[pseingatl]

In most US banks, sending a wire is an "event" since wires often go overseas and so KYC, suspicious transactions and sanctions are implicated. The fact that someone is sending a wire--as opposed to a multinational--is itself evidence of a suspicious transaction.

[devilbunny]

The only wire I have ever done was a process that I do not wish to repeat. I was paying for a car for my wife. Now, both our names are on the account, but my bank could only do it in my name (because I was the one at the bank, she was in another state at the time getting the car). The manager had to process the whole thing because it was over a certain amount (probably 10k, but it was well over that). Took twenty minutes. Then the dealership required me to indicate in writing that I had no lien (so paperwork would be correct). Then I had to wait until the county tax office (which collects all vehicle taxes) told me they had all the paperwork and spend twenty minutes there doing all of that.

I probably spent four or five hours dealing with the paperwork engendered by just giving them money for a car. Transactions handled locally would have amounted to half that at most. Get cashier’s check from my bank, give to dealer, leave with car and go to tax office, hand them paperwork, leave with tag.