Money laundering occurs when individuals or groups attempt to hide or conceal the source of large amounts of income to avoid tax issues, criminal charges or other types of illegal activities. In money laundering operations there are usually several transfers and changes in funds, leaving an often impossibly complex trail in an attempt to legitimize the money from illegal sources. Money laundering can be as simple as taking large amounts of money and making literally hundreds of smaller deposits or buying bonds or other comparable financial instruments. Typically these instruments are then wired or moved through international banking and monetary systems, legitimate ones, and then return to the original person in the guise of profits from investment or other more complex schemes. Money laundering laws are designed to attempt to catch these criminal and illegal money exchanges and correctly identify sources of illegal funds. Often countries that are known to be less strict in investment and money transfer laws are the haven for money laundering operations.