Notification: FinCEN Guidance on Voluntary Information Sharing
AI Analysis
The OCC issued Bulletin 2026-30 on 2026-07-09 to highlight FinCEN’s updated Section 314(b) Fact Sheet on voluntary information sharing. The update matters because it broadens and clarifies what participating financial institutions can share to detect suspected fraud and other illicit financial activity, while operating under the Section 314(b) safe harbor.
Key dates
- 2026-07-09
- OCC Bulletin 2026-30 was issued, highlighting FinCEN’s updated Section 314(b) Fact Sheet.
Suggested considerations
- Compliance teams may wish to review whether current Section 314(b) registration status is current and whether the institution has designated internal points of contact for information-sharing requests.
- Firms may wish to assess whether existing BSA/AML and fraud-monitoring procedures explicitly cover the newly highlighted examples of shareable information, including cyber-related data and video surveillance footage.
- Institutions may wish to confirm that information-sharing protocols limit disclosures to permissible Section 314(b) purposes and maintain security and confidentiality controls over information received from peers.
- Banks may wish to refresh training for BSA, fraud, and investigations staff on when sharing is permissible, including the safe-harbor conditions and the scope of eligible counterparties.
- Compliance teams may wish to verify that procedures for responding to requests and documenting reliance on Section 314(b) remain aligned with FinCEN’s updated fact sheet.
What changed
FinCEN’s updated Section 314(b) Fact Sheet clarifies that a participating financial institution may share information about suspected fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, or other specified unlawful activities with any other financial institution eligible to participate in the Section 314(b) program. It also gives examples of shareable material, including video surveillance footage, cyber-related data such as IP addresses, and fraud indicators like newly added payees followed by large transfers, multiple accounts with the same or similar identifying information, and login activity from geographically distant places. The bulletin further highlights that a registered financial institution or association of financial institutions may share information with another registered institut
Compliance impact
This is a supervisory guidance update rather than a new binding rule, but it has practical significance because it signals how regulators expect voluntary information sharing to support fraud and BSA/AML controls. The OCC emphasizes the safe harbor for eligible participants, so institutions that do not adapt their procedures may miss an opportunity to improve detection of money laundering, terrori
Who is affected
Related regulations
References
AI-generated analysis. May contain errors or omissions — verify with the original OCC source before acting. Full disclaimer.
What the OCC said
The OCC is highlighting the updated Section 314(b) Fact Sheet recently issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The updated guidance clarifies how financial institutions can share information with each other about suspected fraud under section 314(b) of the USA…
Extract from OCC . Read the full notice at the source for the authoritative text.