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
AML
Posted inEurope
EU 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.
Posted inAML
The 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.
Posted inAML
Cross-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 technologies often move at different speeds.
Posted inAML
Why 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 has been neutralized. But passing audit doesn’t mean your program is safe.
It doesn’t mean it’s effective. And in today’s threat landscape, it doesn’t mean much of anything at all.
Posted inAML
FinCEN again delays U.S. ban on three Mexican financial institutions
The order barring three Mexican financial institutions from doing business with U.S. financial institutions has been delayed until October.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Fraud, money laundering, and sanctions prompt global regulators to increase scrutiny of law firms
Legal firms face growing global regulatory pressure, requiring compliance managers to focus on integrated systems, identity verification, and staff training to prevent crime and penalties.
Posted inRisk Management
Risks for corporations doing business in Mexico have skyrocketed under Trump
The Trump administration’s designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations in February has made doing business in Mexico riskier than ever before for corporations.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
DOJ targets $14.6B in health care fraud with focus on transnational crime
Emerging enforcement priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice’s health care fraud division align with the Trump administration’s emphasis on prosecuting transnational criminal organizations and ending opioid trafficking.
Posted inAML
FinCEN bars three Mexican financial institutions for aiding cartels in fentanyl trade
Three Mexican financial institutions will be barred from transacting with U.S.-based banks after a U.S. Treasury agency determined that the institutions allowed their networks to aid the illegal fentanyl trade of Mexican criminal organizations.