Is tipping off a customer a crime under UAE AML law?
Yes. Tipping off is a criminal offence under the UAE AML law. Any person who notifies or warns another, or discloses information about transactions under review as suspicious, or reveals that the competent authorities are making inquiries or conducting investigations, commits an offence. Information relating to suspicious transactions and to the crimes covered by the law is treated as confidential and may only be disclosed to the extent necessary for investigations or proceedings.
The penalty is imprisonment and a fine of not less than AED 50,000, or either of these two penalties. The rule exists to protect ongoing analysis and investigation: if a customer learns that a suspicious transaction report has been filed or that authorities are looking into their affairs, they may move funds, destroy evidence or flee.
For compliance teams, this means suspicious transaction reporting must be handled on a strict need-to-know basis. Staff should never hint to a customer that a report has been or may be filed, and internal escalation should follow a controlled, documented channel through the compliance officer.
Legal Reference (UAE):
· Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 29(1) — penalises tipping off, read with Article 24 on confidentiality of information.
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.