Book review: Demythologizing money laundering, demystifying AML compliance
Movies and TV shows might have launched a thousand armchair experts on the topic of money laundering, but few can explain how or why it’s done. Ola Tucker’s book, “The Flow of Illicit Funds,” does exactly that.
FinCEN adopts beneficial ownership reporting extension for 2024 companies
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network finalized a rule to extend the deadline for companies created or registered in 2024 to file their initial beneficial ownership information reports.
Binance’s compliance past, future detailed
There are a slew of compliance lessons to be learned from the $4.3 billion settlement that Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, reached with the U.S. government.
Singapore banks say money laundering risks up after $2B scandal
Risks posed by money laundering and the financing of terrorism have dramatically increased in Singapore, according to a recent survey of the city-state’s financial institutions conducted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
All eyes on Companies House in U.K. corporate transparency efforts
The success of the U.K.’s latest legislative efforts to tackle financial crime depends on the capability of transforming what is often regarded as one of the country’s most passive regulators into a proactive—even aggressive—prosecuting authority.
Binance pleads guilty, fined $4.3B over widespread U.S. law violations
Federal agencies hit Binance with more than $4.3 billion in penalties and imposed multiple compliance monitorships on the virtual currency exchange as punishment for its repeated and intentional violations of U.S. anti-money laundering laws, sanctions, and other regulations.
French high court orders new trial into $2B fine against UBS
France’s top court struck down a fine of €1.8 billion (U.S. $2 billion) imposed on UBS in 2021 by a lower court, despite upholding a guilty verdict related to money laundering and tax fraud in the Swiss bank’s cross-border activities.
Merged UBS, AI on FINMA’s risk radar
A year of significant change in the Swiss banking sector, including the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS, has the country’s financial regulator prioritizing new risk areas on its radar.
Ex-OneCoin compliance head pleads guilty to fraud role
The former head of legal and compliance at OneCoin pleaded guilty to fraud charges regarding her role in a cryptocurrency marketing scheme that generated more than $4 billion in sales and revenue.
Report: Morgan Stanley AML controls draw Fed scrutiny
The wealth management arm of Morgan Stanley is being probed by the Federal Reserve regarding the controls it has in place to prevent wealthy foreign customers from laundering money, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
DOJ official: People ‘drawing the right conclusions’ on national security focus
Christian Nauvel, deputy chief counsel for corporate enforcement in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, said the agency’s focus on national security is “top of mind at the highest levels” and that enforcement numbers are set to increase.
Singapore bank DBS says $74M exposure from money laundering scandal
The chief executive officer of DBS, Singapore’s largest bank, acknowledged exposure of about 100 million Singapore dollars (U.S. $74 million) related to the city-state’s money laundering scandal.
FATF’s AML/CFT watchlist adds Bulgaria, drops 4 others
Bulgaria is the latest country to be identified by the Financial Action Task Force as a jurisdiction under increased monitoring for money laundering and terrorist and proliferation financing.
Companies House set for ‘biggest shakeup’ under U.K. corporate transparency bill
The United Kingdom adopted the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which aims to stem the flow of dirty money coming into the country through enhancements to government agency capabilities and law enforcement.
Metropolitan Commercial Bank fined $30M for third-party oversight failings
New York-based Metropolitan Commercial Bank was assessed nearly $30 million in penalties by federal and state banking regulators for failing to properly oversee a third-party program manager whose prepaid cards were a popular target of fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic.
BaFin dings Deutsche Bank $180K over SARs filing delays
Deutsche Bank was assessed a penalty of €170,000 (U.S. $180,000) by Germany’s financial supervisory authority for failing to timely submit suspicious transaction reports.
Report: Credit Suisse facing probe in Singapore money laundering scandal
A Singapore financial regulator will reportedly conduct an on-site inspection of a local Credit Suisse unit in connection with a 2.8 billion Singapore dollar (U.S. $2 billion) money laundering scandal.
FinCEN rule proposal labels CVC mixing a primary money laundering concern
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network might require financial institutions to implement new recordkeeping and reporting requirements regarding convertible virtual currency mixing under a proposed rule.
Q&A: Bangladeshi compliance AVP on future of AML, leadership strategies
Rezaul Karim, assistant vice president, risk and compliance at HSBC Bangladesh, discusses with Compliance Week recent changes in KYC/AML compliance, how new technology is shaping the banking industry, and strategies for building and leading effective AML teams.
Humans vs. machines, it all comes back to data
A panel of experts discussed trending topics in the compliance space, including the debate over whether humans or machines will lead future efforts to fight financial crime, during the opening keynote at Compliance Week’s Europe conference in London.
Cybersecurity, AML risks among SEC 2024 exam priorities
SEC examiners will be asking tough questions of registered firms regarding how they handle risks related to operational security, interact with financial technology companies and crypto assets, and the maturity of their anti-money laundering programs.
Survey: FinCEN beneficial ownership rule still a mystery to many
A survey of U.S.-based businesses—as well as the law firms and certified public accountants who serve them—uncovered a shocking lack of understanding and preparedness for looming beneficial ownership reporting requirements.
Shinhan Bank enforcements a lesson in not prioritizing compliance
The recent $25 million in combined penalties levied against South Korean-based Shinhan Bank by three U.S. regulators was the culmination of the bank’s failure over an eight-year period to timely correct deficiencies with its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act processes.
