Home / Services / Compliance & AML / Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR/STR)
Compliance & AML
Suspicious activity reporting that is clear, timely and well evidenced
We build and run the process from staff referral to MLRO decision, and draft SAR and STR narratives that authorities can understand and act on.
At a glance
Internal referral process
Investigation
Narrative drafting
MLRO decision records
Supporting fintechs in the UK, EU, US and Canada
Overview
Reporting is a legal duty, and quality matters
Late reports, vague narratives and missing decision records are common weaknesses in fintech SAR regimes. They expose the business and the nominated officer personally, and they reduce the value of reports to law enforcement.
Hilix designs a reporting process that works in practice: simple internal referral, structured investigation, documented MLRO decisions, consent or defence requests where applicable and a complete register. Our investigators draft clear narratives that explain who, what, when, where and why the activity is suspicious.
What’s included
Everything included in Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR/STR)
Who this is for
- MLROs needing investigation and drafting support
- Fintechs with rising referral volumes
- Businesses improving SAR quality after a review
- New firms building their reporting process
What you receive
- SAR/STR procedure and referral forms
- Investigation files and draft reports
- MLRO decision log and SAR register
- Training material for staff referrals
- Reporting volume and timeliness MI
How we work
How we take over or build your compliance function
Diagnose
We review your policies, risk assessment, case files, queues and systems to see what works, what is missing and what is exposed.
Design
We agree scope, service levels, escalation rules and the decisions that stay with your MLRO, then document them.
Operate
Our analysts work inside your tools, clear queues to agreed SLAs and record every decision with evidence.
Report and improve
Weekly and monthly MI, quality checks and trend analysis feed continuous improvement and board reporting.
FAQ
Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR/STR): common questions
Who submits the report?
Your MLRO or nominated officer makes the decision and submits the report. We support with investigation, drafting and record keeping.
Do you cover reporting in different countries?
Yes. We prepare reports to the format and expectations of the relevant authority, such as the UKFIU, FinCEN or FINTRAC, and other FIUs where you operate.
How do you avoid tipping off?
Our process limits information to those who need it and gives customer-facing staff approved language, so no one discloses that a report has been made.
Keep exploring
Related services
Transaction Monitoring Services
Rule design, daily alert investigation, threshold tuning and MI that keep your monitoring effective and your queues clear.
MLRO & Compliance Officer Support
Experienced support for your MLRO or compliance officer: investigations, reporting, board MI and regulatory correspondence.
Fraud Prevention & Investigation
Fraud rules, behavioural indicators and case investigation that cut losses from account takeover, scams and mule activity.
All Compliance & AML services
KYC, KYB, screening, transaction monitoring, SARs, policies, audits and MLRO support run by experienced fintech compliance practitioners.