DOJ steps up enforcement approach against AI-powered cybercrime
The Criminal Division of the Department of Justice plans to heighten its focus on cybercrime, according to division head Nicole Argentieri.
Starling Bank fined $38.5M for repeatedly onboarding high-risk customers
The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority fined Starling Bank, Britain’s first digital bank, nearly 29 million pounds (U.S. $38.5 million) for repeated failures related to onboarding high-risk customers.
TD Bank unit to pay $28M in penalties for failing to properly supervise rogue trader
Broker-dealer TD Securities failed to prevent a trader from placing and then withdrawing thousands of false trades over the course of a year in part because its compliance department failed to follow up on red flags generated by the illegal trades, three regulators said.
FINRA fines Merrill Lynch, BofA Securities $2.3M for reporting, registration failures
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority issued two separate fines against Merrill Lynch and BofA Securities totaling nearly $2.3 million for reporting violations and failing to timely file amendments on registration forms for their registered representatives.
FinCEN, OFAC sanction crypto platforms linked to Russia, cybercrime
U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have announced sanctions against two Russia-linked cryptocurrency platforms in their ongoing chase to snuff out Russian-linked financial platforms that assist cybercriminals.
DOJ updates ECCP to include AI risks, whistleblower protections
Companies under criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice for any reason must show they have robust compliance for any artificial intelligence in use–or risk heightened prosecution–under a DOJ policy update.
CPE Webcast: AI strategy and regulatory risk: A financial services perspective
In our coming webinar, experts will discuss the fundamental rethinking of how risk is understood and managed in the financial services industry and how firms can be proactive to stay ahead of these big technological changes.
SEC to host Nov. 7 virtual compliance seminar for investment advisers
The Securities and Exchange Commission will host a virtual national seminar on Nov. 7 targeted toward chief compliance officers at investment companies and investment advisers.
Regs levy $120M in fines over off-channel comms with two firms avoiding penalties
Regulators continue to hammer firms with fines for violating rules regarding the use of unapproved communication methods by employees, issuing $120 million in fines this week. And for the first time, two firms were not fined because they self-reported their violations.
Barclays is axing its bonus caps. Is it also ditching good governance?
Four years post-Brexit, London-based Barclays became the first British bank to scrap bonus caps for its traders that were meant to curb excessive risk-taking with client cash, improve corporate governance, and restore faith in an industry most working people still hold responsible for 15 years of economic misery.
SEC penalizes Macquarie Asset Management $80M for overvaluing assets, fraud
Historically, the SEC has fiercely protected the rights of retail investors, and is constantly churning out enforcement actions against investment advisers it alleges have defrauded and manipulated its customers. So, it was somewhat unusual the agency issued an enforcement action this week that involved protecting the rights of institutional investors.
‘Biblically responsible’ investment adviser ordered to pay $300K over misleading investors
A “biblically responsible” investment adviser agreed to pay $300,000 and hire an independent compliance consultant to settle charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it misled investors, along with other compliance failures.
Prager Metis agrees to pay $2M over failed audits, including FTX
Waves of fallout from the collapse of cryptocurrency trading platform FTX continue to ripple, as accounting firm Prager Metis has learned.
SEC fines First Horizon $325K for RegBI violations caused by merger
First Horizon Advisors will pay a $325,000 fine to settle allegations from the Securities and Exchange Commission that it violated Regulation Best Interest in part due to issues with incorporating a merged firms’ accounts into its systems.
FDIC proposes requiring banks to keep better deposit records of fintech partners
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation proposed a new rule that would require banks to keep better deposit records on ownership of funds controlled by their financial technology partners.
Bank mergers will receive more antitrust scrutiny under new FDIC rule
Federal banking regulators approved a new rule for bank mergers that will require additional scrutiny of mergers for antitrust issues for large and mid-sized banks.
SEC nets $1.3M in off-channel comms sweep against municipal advisory firms
Fines for off-channel communications use by employees just keep on coming, with 12 municipal advisory firms fined a total of $1.3 million in the latest Securities and Exchange Commission sweep.
FINRA fines Wells Fargo unit $3M for repeatedly pushing ‘unsuitable’ investments
A Wells Fargo subsidiary will pay nearly $3 million to settle allegations that it failed to properly supervise an employee attempting to sell unsuitable investment products to retail investors–the fifth time it has been penalized for similar supervisory failings since 2020.
CFPB orders TD Bank to pay $28M for sending false info to credit agencies
TD Bank has been ordered to pay $27.7 million and implement compliance measures, for providing inaccurate, negative credit information to credit agencies about tens of thousands of its customers and taking too long to fix the errors, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said.
FINRA dings JPMorgan Securities $190K over registration, supervision failures
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined JPMorgan Securities $190,000 for unregistered investment banking activities and not having a supervisory system reasonably designed to achieve compliance with FINRA registration requirements.
CPE Webcast: The acronyms that changed the finance industry: from AML and BSA to KYC and BaaS
In the ever-evolving landscape of finance, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) have emerged as critical pillars that underpin the stability and growth of financial institutions.
Barr speech signals Fed to rework capital rules after pressure from industry
Facing intense pressure from the banking industry, the Federal Reserve Board may scale back two controversial rule proposals aimed at reducing risks of bank failures in the event of a market downturn.
FCA delays compliance date for certain parts of ESG rule package
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority is pushing back the date for some firms to comply with its naming and marketing rule amid struggles to prepare for it, the FCA said Monday.
SEC fines nine investment advisers combined $1.2M in ‘ongoing’ marketing rule sweep
Nine investment advisers will pay a total of $1.24 million to settle allegations that they violated the Securities and Exchange Commission’s marketing rule by disseminating advertisements with untrue or misleading information.
