......recently (late last year), I made the mistake of depositing a mid six figure sum of cash in Royal Bank of Canada in St. Maarten in connection with a business deal I was working on. Big mistake. When I went back by the bank a couple months later to buy a Cashier’s Check (with my money) for the amount in RBC, their “manager” (term used loosely) commenced a 2 hour and ten minute interrogation wanting to know what I was going to do with the money, why I am I taking it out and many other questions that were none of her business. Then, she gave me a cashier’s check for MY MONEY that was no good anywhere but on St. Maarten! When I got back to the states, it took a month and over 100 fairly nasty emails to get my money pried loose from Royal Bank of Canada. Needless to say, I will never even think about using RBC again as I would not TRUST them with five dollars!
In effect,and upon reflection, RBC CLEARLY was brazenly acting as a government agent! Exactly who’s government, I have no clue.
All banks are government agents here in the states. All are mandated reporters of transactions above what about 9k and other regular transaction of large amounts. Seems as though these days 1K is a large amount.
They also are mandated to report to the government any on line transfes above the 6 permitted per month.