Anti-bribery and corruption failures in financial institutions rarely stem from bad policies.
AML
Posted inAnti-Bribery
SFO 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.
Posted inAML
Crypto network Paxful will plead guilty to BSA violations stemming from long-running compliance lapses
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.
Posted inAML
U.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.
Posted inRisk Management
Who 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.
Posted inAML
FINTRAC 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.”
Posted inAML
Binance’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.
Posted inAML
Canada 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.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Tracing 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.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Australian 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.