Smurf
- noun
- /smɜrf/
- NSFW
:
fraccionador
- Bought by the same smurfs who once raced from bank to bank making deposits, money orders are smuggled by plane, even by DHL or private couriers, to places where bank transactions are less rigorously scrutinized.
Examples
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The operation involved several smurfs who completed multiple transactions at different banks to limit detection by authorities.
-
The task of smurfs was to run from bank to bank where accounts had been opened, depositing several thousand dollars at a clip—always staying under the $10,000-per-day ceiling for cash transactions.
Academic text (1994) -
Each cell consisted of a cell boss and a small army of runners or "smurfs," named for the industrious little blue cartoon characters who labor tirelessly.
Academic text (1994) -
In money laundering schemes, criminals often employ smurfs to make small cash deposits and evade reporting requirements.
-
To prevent detection, the group utilized smurfs to conduct a series of minor financial transactions at various locations.
Synonyms
6
7.8
A person who makes illegal money look like it came from legal work
Surface Forms
Etymology
Smurf (financial) likely comes from the small blue cartoon characters called Smurfs, and the name was used because many little helpers do small tasks. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine lots of tiny people making many small deposits, which is why a Smurf is someone who breaks up money to avoid detection.