All Bank Secrecy Act articles
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News BriefFinCEN annual report: How DOJ, IRS use SARs to aid probes
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s year in review for fiscal year 2022 provides details on how other U.S. agencies use information derived from the millions of suspicious activity reports filed each year to support their enforcement efforts.
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News Brief
Kingdom Trust fined $1.5M over ‘substantially inadequate’ AML controls
South Dakota-based Kingdom Trust Co. agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for anti-money laundering deficiencies that resulted in violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
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News Brief
Treasury teases revising AML/CFT regulations to address ‘de-risking’
The Treasury Department might propose new regulations for financial institutions aimed at discouraging banks from shutting out large swaths of potential banking customers because of risk concerns.
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News Brief
OCC ‘reluctantly’ drops enforcement, fine against former Rabobank CCO
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency dismissed an enforcement action and withdrew a fine against the former chief compliance officer for the now-defunct U.S. branch of Rabobank N.A.
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News Brief
Treasury: DeFi services vulnerable to AML/CFT, cybersecurity risks
A new U.S. Treasury report concluded that decentralized finance services are being used by bad actors to launder the proceeds of illegal activity, aided by crypto platforms weak or non-existent in anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance programs.
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News Brief
SEC fines broker-dealer $100K over SARs reporting failures
Cambria Capital agreed to pay $100,000, hire an independent anti-money laundering consultant, and be censured for failing to file suspicious activity reports on certain transactions over a two-year period, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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News Brief
Anchorage Digital revamps BSA/AML compliance post-OCC consent order
Anchorage Digital unveiled moves to bolster its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance staff less than a year removed from being called out by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for deficiencies in the area.
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News Brief
Popular Bank fined $2.3M by Fed over fraudulent PPP loan approvals
The Federal Reserve Board fined New York-based Popular Bank $2.3 million for processing Paycheck Protection Program loans despite finding significant indications of possible fraud in the loan applications.
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News Brief
Crypto exchange Bitzlato shut down, labeled ‘money laundering concern’
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network designated Bitzlato, a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange, as a “primary money laundering concern” in the first use of a law that targets entities that facilitate illicit Russian financial transactions.
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News Brief
Coinbase to pay $100M after NYDFS probe into compliance lapses
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase agreed to pay $100 million as part of a settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services for compliance failures that opened the door for criminals to carry out illegal activity through the platform.
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Article
FinCEN report identifies financial trends of Russian oligarchs
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network published an analysis of financial trends involving Russian oligarchs and how U.S. financial institutions have aided in the identification of more than $30 billion worth of sanctioned Russians’ assets.
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Article
Top ethics and compliance failures of 2022
Businesses not taking AML requirements seriously, years of noncompliant off-channel communications catching up to financial services titans, and a manufacturing firm that shared revenue with terrorists comprise CW’s list of the biggest ethics and compliance fails of 2022.
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Article
FinCEN: U.S. banks paid $1.2B to ransomware criminals last year
Banks reported paying a record $1.2 billion to ransomware criminals in 2021, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network announced.
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Article
ICICI Bank cited by OCC for BSA/AML compliance failures
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ordered the New York branch of ICICI Bank to implement sweeping changes to its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act compliance programs but will not fine the bank if the improvements are completed.
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Article
Bittrex to pay $29M for BSA violations in landmark FinCEN, OFAC case
Virtual currency trading platform Bittrex agreed to pay more than $29 million for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and other foreign asset restrictions by regularly allowing transactions with customers in Iran, Syria, and other U.S.-sanctioned nations.
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Article
Sterling Bank fined $6M by OCC over loan program lapses
Sterling Bank and Trust agreed to pay a fine of $6 million assessed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for deficiencies in its former residential loan product.
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Article
Treasury seeking comment on illicit finance risks posed by digital assets
The Treasury Department is seeking public input on how to address illicit finance and national security risks posed by digital assets, part of a multipronged push by the Biden administration to hold bad actors accountable and identify potential enforcement and regulatory gaps.
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Article
Ex-Rabobank CEO fined $20K for withholding AML report
John Ryan, the former CEO of Rabobank, N.A., was fined $20,000 by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for his alleged role in obstructing a Bank Secrecy Act program examination that would lead to significant fines for the bank.
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Article
Robinhood Crypto fined $30M for AML, cybersecurity failures
Robinhood Crypto agreed to pay a $30 million fine to the New York State Department of Financial Services for “significant failures” in its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering and cybersecurity compliance programs.
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Article
FinCEN launches rulemaking on no-action letter process
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network launched rulemaking for a no-action letter process, which the agency said might help spur innovation in financial services for anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism and compliance functions.
