Araştırma Makalesi

Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance

Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1 30 Nisan 2026
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Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance

Öz

This study presents a comparative evaluation of supervised machine learning methods for transaction-level anti-money laundering detection under extreme class imbalance. Experiments are conducted on the Lower Illicit–Small subset of the IBM Transactions for anti-money laundering dataset, which includes nearly seven million transactions with a laundering prevalence of approximately 0.05%. Logistic Regression, Random Forest, XGBoost, and CatBoost models are implemented using model-specific preprocessing and hyperparameter tuning strategies. Model performance is assessed on an independent test set using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, ROC-AUC, and balanced accuracy metrics. The results reveal clear precision–recall trade-offs among the models. Logistic Regression achieves the highest recall and balanced accuracy, indicating a coverage-oriented detection strategy, whereas CatBoost demonstrates superior precision and ROC-AUC, supporting more conservative alerting approaches. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of metric-driven model selection and careful operating-point design in practical anti-money laundering screening systems.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kaynakça

  1. UNODC. "Money Laundering." United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/money-laundering/overview.html (accessed.)
  2. A. Venčkauskas, G. Š, L. Pocius, R. Brūzgienė, and A. Romanovs, "Machine Learning in Money Laundering Detection Over Blockchain Technology," IEEE Access, vol. 13, pp. 7555–7573, 2025.
  3. C.R. Alexandre and J. Balsa, "Incorporating machine learning and a risk-based strategy in an anti-money laundering multiagent system," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 217, p. 119500, 2023/05/01/ 2023.
  4. S.S. Doddamani, K.G.K, and B. Bhowmik, "Money Laundering Detection in Imbalanced E-wallet Transactions with Threshold Optimization," in 2024 IEEE 9th International Conference for Convergence in Technology (I2CT), 5–7 April 2024 2024, pp. 1–6.
  5. P. Sharma, A.S. Prakash, and A. Malhotra, "Application of Advanced AI Algorithms for Fintech Crime Detection," in 2024 15th International Conference on Computing Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT), 24–28 June 2024 2024, pp. 1–6,.
  6. G. Konstantinidis and A. Gegov, "Deep Neural Networks for Anti Money Laundering Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence," in 2024 IEEE 12th International Conference on Intelligent Systems (IS), 29–31 Aug. 2024 2024, pp. 1–6.
  7. D.V. Kute, B. Pradhan, N. Shukla, and A. Alamri, "Explainable deep learning model for predicting money laundering transactions," International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems, vol. 17, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.2478/ijssis-2024-0027.
  8. S. Ramadhan, "Harnessing machine learning for money laundering detection: a criminological theory-centric approach," Journal of Money Laundering Control, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 184–201, 2024, doi: 10.1108/jmlc-04-2024-0083.

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Makine Öğrenme (Diğer)

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

30 Nisan 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

24 Aralık 2025

Kabul Tarihi

5 Mart 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1

Kaynak Göster

APA
Yılmaz, Ü. (2026). Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance. Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.46387/bjesr.1848543
AMA
1.Yılmaz Ü. Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance. Müh.Bil.ve Araş.Dergisi. 2026;8(1):55-66. doi:10.46387/bjesr.1848543
Chicago
Yılmaz, Ümit. 2026. “Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance”. Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 (1): 55-66. https://doi.org/10.46387/bjesr.1848543.
EndNote
Yılmaz Ü (01 Nisan 2026) Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance. Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 1 55–66.
IEEE
[1]Ü. Yılmaz, “Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance”, Müh.Bil.ve Araş.Dergisi, c. 8, sy 1, ss. 55–66, Nis. 2026, doi: 10.46387/bjesr.1848543.
ISNAD
Yılmaz, Ümit. “Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance”. Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi 8/1 (01 Nisan 2026): 55-66. https://doi.org/10.46387/bjesr.1848543.
JAMA
1.Yılmaz Ü. Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance. Müh.Bil.ve Araş.Dergisi. 2026;8:55–66.
MLA
Yılmaz, Ümit. “Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance”. Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, c. 8, sy 1, Nisan 2026, ss. 55-66, doi:10.46387/bjesr.1848543.
Vancouver
1.Ümit Yılmaz. Benchmarking Machine Learning Models for Transaction-Level Anti-Money Laundering under Extreme Class Imbalance. Müh.Bil.ve Araş.Dergisi. 01 Nisan 2026;8(1):55-66. doi:10.46387/bjesr.1848543