The Wall Street Journal reports that
More than at any time in their history, banks are being asked to work hand-in-hand with the U.S. government, serving as deputized watchmen for suspicious activity. That has been happening to some extent since legislation passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but banks’ responsibilities have steadily increased. For more than a decade, financial institutions have been required to file “suspicious activity reports” and have been fined billions of dollars for allegedly failing to do so adequately.
The full article is here.