UK’s sweeping new law targeting bankers, lawyers, advisors, offshore professional directors, nominees with fines

Tweet Wide, Wide Net for Enablers Starting today, parts of the UK’s Finance Bill 2016 came into effect which allows the HMRC to go after so-called “enablers” who help UK tax payers avoid taxes using offshore schemes, services or arrangements, such as bank accounts, investment or broker accounts, trusts, companies, directors / officers or nominees. The amendments […]

The FIFA scandal and why banks may be facing regulatory issues over KYC failures

Tweet FIFA Indictment against PEPs The 47-count Indictment against 14 persons employed or engaged by FIFA by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York (“EDNY“), and their arrest may do more than shake up international soccer – it also has the potential to result in significant fines against many global banks who […]

Credit union fined over anti-money laundering controls of its money services business clients

Tweet The question every credit union has been asking for the past five years – namely, do we have anti-money laundering law obligations over the financial transactions of business clients that are money services businesses (“MSB“) – was just answered by FinCEN with a $300,000 fine. Last week, FinCEN assessed the fine against the North […]

Casino employee fined by FinCEN over anti-money laundering compliance issues

Tweet The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN“) has fined a former manger of a US casino over anti-money laundering compliance violations. According to the Wall Street Journal, George Que, a former manger of VIP services at Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, assisted high rollers at the casino to gamble outside of the Bank Secrecy Act […]

New York’s most expensive escort pleads guilty to money laundering

Tweet Former escort admits to money laundering Natalia McLennan, once touted as New York’s most expensive escort at $2,000 per hour, pleaded guilty to money laundering in New York City in connection with the operation of the New York escort agency, New York Confidential, where she worked as a prostitute. McLennan, who is from Montreal, […]

FINTRAC fines two money services businesses for anti-money laundering failures

Tweet FINTRAC, Canada’s financial intelligence unit, has assessed relatively minor penalties against two money services businesses. Sutlej Foreign Exchange Inc., an Ontario-based money services business, was fined $8,450 for failing to: have a written compliance plan; undertake a risk assessment for a compliance plan; train employees on anti-money laundering; report electronic funds transfers to FINTRAC; […]

New Jersey bank fined US$5 million for anti-money laundering failures

Tweet Pamrapo Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Pamrapo Bancorp Inc., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Trenton, New Jersey, to conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act for failing to file currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports, and willfully failing to maintain adequate anti-money laundering programs. The failures to file reports were in […]

FINTRAC fines unregistered money services business

Tweet FINTRAC has fined Bharat Money Exchange Ltd., located in Surrey, British Columbia, $36,100 for numerous violations of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act for operating a money services business without registering with FINTRAC or filing appropriate reports. Bharat was also fined for numerous failures flowing from its unregistered status, including failure […]

Wachovia Corp. agrees to pay US$160 million in penalties

Tweet Wachovia Corp. has agreed to pay a US$160 million settlement with the Department of Justice in the U.S. over allegations that it failed to implement anti-money laundering controls that enabled drug traffickers to launder money by transferring funds from Mexican currency exchange houses, known as casas de cambio, to Wachovia. Prosecutors said the bank […]