SEC penalizes seven firms $3M total for impeding whistleblower protections
Seven public companies will pay a total of $3 million in fines for requiring employees to sign agreements containing provisions that impeded their ability to report misconduct to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Experts warn U.K. money laundering cases to ‘significantly increase’
The U.K. has an ongoing problem with money laundering, but recent changes to economic crime law and corporate registration requirements could bring more cases to court, according to consultancy KPMG.
SEC fines Nationwide Planning, affiliates combined $240K over impeding whistleblowers
Broker-dealer Nationwide Planning Associates and two affiliated investment advisers impeded potential whistleblowers from reporting misconduct to the Securities and Exchange Commission and have agreed to settle the charges for a combined $240,000.
Six credit rating firms to pay $49M for off-channel comms violations
Six credit rating agencies will pay $49 million in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission for allowing their employees to communicate on company business using nonapproved communication channels like Whats App and WeChat.
Strengthening BSA/AML defenses: Critical role of ERTs in modern day compliance
Enforcement actions in the first half of of 2024 by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network highlight the importance of proactive measures in Bank Secrecy Act compliance rather than just being compliant.
Fed's new capital requirement latest fallout from 2023 banking failures
The Federal Reserve Board will require more than 30 of country’s largest banks to maintain a minimum percentage of capital in reserve, a percentage which the Fed calculated based on their complexity and whether they are considered a global systemically important bank.
Ian Sherr joins Compliance Week as its new editor-in-chief
New Compliance Week Editor-In-Chief Ian Sherr shares his thoughts on where compliance is headed as businesses meet the realities of not just following the rules, but staying ahead of the pace of regulatory change at a global scale.
FinCEN finalizes AML rules for investment advisers, cash real estate transactions
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released new anti-money laundering requirements for U.S. investment advisers and real estate professionals that attempt to close loopholes that criminals and kleptocrats have long exploited.
Raymond James to pay $1.9M over failing to supervise mutual fund transactions
Raymond James & Associates and its subsidiary agreed to pay more than $1.9 million to settle allegations levied by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority that it didn’t have an effective system to handle customer complaints, along with millions of direct mutual fund transactions not reasonably being supervised.
Bank of America unit reaches $3M settlement with FINRA over surveillance lapses
A subsidiary of Bank of America agreed to pay $3 million and take remedial measures to resolve allegations that its surveillance system didn’t detect manipulative trading, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said.
BCG avoids criminal prosecution for FCPA violations related to bribes in Angola
The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Boston Consulting Group for allegedly bribing Angolan officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, citing the firm’s prompt self-disclosure and timely remediation.
Nasdaq unit reaches $22M settlement with CFTC over supervision failures
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission fined a Nasdaq subsidiary $22 million over allegedly misleading the public, regulators, and its own compliance staff about the details of a trader incentive program.
Equity Trustees names risk chief
Equity Trustees announced the appointment of Nevein Versace as chief risk officer, effective Sep. 23.
Clarivate names chief administrative, legal officer
Clarivate appointed Melanie Margolin to the expanded role of chief administrative and legal officer.
Vanguard announces general counsel
Investment management firm Vanguard announced that Tonya Robinson will join as general counsel and managing director of its legal division, effective Oct. 1.
Pham cries CFTC overreach against compliance officer in $48M fine of TOTSA
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission fined TOTSA TotalEnergies Trading $48 million for allegedly engaging in price manipulation, with Commissioner Carolyn Pham defending a compliance officer at the Swiss energy company accused of making false statements.
CFTC orders BNY to pay $5M over reporting failures
BNY, formerly BNY Mellon, will pay a $5 million fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for “significant reporting failures” related to its swap dealer business.
Nordea Bank to pay $35M to resolve NYDFS probe into AML shortcomings
Finland-based Nordea Bank will pay $35 million to resolve an investigation by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) into “significant compliance failures” in its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act program.
SEC fines Sound Point Capital $1.8M over policy failures
Investment adviser Sound Point Capital Management will pay a $1.8 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to have written compliance procedures on handling material nonpublic information.
Two pairs of whistleblowers claim separate SEC awards totaling $122M
Two pairs of claimants will receive whistleblower awards totaling more than $98 million and $24 million, respectively, for information they provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission that led to an enforcement action.
TD Bank discloses liabilities over AML probes in U.S. balloon to $2.6B
TD Bank has set aside $2.6 billion to settle allegations made by U.S. regulators that deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program allowed fentanyl traffickers to launder money on its platform.
Banks avoid penalties in OCC deals, agree to shore up AML/BSA, board oversight
Among the enforcement actions issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in August, two banks were separately penalized for deficiencies in anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act compliance and board oversight.
FINRA orders Cantor Fitzgerald to pay $151K over supervision lapses
Cantor Fitzgerald agreed to pay more than $151,000 and be censured as part of a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority over alleged supervisory failures in respect to over-the-counter securities.
American Portfolios agrees to $225K settlement with FINRA over AML failings
Broker-dealer American Portfolios will pay a $225,000 fine to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) over alleged deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program.
SEC orders Equiniti to pay $850K over alleged lax cybersecurity
Equiniti Trust Company has agreed to pay $850,000 to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle allegations that its failed security measures allowed millions in client funds to be stolen in two cyber incidents.
Q&A: APCC chair on culture challenges facing financial services firms
Julie Ampadu, chair of the U.K.’s Association of Professional Compliance Consultants, spoke to Compliance Week about why culture is the biggest issue facing financial services firms.