WASHINGTON–FinCEN has issued a statement ahead of what it said are media reports that are pending and which are based on illegally obtained Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).
“The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is aware that various media outlets intend to publish a series of articles based on unlawfully disclosed Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), as well as other sensitive government documents, from several years ago,” FinCEN said in a statement. “As FinCEN has stated previously, the unauthorized disclosure of SARs is a crime that can impact the national security of the United States, compromise law enforcement investigations, and threaten the safety and security of the institutions and individuals who file such reports.”
FinCEN said it has referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General. The agency did not provide additional details regarding the nature of the reports nor did it identify the media outlets allegedly involved.