Regulatory Enforcement


Russian hacker

Article

Russian web company that hosted LockBit ransomware sanctioned

2025-11-21T18:25:00+00:00By

Two Russian web-hosting services that provide cover for ransomware operators, including Lockbit, have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC and international partners.

Accounting fraud

Article

Nursing home chain and former CEO pay $146M each for federal health fraud

2025-11-19T19:58:00+00:00By

A New Jersey and Midwest nursing home chain, and its former chief executive, must pay more than $146 million each for extensive health care fraud for engaging in widespread fraud related to Medicare and Medicaid.

Claims

Article

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield pays $100M to settle state false claims allegations

2025-11-19T14:10:00+00:00By

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has agreed to pay $100 million to settle allegations that its 2020 contract with the state was fraudulent, according the state’s Attorney General.

Money laundering

Article

FinCEN cuts off 10 Mexican casinos from U.S. financial system for laundering cartel drug money

2025-11-18T14:51:00+00:00By

Ten Mexican cartels will be severed from the U.S. financial system for laundering money for the Sinaloa Cartel criminal organization, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

UK artifical intelligence

Article

U.K. outlines AI sandbox plan as regulators weigh compliance risks

2025-11-14T22:59:00+00:00By

The U.K. has set out a new blueprint for AI regulation, which aims to slash bureaucracy and ramp up the safe adoption of new and emerging technology to unlock potential and boost investment.

Whistle

Article

Former Capula CCO alleges misconduct and retaliation at the hedge fund firm

2025-11-10T21:16:00+00:00By

The former U.S. chief compliance officer of hedge fund firm Capula Investment Management has blown the whistle against his former employer, alleging he was terminated for raising concerns about improper expensing practices.

FINRA

Article

FINRA fines First Trust $10M for allegedly giving too-generous gifts to brokers

2025-11-07T22:18:00+00:00By

First Trust Portfolios has been fined $10 million by FINRA for allegedly providing excessive meals, gifts, and other incentives to broker-dealers.

dept justice doj

Premium

Q&A with former FCPA Unit chief Charles Duross on the DOJ’s monitorship policy

2025-11-06T19:06:00+00:00By

Compliance Week recently interviewed Charles Duross, former Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section’s FCPA Unit, to talk about the Department of Justice’s recently revised monitorship policy.

Europol

Article

Compliance officers accused of helping criminals run $346 million international payment fraud network

2025-11-06T19:01:00+00:00By

Four U.S. citizens were arrested in California Wednesday in connection with a massive, $346 million international credit card fraud scheme based in Germany, in which compliance officers were allegedly complicit, according to the DOJ.

energy sector

Article

Sanctions, money-laundering and supply chains top agenda for energy sector compliance

2025-11-03T19:09:00+00:00By

The energy sector faces rising regulatory activity, with more rules and enforcement. Bribery, corruption, and sanctions now dominate compliance concerns, driving rapid change and pressure on compliance officers.

CFPB logo

Article

Senate Democrats question Vought on comments about closing CFPB in months

2025-10-28T21:11:00+00:00By

Senate Democrats warned OMB Director Russell Vought Tuesday that it would be illegal for the Trump administration to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, citing a recent court decision barring actions that could severely harm the agency.

department of justice

Premium

Assessing the impact of the DOJ’s monitorship policy six months in

2025-10-23T20:36:00+01:00By

It has been nearly six months now since the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division released its memorandum on the selection of compliance monitors. This article provides a critical analysis of the monitorships that received early terminations, those that remain in place, and the broader compliance lessons they impart.

Wells Fargo NY

Article

OCC drops $10M fine against former Wells Fargo risk officer fingered in “fake accounts” scandal

2025-10-23T18:57:00+01:00By

A former Wells Fargo risk officer previously ordered to pay $10 million by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for her alleged role in the bank’s “fake accounts” scandal is completely off the hook, according to an OCC consent order issued Tuesday.

New York cyber-security

Article

NY auto insurers on the hook for $19M for cybersecurity violations

2025-10-21T18:11:00+01:00By

Eight auto insurers failed to meet the requirements of New York’s cybersecurity regulations during widespread online attacks in 2021 and will pay $19 million under consent orders with the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).

DOJ

News Brief

Smartmatic faces DOJ charges amid allegations of election contract bribes

2025-10-20T18:07:00+01:00By

Three executives of a multinational voting machine company in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump since 2020 have been indicted in Florida by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly paying $1 million in bribes to the Philippines top election official.

SEC

News Brief

SEC reportedly investigating MassMutual’s accounting amid ongoing government shutdown

2025-10-17T21:09:00+01:00By

Even though the U.S. federal government is currently shut down, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears to still be at work. The financial regulator is reportedly investigating a major insurance and asset management company over its accounting practices.

auditboard300x200

Webcast

Oct 14 | CPE Webcast: Navigating Evolving Banking Regulations in the U.S. and Canada

2025-10-14T14:00:00+01:00Provided by

U.S. Banking regulators have moved to loosen traditional regulation and supervision in areas like capital requirements, stress testing and liquidity, while also being more receptive to innovation in areas including Artificial Intelligence and digital assets.

