simple, compound (serpentine), mound (stool), and air. For tip, simple, mound, and compound layering, part of the stem is buried to form the new roots and for air layering new roots form above the soil surface.

What is a mid layer?

The mid-layer is the garment worn as a second layer, known as the insulating layer. It can apply to a variety of garments which provide insulation for the wearer whether it's a fleece, softshell or lightweight insulating jacket and which, depending on your requirements, offer varying degrees of insulation.

What are some examples of layering tactics?

It's all about that mix: pairing a chunky sweater with lightweight trousers, or a smooth leather jacket with a textured knit. Mixing textures can crate the oomph your outfit is looking for and can elevate your fit. It's how you can create more unique layered outfits and also get more wear out of your clothes.

What are the 5 main indicators of money laundering?

Warning signs include:

  • secretive or suspicious behaviour by the client.
  • formation of a shell company in an offshore jurisdiction without a legitimate commercial purpose.
  • interposition of an entity in a transaction without any clear need.
  • unnecessarily complex corporate structures.

In which phase of money laundering is the money clean?

Integration

The final stage of money laundering is known as 'integration'. At this point, the laundered money has been absorbed into the legal financial system due to the layering process.

What is the most common reason for money laundering?

Criminals partake in money laundering because their criminal activities generate large amounts of illegal funds which cannot be explained or hidden. These illegal funds need to be disguised as being legitimately obtained, so that criminals can access them without detection and reprisal from relevant authorities.

What are the five red flags in AML?

Large transactions, structuring, layering property transactions, the use of anonymous entities, and unexplained wealth increases are five common AML red flags for money laundering.

What are the three ways that money is laundered?

The three core stages of money laundering are Placement, Layering, and Integration, a process designed to disguise the illegal origins of funds by injecting them into the financial system (Placement), obscuring their trail through complex transactions (Layering), and then returning them to the criminal as seemingly legitimate money (Integration).
 

What are the early signs of AML?

Early symptoms of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) often mimic the flu, including fatigue, weakness, fever, and frequent infections, due to the bone marrow's inability to produce healthy blood cells, leading to anemia (pale skin, shortness of breath) and low platelets (easy bruising, bleeding). Other early signs can include unexplained weight loss, night sweats, bone/joint pain, and tiny red spots (petechiae) on the skin.