Phantom Shipment Structures rely entirely on the movement of documentation, with zero physical cargo ever being moved. Complicit networks manufacture counterfeit sets of trade documents: fake commercial invoices, fraudulent bills of lading bearing fake shipping company logos, and falsified customs stamps. These documents are presented to banks to justify large cross-border wire transfers. Since banks operate primarily on a document-compliance basis, the cash is cleared for goods that do not exist, allowing 100% of the wire value to be effectively laundered.