JPMorgan headquarters

Article

Former startup CEO gets 7 years in prison for $175M fraud against JPMorgan Chase

2025-10-08T18:28:00+01:00By

Charlie Javice, a former CEO who duped JPMorgan Chase into purchasing her start up company for $175 million, has been ordered to forfeit more than $22 million by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and to spend 7 years in jail.

US whistleblower

Article

Georgia Tech to pay $875,000 for allegations brought by compliance officers

2025-10-07T16:08:00+01:00By

Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) has agreed to pay $875,000 to settle allegations first raised by two compliance officers that its cybersecurity protocols violated acceptable standards for defense contractors, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

California flag

Article

Tractor Supply Company hit with $1.35M fine for alleged California privacy violations

2025-10-06T17:12:00+01:00By

Tractor Supply Company has agreed to get into compliance with California’s consumer privacy law and to pay a $1.35 million fine—the largest yet by California—to settle allegations it violated the privacy rights of customers and job applicants.

Commerce Department

News Brief

LuminUltra fined $685K by BIS for illegal shipment to Iran

2025-10-06T16:46:00+01:00By

A single $33,000 shipment to Iran triggered a six-figure penalty and years of compliance oversight for biotechnology company LuminUltra Technologies, Inc.

FTC

News Brief

FTC secures $5.7M settlement after business data provider repeatedly broke compliance order

2025-10-02T16:32:00+01:00By

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused business credit reporting company Dun & Bradstreet of failing to comply with the commission’s 2022 order.

CFPB

Basic Page

CFPB Ends Oversight of Washington Federal and Planet Home Lending

2025-10-02T15:22:00+01:00By

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) terminated two consent orders with mortgage lenders in September as the agency’s enforcement power shrinks under Trump-era cuts.

Cryptocurrency wallet

Opinion

Tracing Illicit Crypto: How to leverage blockchain analytics for effective AML compliance

2025-09-29T20:44:00+01:00By Rezaul Karim, CW guest contributor

Cryptocurrency’s transparency can be exploited for laundering, ransomware, and darknet activity. Blockchain analytics helps trace funds and flag suspicious behavior.

Amazon building

News Brief

Amazon to pay $2.5 billion in FTC settlement over 'deceptive' Prime sign-ups

2025-09-26T19:28:00+01:00By

Amazon settled a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Thursday over allegedly enrolling consumers into its Amazon Prime subscription and making it difficult to cancel. The FTC says the amount of the settlement is one of the biggest in its history.

australia bank

Article

Australian banks’ record fines for compliance failures highlight role of culture in compliance

2025-09-25T21:24:00+01:00By

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.

FTC

News Brief

Supreme Court allows Trump to remove FTC commissioner ahead of final ruling

2025-09-23T20:42:00+01:00By

The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allowed President Trump to remove a Federal Trade Commission commissioner without cause on Monday, setting up a final battle over whether he can dismiss commissioners despite congressional rules.

Puerto Rico banking

Article

Board chair of Puerto Rico bank helped its collapse by siphoning millions

2025-09-23T18:06:00+01:00By

The board chair of a failed Puerto Rican bank played a key role in its $92 million collapse by robbing it of more than $13.6 million, the Department of Justice said Monday.

sai360 300x200

Webcast

Sept 23 | Decoding DOJ’s Recent Guidance on FCPA Enforcement

2025-09-23T14:00:00+01:00Provided by

Join this timely and practical webinar as we break down the DOJ’s latest FCPA guidance and explore what these developments mean for compliance programs in the real world.

Bank of America

News Brief

Bank of America Securities avoids prosecution over market manipulation case

2025-09-19T19:32:00+01:00By

The DOJ announced Thursday that it has declined to prosecute Bank of America Securities over lapses related to a spoofing scheme conducted by two former employees that went on for almost seven years.

Florida Capitol

Article

Florida seafood exec faces 10 years for crab claw price fixing

2025-09-17T17:20:00+01:00By

A Florida seafood company executive has pleaded guilty to conspiring with competitors to fix the prices he paid to local fishers, an effort that impacted more than $8 million in wholesale fish and cut the pay of hundreds of fishers, the Department of Justice said.

Bribery

Article

Former U.S. clothing business CEO faces 25 years for bribery in Honduras

2025-09-16T20:11:00+01:00By

The former CEO of a Georgia clothing business faces 25 years in prison for bribing Honduran officials to win $10 million in uniform contracts in Honduras, after being caught up in a Department of Justice Anticorruption Task Force.

FTC

News Brief

FTC orders AI firms to disclose safeguards for children and teens

2025-09-12T21:33:00+01:00By

AI chatbots are increasingly used by children and teens, prompting the FTC to order seven AI companies to explain how they monitor potential harms to minors.

