What is Tipping Off?

There are two tipping off offences: 

1. Disclosing Suspicious Activity Reporting - it is an offence to disclose to a third person that a <a href="/glossarycollection/suspicious-activity-report" style="color:#48277C;" target="_blank" title="Suspicious Activity Report">SAR</a> has been created for the criminal authority(ies) or a <a href="/glossarycollection/money-laundering-reporting-officer" style="color:#48277C;" target="_blank" title="Money Laundering Reporting Officer">MLRO</a> / nominated officer if that disclosure could prejudice any investigation carried out as a result of the SAR. 

2. Disclosing an investigation - it is an offence to disclose that an investigation in to a money laundering offence is being contemplated or caried out if that disclosure is likely to prejudice that investigation. 

However, the following disclosures are permitted: 

- Disclosures between institutions in the same group, to your supervisory authority, and to the same professional advisor. [A person does not commit an offence if they do not know or suspect that a disclosure is likely to prejudice an investigation].