This tactic focuses on securing a reliable and sustainable avenue for gathering financial resources, rather than the immediate act of acquiring funds. This involves identifying and setting up systems that facilitate the ongoing inflow of money, whether through legitimate means like charitable donations and business ventures or illicit activities such as extortion or criminal networks.
Legal channels can include:
- Charities and NPOs: Terrorist organizations can exploit legitimate charities and NPOs to raise and move funds. They may pose as legitimate entities, exploit existing entities as conduits, or divert funds intended for legitimate purposes.
- Crowdfunding: Terrorist organizations can use crowdfunding platforms to solicit donations from a large number of people. This can be done through dedicated platforms, social media, or other online channels.
- Businesses: Terrorist organizations can establish or invest in legitimate businesses to generate income. These businesses can range from small shops to large corporations.
Illegal channels can include:
- Criminal activities: Terrorist organizations can engage in a wide range of criminal activities to generate funds, including drug trafficking, smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom.
- State sponsorship: Some terrorist organizations receive funding from states. This funding can be provided directly or indirectly, through the provision of weapons, training, or other support.
Once a terrorist organization has established a funds collection channel, it can then use it to collect funds.