All SARs articles
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News BriefFinCEN 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.
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News BriefWells Fargo agrees with OCC to shore up BSA/AML, sanctions program deficiencies
The Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ordered Wells Fargo to make “comprehensive corrective actions” to its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering and U.S. sanctions programs, along with receive permission from the OCC to offer new products and services or enter new geographic markets with “medium or high” ...
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News BriefGreen Dot fined $44M by Fed over compliance deficiencies, deceptive practices
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors fined financial technology and bank holding company Green Dot $44 million for numerous unfair and deceptive practices and a deficient consumer compliance risk management program.
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PremiumBIS’s Axelrod makes plea to financial services: ‘We want to work with you’
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, addressed efforts to reach financial services firms, working with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and more during his fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
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News BriefFinCEN BSA data: Fraud, money laundering top suspicious activities
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network published its latest collection of Bank Secrecy Act data, including number and type of suspicious activity reports.
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News BriefShinhan 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 BriefSEC 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 BriefSEC 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 BriefFinCEN 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 BriefSEC 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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ArticleThe 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 BriefMerrill 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 BriefFinCEN 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 BriefSEC 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 BriefFINRA 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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ArticleFinCEN 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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ArticleSEC 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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ArticleBittrex 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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ArticleFCA 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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ArticleUSAA 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.