All AML articles
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OpinionHow banks are responsibly embedding machine learning and GenAI into AML surveillance
As financial crime grows in scale, speed, and sophistication, banks are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI to strengthen anti-money laundering and surveillance programs.
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OpinionCongress is about to regulate crypto. Criminals are ready.
Congress is moving toward rules for cryptocurrency. That’s overdue. For years, crypto markets have grown faster than the laws meant to ensure they aren’t exploited by criminals.
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ArticleU.K. sets out strategy to combat bribery and corruption
The U.K. is introducing tougher safeguards and compliance checks in its latest drive to cut down on financial crime and stem the flow of dirty money that continues to be laundered by British businesses, facilitated by accountants and lawyers.
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PremiumTop Ethics and Compliance Triumphs of 2025
This year’s compliance triumphs were all born out of compliance fails. In some cases, it was a regulator finding fault and demanding change. In others, acquiring companies noticed something a little fishy in their new acquisition. What formed a compliance triumph in every case wasn’t the mistake; it was the ...
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OpinionBribery exposure doesn’t start with policy failure. It starts with training.
Anti-bribery and corruption failures in financial institutions rarely stem from bad policies.
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ArticleSFO sharpens framework for judging compliance programs in bribery and fraud cases
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has updated its guidance about how it evaluates corporate compliance programs when considering whether to prosecute or offer leniency to companies that have breached bribery and corruption laws.
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ArticleCrypto network Paxful will plead guilty to BSA violations, pay $4M fine, shut down
Paxful, a crypto peer-to-peer network, will plead guilty to multiple federal criminal charges related to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), among others. The plea agreement follows years of scrutiny from regulators over anit-money laundering (AML) compliance failures.
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PremiumU.K. proposed changes to AML supervision
The U.K.’s financial services regulator will take a more central role as part of the government’s plans to simplify—and improve—efforts to clamp down on money laundering and terrorist financing.
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OpinionWho is leading the fight against confidence scams, and who should?
Internet-enabled scams are drawing national attention, with authorities treating them as organized transnational crimes. The FBI says confidence schemes now make up a significant share of online fraud, prompting questions about how the private sector is responding.
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News BriefFINTRAC hits British Columbia crypto firm with record $125M penalty for AML failures
Canada’s financial intelligence agency has issued its largest-ever penalties against a cryptocurrency exchange, a fine of $126 million (CA$176.9 million). The agency said the exchange’s compliance failures represented a “severe breach of Canada’s anti–money laundering framework.”
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News BriefBinance’s Changpeng Zhao receives presidential pardon from Trump
The founder of crypto exchange Binance, Changpeng Zhao, received a pardon from President Donald Trump. This pardon comes almost two years after Zhao signed a plea agreement and was sentenced to a four-month prison sentence.
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News BriefCanada to launch new federal office targeting financial crime and fraud
Canada is creating a new federal office to lead efforts against financial crime. The initiative marks the government’s most significant move yet to modernize its approach to fraud and money laundering.
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Basic PageU.S. targets southeast Asian “pig butchering”, human trafficking, forced labor empire
This week, U.S. authorities took coordinated action against Cambodian multinational conglomerate Prince Holding Group and its 37-year-old founder Chen Zhi, who is accused of running forced-labor camps in Cambodia where captives were forced to conduct pig butchering scams that defrauded U.S. and global victims out of billions of dollars.
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OpinionTracing Illicit Crypto: How to leverage blockchain analytics for effective AML compliance
Cryptocurrency’s transparency can be exploited for laundering, ransomware, and darknet activity. Blockchain analytics helps trace funds and flag suspicious behavior.
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ArticleAustralian banks’ record fines for compliance failures highlight role of culture in compliance
Two of the biggest banks in Australia are under fire for major compliance and cultural failings. ANZ and National Australia Bank are facing intense scrutiny over misconduct ranging from mistreating customers to underpaying staff.
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PodcastListen to the radio interview with Compliance Week’s Aly McDevitt on Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein’s finances are back in the spotlight with new reports this month, but Compliance Week published an in-depth investigation into the anti-money laundering compliance angle of the story 18 months ago. Compliance Week’s Aly McDevitt went on WBAI Monday to discuss her investigation
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ArticleEU targets crypto, fintech firms in push to tackle money laundering
Europe’s banking regulator warns that weak compliance at fintech, regtech, and crypto firms may let money laundering and terrorist financing risks slip through. The EBA also found EU regulators’ approaches are often inconsistent and unclear.
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NewsThe Banks behind Jeffrey Epstein: Why the story matters now more than ever
The Epstein case remains a defining moment for financial institutions. As new investigations bring renewed attention to his enablers, Compliance Week’s 2024 case study offers not only a timeline of failures but a path forward. Here’s what banks, regulators, and compliance teams must learn from it.
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OpinionCross-border compliance: Lessons from the UAE for a globalized financial system
Financial ecosystems are no longer confined within national boundaries. Money, technology, and risks flow seamlessly across jurisdictions, creating unprecedented challenges for compliance officers. From sanctions and anti-money laundering (AML) obligations to the rise of virtual assets, the compliance function must now navigate a complex, cross-border landscape where regulators, institutions, and ...
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OpinionWhy audit won’t save your anti-money laundering (AML) program
In financial institutions across the United States, there’s a reflex that’s become almost ritual. When a regulator walks in, or a board member asks whether the AML program is working, the answer is the same: “We just passed audit.” It’s delivered with confidence, sometimes even pride, as if the risk ...