Certified Counter-Terrorist Financing Risk & Prevention Specialist
A specialist certification addressing terrorist-financing methods, risk indicators, funding sources, movement of funds, sanctions exposure, non-profit sector risks and preventive controls.
What This Certification Covers
The Certified Counter-Terrorist Financing Risk & Prevention Specialist is a professional certification designed to develop the knowledge and practical skills required to identify, assess and mitigate terrorist financing risks.
The certificate provides a structured understanding of how terrorist financing may involve both legitimate and illicit sources of funds, how financial and non-financial channels may be misused, and how organisations can strengthen their prevention and detection capabilities. It combines risk assessment, customer due diligence, targeted financial sanctions, transaction monitoring and suspicious activity reporting within a comprehensive counter-terrorist financing framework.
Like every ACS credential, the TFRS is awarded only after a formal assessment of defined qualification outcomes — evaluating understanding, application and professional judgement, not attendance alone.
What You Will Be Able to Do
- Explain terrorist financing fundamentals
- Interpret relevant international standards and applicable regulatory requirements
- Assess terrorist financing risks
- Recognise terrorist financing typologies and warning signs
- Apply proportionate customer due diligence measures
- Evaluate sanctions screening alerts
- Analyse unusual transactions and relationships
- Evaluate the effectiveness of counter-terrorist financing arrangements
The TFRS Programme in 8 Modules
01Foundations of Terrorist Financing5 topics
- Definitions, concepts and the objectives of counter-terrorist financing
- Differences and connections between terrorist financing and money laundering
- Legitimate and illicit sources of terrorist funds
- The raising, movement, storage and use of funds and other assets
- Roles of public authorities, financial institutions and other relevant organisations
02International Standards and Regulatory Responsibilities5 topics
- FATF standards relevant to counter-terrorist financing
- United Nations frameworks and targeted financial sanctions
- Applicable national legislation and regulatory expectations
- Roles of financial intelligence units, supervisors and law enforcement
- Reporting, recordkeeping, confidentiality and information-sharing responsibilities
03Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment6 topics
- Identifying threats, vulnerabilities and potential consequences
- Understanding national, sectoral and organisational risk assessments
- Customer, geographic, product and delivery-channel risk factors
- Assessing inherent risk, control effectiveness and residual risk
- Documenting findings and developing risk mitigation plans
- Reviewing assessments as threats and business activities change
04Terrorist Financing Typologies and Emerging Risks6 topics
- Misuse of banking, payment and money transfer services
- Cash-related and cross-border financial activity
- Potential abuse of legal entities, trade and commercial activities
- Misuse of fundraising, crowdfunding and digital platforms
- Virtual assets and emerging payment technologies
- Risks of terrorist abuse affecting certain non-profit organisations, with proportionate safeguards for legitimate charitable activity
05Customer Due Diligence and Preventive Controls6 topics
- Customer identification and verification
- Understanding ownership, control and beneficial ownership
- Establishing the purpose and expected nature of business relationships
- Enhanced due diligence and risk-based customer reviews
- Assessing relevant counterparties and third-party relationships
- Managing higher-risk relationships through documented decisions and controls
06Targeted Financial Sanctions and Screening6 topics
- Terrorism-related sanctions frameworks and designation processes
- Customer, beneficial owner and transaction screening
- Resolving potential matches and distinguishing false positives
- Escalation, asset-freezing and reporting procedures under applicable law
- Managing screening data quality and list updates
- Understanding applicable exemptions and humanitarian considerations
07Transaction Monitoring, Investigation and Reporting7 topics
- Developing monitoring scenarios relevant to terrorist financing risks
- Assessing behavioural, transactional and contextual indicators
- Reviewing alerts and identifying connected activity
- Using internal records and reliable external information
- Documenting analysis and supporting escalation decisions
- Preparing suspicious transaction or activity reports
- Maintaining confidentiality and avoiding tipping off
08Governance, Control Effectiveness and Practical Application5 topics
- Policies, accountability and coordination across functions
- Staff awareness and role-specific training
- Control testing, independent review and corrective action
- Management information and measures of effectiveness
- Integrated case study: assess risks, review alerts, document findings and recommend preventive actions
Built for These Roles
- Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing professionals
- Money Laundering Reporting Officers and their deputies
- Compliance officers and sanctions specialists
- Financial crime investigators and financial intelligence analysts
- Customer due diligence, KYC and transaction monitoring teams
- Banking, payment services, money transfer and fintech professionals
- Regulatory, supervisory and law enforcement personnel
- Governance and compliance professionals working in charities and non-profit organisations
- Legal and advisory professionals supporting financial crime compliance
How the TFRS Is Assessed
- 01
Multiple-choice examinations
- 02
Applied professional scenarios
- 03
Case-based questions
Unless otherwise stated, candidates must achieve a minimum assessment score of 70%. Full entry requirements and the certification process are listed on the Certifications.
Start the TFRS Certification
Registration opens on a rolling basis through ACS or an authorised ACS centre. Reach out and our team will walk you through eligibility, registration and assessment windows.
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