All SARs articles
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News Brief
Shinhan Bank America fined $25M for repeat AML compliance failures
The American branch of South Korea-based Shinhan Bank agreed to pay $25 million across settlements with three separate regulators for admitted violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements.
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News Brief
SEC obtains judgment against J.H. Darbie in SARs reporting case
New York-based brokerage firm J.H. Darbie & Co. consented to pay a $125,000 penalty to resolve charges levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission that the firm failed to report suspicious activity regarding penny stock transactions.
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News Brief
SEC fines registered rep for causing firm’s SARs filing lapses
A registered representative at an unnamed brokerage firm will pay $20,000 to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he failed to notify the firm’s anti-money laundering department of apparent suspicious transactions.
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News Brief
FinCEN analysis: Trends in Russia export control evasion attempts
Analysis of suspicious activity reports by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network indicates nearly $1 billion in suspicious activity in cases of suspected evasion of Russia-related export controls.
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News Brief
SEC fines Archipelago Trading Services $1.5M over SARs filing lapses
Archipelago Trading Services agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly failing to file nearly 500 suspicious activity reports largely related to microcap or penny stock securities transactions.
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Article
The importance of quality SARs
Good suspicious activity reports make it easier for financial intelligence units to prioritize and process investigations, enabling better results in the global fight against financial crime.
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News Brief
Merrill Lynch fined $12M over SARs filing failures
Merrill Lynch was assessed penalties totaling $12 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for allegedly failing to file nearly 1,500 required suspicious activity reports over the course of a decade.
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News Brief
FinCEN 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
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
FINRA focuses on financial crime in annual exam report
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s annual report on examinations and risk monitoring indicated a new emphasis for the regulator on combating financial crime, particularly cybercrime.
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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
SEC accuses J.H. Darbie of violating AML rules
New York-based brokerage firm J.H. Darbie & Co. was charged with violations of anti-money laundering provisions of federal securities laws by the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to report suspicious activity regarding penny stock transactions.
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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
FCA cracking down on challenger banks after review
Challenger banks must improve how they assess financial crime risk following a review by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority that found some fail to carry out even basic customer checks.
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Article
USAA fined $140M for AML compliance failures
USAA Federal Savings Bank must pay $140 million as part of consent orders reached with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for its failures maintaining its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance program.
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Article
Lawsuit by BitMEX co-founder could test GDPR’s reach over SARs
Ben Delo, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, filed a complaint against Wise Payments after the company allegedly refused his requests under the General Data Protection Regulation to provide him with personal information it submitted via suspicious activity reports.
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Article
FinCEN seeking input on SARs-sharing program with foreign branches
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is requesting comment on a pilot program that would allow financial institutions to share suspicious activity reports with foreign branches, subsidiaries, and affiliates.
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Article
Should lawyers, accountants be filing more SARs?
A study of suspicious activity reporting data in the United Kingdom suggests accountants, lawyers, estate agents, and other service-facing professionals could be doing more to contribute to the fight against financial crime.
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Article
FinCEN report highlights uptick in wildlife trafficking SARs
Suspicious activity reports flagging potential financial crime risks posed by wildlife trafficking are on the rise, according to a report published by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
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Article
Wedbush Securities to pay $1.2M for role in microcap fraud scheme
California-based broker-dealer Wedbush Securities agreed to pay $1.2 million as part of a settlement with the SEC for the unregistered sale of microcap securities and its failure to file suspicious activity reports associated with those transactions.