What you'll accomplish
You'll build a systematic ChatGPT workflow for drafting Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) narratives that cuts the writing time from 1–3 hours to 15–20 minutes of AI-assisted drafting plus review. The workflow uses sanitized activity descriptions (no real customer data) to produce structurally correct, FinCEN-compliant narratives.
Privacy rule — non-negotiable: Never include real customer names, account numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or any other personally identifiable information in any AI prompt. Use generic descriptions only. Add real details only in your internal SAR filing system.
What you'll need
- ChatGPT account at {{tool:ChatGPT.url}} (free tier works for this)
- Your institution's SAR narrative style guide (if you have one)
- Understanding of FinCEN's 5-part SAR narrative format
- Time needed: 20 minutes setup; 10–15 minutes per SAR after that
- Cost: {{tool:ChatGPT.free_tier}}
How-To Guide: Systematic SAR Narrative Drafting with ChatGPT
Step 1: Learn the FinCEN 5-Part Format
Every SAR narrative must answer these questions:
- Who — Type of subject (individual, business, type of account) — use generic descriptions
- What — What specific activity occurred (transaction types, amounts in ranges)
- When — Time period and frequency of the activity
- Where — How activity occurred (branch, ATM, online, wire, etc.)
- Why — Why the activity is suspicious (what red flags triggered the SAR)