Uber

News Brief

DOJ sues Uber over alleged discrimination against disabled riders

2025-09-12T19:40:00+01:00By

The DOJ sued Uber Thursday, alleging it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying people with disabilities equal access to its services.

eba

Article

EU targets crypto, fintech firms in push to tackle money laundering

2025-09-11T20:53:00+01:00By

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.

Privacy data access

Article

California, Colorado, and Connecticut launch joint crackdown on privacy violators

2025-09-10T22:24:00+01:00By

California, Colorado, and Connecticut launched a joint enforcement sweep against businesses that fail to honor consumers’ online opt-out requests, the states announced Tuesday.

Google

Article

Google hit with $425.6 million verdict in California privacy case

2025-09-09T21:29:00+01:00By

Google allegedly collected personal data from mobile devices without permission, violating California privacy laws, a jury ruled in awarding more than $425.6 million to class-action plaintiffs.

treasury dept

News Brief

Freight forwarder fined $1.6M after using OFAC-blocked Venezuelan, Iranian carriers

2025-09-09T16:51:00+01:00By

A Houston-based freight forwarder, Fracht FWO Inc., will pay $1.6 million for violating U.S. sanctions tied to Venezuela and Iran, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The fine comes as OFAC ramps up enforcement in recent months.

CFTC

Article

CFTC clears deck of ‘compliance’ enforcement actions to focus on fraud

2025-09-08T14:27:00+01:00By

BNY, Citigroup, Santander, UBS, and two other financial institutions paid a total of $8.3M to settle separate compliance violations with the CFTC.

AdobeStock_516891088_Editorial_Use_Only

News Brief

Hong Kong securities regulator hits repeat offender Deutsche Bank with $3M fine

2025-09-05T18:10:00+01:00By

Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay a $3 million fine and has returned $5 million in fee overcharges to customers as part of a resolution with Hong Kong’s financial services regulator.

ponzi

News Brief

DOJ, SEC charge owner of Pennsylvania companies of running $770M Ponzi scheme

2025-09-04T17:31:00+01:00By

The majority owner of a Pennsylvania investment firm faces 100 years of prison time and huge fines for allegedly running a $770 million Ponzi scheme centered on an ATM company he also owned.

Disney

Article

Disney hit with $10M FTC fine for allegedly collecting children’s data

2025-09-03T17:43:00+01:00By

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed an enforcement action against Disney for allegedly collecting personal information about children, and then threw salt in the wound by calling the company out in an alert emailed to an untold number of businesses.

crown protection services

Premium

U.K. prepares to prosecute firms under new Failure to Prevent Fraud rules

2025-08-29T17:48:00+01:00By

The U.K. will start cracking down on companies under the new Failure to Prevent Fraud law on Sept. 1, with the Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office ready to enforce it.

whistleblower

Premium

Employees may fail to report fraud unless U.K. whistleblower protection is beefed up

2025-08-29T16:23:00+01:00By

In September, the U.K. will enforce its third “failure to prevent” offense under sweeping anti-corporate crime laws, but experts question whether it will actually change corporate behavior or embolden whistleblowers.

DOJ dark

Article

Trump tries alternative approach on California air standards agency by alleging anti-white bias

2025-08-28T18:44:00+01:00By

The Trump administration has intensified its fight with California as the DOJ launched an investigation into whether the state’s environmental agency is violating federal law by pursuing racial equity.

Workiva logo 300x200

Webcast

CPE Webcast: White Collar Crime Enforcement Trends in Compliance in 2025

2025-08-28T14:00:00+01:00Provided by

Join a fireside chat with Kenneth Polite Jr., partner at the law firm Sidley, who served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) from 2021-23.

Judge Margaret A. Ryan

Basic Page

SEC taps military judge as Enforcement Division Director

2025-08-27T19:46:00+01:00By

The SEC has named Margaret “Meg” Ryan, a senior military judge and Harvard Law lecturer, as its next Enforcement Division Director—an unconventional pick that could signal changes in enforcement strategy.

cfpb

Article

CFPB makes move to stake a claim against bankrupt Synapse, the fintech software company

2025-08-27T14:11:00+01:00By and

Synapse Financial Technologies, the troubled California fintech software provider, has agreed to let the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) eventually file a claim on its bankrupt estate.

wolters kluwer 300x200

Webcast

CPE Webcast: Risky Business: Navigating Compliant Innovation Amid Deregulation

2025-08-26T00:00:00+01:00Provided by

The compliance landscape has entered unprecedented territory, characterized by what industry experts describe as “deregulation on top of deregulation” – a dangerous departure from the traditional regulatory cycle that historically provided stability and clear guidance.

JPMorgan Chase

Article

JPMorgan Chase pays $330M to settle Malaysian fund allegations

2025-08-25T20:49:00+01:00By

JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $330 million to settle allegations about its role in the massive, decades-long theft of Malaysian’s 1MDB state investment fund, the bank says.