smurfing

smurfing
 n.— «Because tellers have become more suspicious of transactions just under $10,000, the size of the launderer’s deposits is going down steadily, to $7,000 and even $5,000. The smaller the amounts, the more herculean the task. But the “smurfs,” couriers who make the deposits, have proved to be remarkably prolific.…To be more efficient, smurfs target areas where several banks are close to each other and, like most people, they avoid busy banks. “There is very little smurfing in New York City,” says Charles Saphos, an Assistant U. S. Attorney in Florida, “because the lines are too long.”» —“Money Laundering—Who’s Involved, How It Works, And Where It’s Spreading” Business Week (New York City) March 18, 1985. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Ride or Die Origins and Meaning

Patrick in New York City is curious about the term ride or die, which describes a friend, fan, or romantic partner who is devoted to the end. The expression shows up in the mid-1990s in hip hop and the work of Tupac Shakur and The Lox, and often...

Fizzy relief headed your way

Trivia time! Where in the United States can you visit Soda City? If you answered Columbia, South Carolina, you’re right! This nickname apparently derives from an old practice of abbreviating Columbia as Cola. The locals then referred to the town as...