Belgian authorities are investigating money-transfer fintech Wise for its controls around suspicious transactions worth over $577 million across 30 European countries. The current investigation only concerns the fintech’s EU operations, but the company has a history of fines for weak financial controls in several regions, including the U.S. and the Middle East.
Ruth Prickett
Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, for many years before relaunching and editing Audit & Risk magazine for the Chartered IIA. She has written for a wide range of specialist business titles and drafted white papers and reports for clients including HSBC and Vodafone.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
FCA sets sights on digital payment competition as it opens investigation into PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard
The U.K. financial regulator is investigating PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard for suspected anti-competitive practices in the “funding and usage” of PayPal’s digital wallet.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Control failures cost U.K. financial firms over $1.35B in five years – and the compliance risks are rising
The U.K.’s financial regulator has issued over £1 billion ($1.35 billion) of fines for regulated firms’ basic internal control failures in the past five years. This accounted for more than half of the total fines issued to financial services firms in the period.
Posted inEurope
EU calls for transparency, governance as rising defense spending attracts fraudsters
Rapidly rising defense spending across EU states is creating new opportunities for
fraudsters. The director of the EU’s anti-fraud agency has warned that states that are
funding rearmament must increase their fraud protections. Companies and investors in the sector should therefore expect more fraud activity and more scrutiny.
Posted inEnergy and Utilities
Compliance has key role in supporting strategy as global energy crisis looms
The war in Iran and closure of the Straits of Hormuz have sent shockwaves through
the global economy and sent companies scrambling to reassess their energy use
and supply chains. Compliance teams must highlight how they can help.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
U.K. consults on changes to unhealthy food advertising and promotion rules
The U.K. government is calling on food manufacturers to respond to a consultation on the effects of applying its new nutrient profiling model to food advertising and promotions rules.
Posted inESG/Social Responsibility
EU simplifies chemicals regulations, but legal and reputational pressures around hazardous chemicals are rising
The EU Parliament has agreed to simplify European chemicals regulations to boost
competitiveness, but compliance teams should note that the MEPs voted to retain
some rules to protect consumers and the environment.
Posted inThird Party Risk
U.K. financial firms urged to prepare for operational and third-party incident reporting changes
Financial services firms in the U.K. must prepare now for new reporting rules aimed to promote operational resilience in the face of increasing global threats.
Posted inSanctions
EU’s 20th Russian Sanctions Package extends compliance to third parties and anti-circumvention measures
The EU has intensified its focus on sanctions circumvention and the supply of Russian oil in a clear signal that the energy crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will not weaken its efforts to sever Russian cashflows.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
EU publishes major overhaul of M&A guidelines to encourage mega-mergers
The EU has published guidelines for the biggest overhaul of rules governing mergers since 2004. However, commentators are warning that loosening the M&A code may create new risks and still not deliver the “mega companies” that proponents seek. And EU officials appear divided. Where does this leave compliance teams?
