The director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) at the United States Department of the Treasury wants to make it easier for banks to share information about real and potential financial crimes. Citing a provision of the USA Patriot Act, Director Kenneth A. Blanco has put together a fact sheet and addressed the sharing… Read More >>
Julius Baer & DoJ Resolve FIFA Case for $79M
Swiss private bank Julius Baer reports that it has reached a $79.7 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice resolving a money-laundering probe involving the Zurich-based world soccer group, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The U.S. settlement follows actions by the Swiss financial services regulator to close its case against the bank. Justice… Read More >>
Pandemic Drives Up Costs for Fighting Financial Crime
The pandemic is surging and, partly because of the coronavirus epidemic, so is the cost of monitoring and reporting financial crime. The graphs and spreadsheets that financial services professionals pore over are bringing the disturbing news. And as one veteran observer of the securities industry puts it, Wall Street doesn’t like what it sees. Just… Read More >>
Financial Crime Probes Miss the Mark: Report
Banks and other financial firms are expected to encounter “increasing risks and exposure to losses” because of “hackers and online adversaries.” That is the top-line conclusion of the 2020 Global Financial Crimes Survey, conducted by Authentic8, in partnership with the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS). Authentic8 offers a platform that “enables anyone, anywhere,… Read More >>
AML, KYC Fines Hit $5.6B as of mid-2020
Penalties assessed against financial institutions for non-compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), and sanctions regulations totaled $5.6 billion by the end of July 2020, according to a mid-year report from a well-known fintech provider. That provider, Fenergo, founded in 2008, characterizes itself as a “digital enabler of client and regulatory technology for… Read More >>
ARRC Webinars Focus on LIBOR Replacement
ARRC Webinars Explain SOFR & More The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) has launched a “Summer Series” of webinars that will focus on the replacement for the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), and that will run for the rest of this month and throughout August. Global financial markets have begun a transition away from the… Read More >>
Korean Bank Faces $86M in Fines & Criminal Charges
Criminal charges have been filed against the Industrial Bank Of Korea (IBK) for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney, who notes that the charges will be “deferred for two years” under an agreement in which IBK “admitted its conduct and agreed to pay $51 million.” In addition, the… Read More >>
Wells Fargo Advisors & the SEC Settle SARs Case
A registered broker-dealer/wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company has settled with the SEC over allegations that it fell behind on its anti-money laundering (AML) responsibilities by failing to properly file 50 Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) between March 2012 and June 2013, according to the regulator. The settlement requires Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, based in… Read More >>
