FinTechs are being derisked out of bank accounts over terrorist financing and money laundering risks says UK study

Tweet The Financial Conduct Authority released an interesting soft study on the incidents of derisking affecting companies in the UK and pursuant to the study, MSB, charities and FinTechs are the three business client groups whose bank accounts are most frequently closed because they are too risky for the bank (a practice known as derisking). […]

ISIS puts terrorist financing back on global political agenda

Tweet The key issue at the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq today was terrorist financing – how the ISIS got to be financed thus far and how to disrupt its financing. The Conference, convened by the President of France and of Iraq, was convened to discuss ways to deal with the growing threat […]

Thoughts on FinCEN Director’s speech on bank de-risking and the refusal of banking services to MSBs (and by implication, Bitcoin)

Tweet De-risking that results in unbankable businesses  By Christine Duhaime, B.A., J.D., Financial Crime and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Follow @cduhaime In a speech delivered to the anti-money laundering legal and law enforcement community, the Director of FinCEN, Jennifer Shasky Calvery, made some interesting and compelling comments that touch on the economic costs of anti-money laundering (“AML“) […]

News report says that $125 million paid to listed terrorist groups for ransom payments

Tweet According to this article in the New York Times, governments of the European Union have paid at least $125 million to terrorist organizations, mostly Al Qaeda, since 2008 and $66 million of that was paid last year. The US Treasury Department estimates the figure is closer to $165 million and believes that ransom payments […]

Bitcoin in Amsterdam

Tweet We are participating in three sessions on digital currencies (and Bitcoin) in Amsterdam this month for those interested in joining: At the Bitcoin Foundation Conference on May 16, 2014 on a panel discussing anti-money laundering chaired by Adam Shapiro, Director of Promontory Financial Group with: Dirk Haubrich, Head of Consumer Protection and Financial Innovation […]

Jackpot or not? Report says combo of online gambling sites and Bitcoin facilitate money laundering

Tweet According to a report released by McAfee Labs, available here entitled “Jackpot! Money Laundering Through Online Gambling,” the global online gambling sector appears to be rife with money laundering problems and Bitcoin is facilitating it. It may be that money laundering is happening on a large scale through unlicensed online gambling websites but the report […]

UAE to implement tougher anti-money laundering laws and jail terms for reporting failures

Tweet UAE debates tougher AML laws The United Arab Emirates is proposing amendments to its anti-money laundering legislation that, if approved, may be one of the most stringent anywhere. That’ s because it will allow the incarceration of officers for failures to report transactions suspected of involving money laundering or terrorist financing without a due […]

Primer on correspondent banking relationships and offshore tax havens

Tweet How correspondent banking relationships are used to launder funds My favorite resource for correspond banking is the US Senate Report on Correspondent Banking published several years ago. Despite its age, it remains timely because it deals specifically with how the US financial system is used by correspondent banks in, mainly offshore tax havens to, […]

PetroTiger executives charged with money laundering and bribery from Colombian transaction

Tweet Two executives of PetroTiger, Ltd., a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company (“PetroTiger“), were charged with money laundering, wire fraud and bribery under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA“) for allegedly bribing foreign public officials to obtain a $39 million contract from Ecopetrol S.A., a state-owned petroleum company in Columbia (“Ecopetrol“), Latin […]

Financial services firms and institutions expect 40% increase in regulatory compliance for FATCA and anti-money laundering

Tweet According to a 2013 Financial Crime survey, 2014 is expected to be an expensive one for regulatory compliance , with more than 20% more being spent for each of anti-money laundering compliance and compliance with the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA“), for a total of a 40% increase. Cybersecurity The financial crime […]