Payroll and Money Laundering: Why Outsourcing to TCW Makes Sense

When people think about money laundering, they often picture suitcases of cash, shady offshore accounts, or elaborate criminal networks. What they don’t picture is payroll.

But they should.

The truth is, payroll systems can be quietly exploited to launder money through false employees, inflated salaries, or manipulated bank accounts. And many payroll processors—especially in-house teams—don’t realise just how exposed they are.

At TCW, we’ve seen firsthand how good businesses get caught up in bad practices, simply because no one flagged a red flag or asked the right questions.

How Can Payroll Be Used to Launder Money?

Payroll fraud is more common than people think. Techniques include:

• Ghost employees: non-existent workers receiving regular wages

• Fake bonuses or inflated pay: disguised transactions with no business justification

• Unusual bank accounts: payments sent to third parties or offshore accounts

• Frequent changes to employee details: manipulated records designed to avoid detection

And yet, many internal teams don’t know what to look for—because AML training is rarely provided to payroll staff.

Most Payroll Teams Don’t Understand Their AML Risk

Here’s what we’ve learned: many people working in payroll don’t realise they have AML responsibilities.

There’s an assumption that anti-money laundering checks are someone else’s job. But in reality:

• Payroll is a prime target for laundering activity

• Internal payroll teams often lack specialist fraud awareness

• Most teams are focused on getting people paid, not spotting financial crime

That’s not a criticism—it’s a capacity issue. Internal teams are already overstretched, under-resourced, and constantly battling deadlines.

How TCW Reduces Your Risk

When you outsource payroll to TCW, you’re not just handing over admin—you’re choosing a partner who understands the broader responsibility that comes with processing pay.

Here’s what sets us apart:

Robust Payroll Processes

Our workflows are designed to prevent errors and spot anomalies before they become issues.

Built-In Verification Checks

We cross-reference employee data, flag duplicate bank accounts, and validate pay trends.

Audit Trails and Reporting

All payroll activity is logged, traceable, and aligned with best practice for financial transparency.

Fraud Awareness Is Embedded

We don’t just run payroll—we monitor it. With eyes open.

Industry Expertise You Can Trust

With clients across complex sectors like construction, healthcare, and education, we know what suspicious looks like—and what safe feels like.

Sustainable, Responsible, Future-Ready

We don’t just care about clean numbers. We care about clean ethics.

At TCW, we combine compliance, care, and clarity in everything we do. Our payroll solutions are secure, sustainable, and tailored to protect your business—not just from fines, but from reputational risk and internal stress.

Make Payroll One Less Thing to Worry About

Outsourcing payroll to TCW means:

• Peace of mind that everything is accurate, timely, and secure

• Protection from hidden risks like payroll fraud and laundering

• Support from real humans who understand your sector

• A future-ready solution that grows with your business

Get in touch today if you’re concerned about compliance—or simply want to remove the stress of payroll altogether.

Because payroll should be more than compliant.

It should be clean, ethical, and effortless.

TCW Accounting and Training Solutions – Sustainable Finance, Future-Ready Services.