A practical reference: legal obligations, reasonable grounds, indicators (red flags), timing rules, and writing clear grounds for suspicion.
Key concepts
Anatomy of a great SMR
Plain English
Write so a generalist can understand. Avoid jargon.
Lead with the crime
First sentence: what crime, who, what transaction.
Specifics over adjectives
Numbers, dates, references — not "unusual".
Crime-type keywords
Tag the SMR so AUSTRAC routes it correctly.
Checklist
Common pitfalls
- Vague grounds ("just felt off").
- Missing KYC details — DOB, ID, address.
- Initials instead of full names.
- No transaction reference numbers.
- Late submission — past the 24h / 3-day window.
- Tipping-off accidents in customer comms.