Lessons from Danske Bank CCO: Four pillars to successful remediation
Outgoing Danske Bank CCO Satnam Lehal shares with Compliance Week lessons learned from addressing deficiencies in the bank’s compliance program while managing the expectations of regulators, the board, employees, customers, analysts, investors, and the public.
FinCEN crafting rule proposal for AML and sanctions whistleblower program
Andrea Gacki, the new director at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, said the agency is working to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the establishment of an anti-money laundering and sanctions whistleblower program.
U.K.-based ADM unit fined $7.9M for historic AML shortcomings
ADM Investor Services International was ordered to pay nearly £6.5 million (U.S. $7.9 million) by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority for not timely addressing anti-money laundering systems and controls deficiencies first alleged by the regulator in 2014.
Maxim Group fined $800K by SEC over SARs filing lapses
New York-based broker-dealer Maxim Group agreed to pay an $800,000 fine in settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the firm’s alleged failures to file required suspicious activity reports and properly execute certain short sales.
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.
FinCEN proposes beneficial ownership reporting extension for 2024 companies
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the deadline for companies created or registered in 2024 to file their initial beneficial ownership information reports.
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.
Deutsche Bank unit fined $25M in ESG, AML settlements
DWS Investment Management Americas agreed to pay $25 million in penalties across separate settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission addressing alleged misstatements in environmental, social, and governance investments and anti-money laundering violations.
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.
FinCEN publishes beneficial ownership guidance for small businesses
Nearly three months from the effective date of its beneficial ownership reporting rule, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released guidance for small businesses to determine whether they must comply and what information they might be required to provide.
FinCEN fines P.R.-based Bancredito $15M in landmark AML action
Puerto Rico-based Bancrédito International Bank and Trust Corporation was assessed a $15 million penalty by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for admitted violations of the Bank Secrecy Act regarding suspicious activity monitoring and anti-money laundering compliance.
Lessons learned from FCA case against CFP Management MLRO
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s decision notice against the money laundering reporting officer of CFP Management sends a strong message to the financial industry, particularly those who work in senior management functions or hold oversight responsibilities.
Q&A: Paxos CCO on defying stereotype of lax controls in digital asset industry
Carolina Ceballos, the first full-time chief compliance officer at Paxos, shares with Compliance Week what the blockchain infrastructure platform does, its culture, and how it uses compliance as a competitive advantage.
Switzerland floats AML reforms for beneficial ownership, legal advice
The Swiss government launched consultation proceedings on a series of reforms designed to combat money laundering and terrorist financing occurring within the country’s financial system.
FINMA guidance calls out Swiss bank failings on AML risk analysis
Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority published new guidance to improve banks’ money laundering risk analysis after repeatedly identifying shortcomings during on-site supervisory reviews.
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.
Expert views mixed on proposed U.K. AML reforms
Experts share differences of opinion over whether future anti-money laundering supervision in the United Kingdom should be industry specific and whether a single regulator would be more effective than multiple bodies.
A day in the life of an MLRO
Discover the key responsibilities and skills of a money laundering reporting officer from Jason Holt, global head of financial crimes compliance at U.K-based investment manager abrdn.
TD Bank expecting punishment in BSA/AML probes
TD Bank disclosed in a shareholder report it is facing regulatory investigations regarding its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance program.
Dutch banks’ innovative AML collaboration ready to take next step
ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, Triodos Bank, and de Volksbank are each participating in a first-of-its-kind collaboration to shine light on the estimated €16 billion worth of illicit funds coursing through the Netherlands’ banking system every year.
Short seller accuses Freedom Holding Corp. of ‘brazen’ sanctions evasion
Freedom Holding Corp. was accused of “brazen sanctions evasion,” along with openly flouting anti-money laundering and know your customer regulations, as part of an investigative report published by short seller Hindenburg Research.
FinCEN alerts banks to payroll tax, workers’ compensation schemes
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a notice to financial institutions regarding its observations of increasing payroll tax evasion and workers’ compensation fraud taking place in the U.S. residential and commercial real estate construction industries.
SkyCity Entertainment reserves $29M for pending AML/CFT fine
Australian gaming company SkyCity Entertainment Group disclosed it reserved AUS$45 million (U.S. $29 million) for a potential settlement resolving alleged violations of the country’s anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism law.
ABA resolution latest effort to separate lawyers from clients’ crimes
Under increasing pressure from federal lawmakers and regulators, the American Bar Association agreed to strengthen the obligations lawyers must meet when weighing whether to stop representing clients who might be using their services to commit financial crimes.
Dubai financial regulator fines Mirabaud unit $3M for weak AML controls
A Middle Eastern unit of international banking group Mirabaud was ordered to pay a $3 million fine for inadequate anti-money laundering controls by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
SEC risk alert flags staffing, policy weaknesses in AML compliance exams
Broker-dealers complying with anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism requirements put forward by the SEC must be mindful of the resources they are providing for their programs during the current heightened risk environment.
UAE approves plan to establish AML prosecutor
The United Arab Emirates has moved forward with plans to establish federal prosecution entities specializing in economic crimes and money laundering.