Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said the agency is primed to step up its enforcement efforts regarding sanctions and export controls announced against Russia in the year since the country invaded Ukraine.
Sanctions
Posted inEurope
Raiffeisen confirms OFAC probe into Russia, Ukraine business
Raiffeisen Bank International said it received a request for information from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control regarding its business activities related to Russia and Ukraine.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Ethical culture strengthened by 2022 challenges, survey finds
LRN’s annual ethics and compliance benchmarking report found most respondents—85 percent—said their company’s ethical culture has been strengthened, not weakened, in facing the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and more.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Banks fooled in DOJ Russian yacht sanctions evasion case
The Department of Justice’s charges against a U.K. businessman and his Russian partner for evading U.S. sanctions against a Russian oligarch provide insight into how the use of shell companies, third parties, and other methods can thwart the compliance efforts of financial institutions.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
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.
Posted inEurope
Danfoss to pay $4.4M in OFAC sanctions settlement
Danish manufacturer Danfoss agreed to pay nearly $4.4 million to settle allegations a subsidiary violated U.S. sanctions by running payments from customers based in Iran, Sudan, and Syria through the foreign branch of a U.S. financial institution.
Posted inRisk Management
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.
Posted inRisk Management
AML 2023 preview: Regs not backing down on beneficial ownership, tech needs
Keeping up with increasingly demanding anti-money laundering expectations in 2023 will likely mean doing more with less and figuring out where and when is the best place to use technology to aid compliance, experts say.
Posted inEurope
Managing sanctions risk: Keys to successful implementation
The International Compliance Association hosted a webinar looking at challenges faced by organizations regarding changes in the sanctions landscape in 2022. Holly Thomas-Wrightson offers a recap of the discussion.
Posted inRisk Management
Tricky but doable: Tips for navigating sanctions in third-party relationships
Sanctions concerns don’t need to end all business relationships in high-risk regions. Experts at CW’s virtual TPRM and Oversight Summit share their experiences navigating compliance.