Due Diligence Download

Illegal gold mining in the Amazon is not just an environmental disaster. It is also a financial crime story.

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha explore how environmental crime moves from remote mining sites into legitimate global markets. From the Elemetal and NTR Metals scandal to a high-profile UAE–DRC gold deal, they break down how illegally mined gold is mixed with legitimate supply, disguised through paperwork, and sold into global markets as clean.

They also dig into why environmental crime is now a major predicate offence, how it connects to corruption, organised crime, and money laundering, and what investigators and compliance professionals should be looking for.

From dirty gold to clean paperwork, this is the story of how environmental harm gets laundered into business as usual.

You’ll learn:

What environmental crime actually is and why it’s more than just an environmental issue

How illegal resources like gold, timber, and waste are blended into legitimate global supply chains

Why environmental crime is a key predicate offence under anti-money laundering frameworks

How environmental crime links to organised crime, corruption, and financial systems

Key red flags investigators and compliance professionals should watch for in due diligence

Resources & Links

https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/tracing-opaque-gold-supply-chains-and-deals-central-africa/

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Environmental-crime

https://www.globalforestwatch.org/

https://www.icij.org/investigations/deforestation-inc/

https://glanlaw.org/focus-areas/environment-climate-change/

Sponsors

We’re proudly independent but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/

Inquirify is a global risk intelligence partner providing due diligence, OSINT, GSOC and investigative support across complex jurisdictions.

Our philosophy is simple: Verify before you trust. We provide clear, actionable insights to protect your business and support growth.

Find out more at Inquirify.net

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Counterfeit handbags, fake medicines, pirated content - intellectual property crime is everywhere, but it’s still widely misunderstood and underestimated.

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha kick off Season 2 by unpacking intellectual property (IP) crime — what it is, how it works, and why it matters for anyone in due diligence, investigations, or compliance.

From billion-dollar counterfeit markets to organised crime networks and serious health risks, this is not just about fake luxury goods, it’s the story about a global criminal economy that’s been thriving under the radar.

You’ll learn:

What intellectual property actually is and why it’s a critical business asset

The difference between counterfeiting, piracy, and broader illicit trade

Why IP crime is a predicate offence under frameworks like the Financial Action Task Force

The true scale of the problem — from everyday products to a trillion-dollar criminal ecosystem

The links between IP crime, organised crime, and exploitation

Key red flags investigators should watch for in due diligence

Resources & Links

https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas/intellectual-property-crime

https://www.iipcic.org/

https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/counterfeit-and-pirated-goods.html

https://ebrand.com/blog/grey-markets-and-anti-counterfeiting-combining-online-and-offline-investigations

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/11/the-great-wine-fraud-a-vintage-swindle

https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/media-corner/news/eu10-million-worth-illicit-refrigerant-gases-seized-2021-10-19_en

https://pod.wave.co/podcast/the-athletic-fc-podcast/the-underground-world-of-fake-football-shirts-0d00ea61

Sponsors

We’re proudly independent but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/

JAM Insights delivers human‑driven intelligence you can’t get from screens alone. When conventional OSINT and AI fall short, JAM taps into trusted local sources, on‑the‑ground research, and deep industry assessments to identify hidden risks, reputational red flags, and jurisdiction‑specific issues that matter for high‑stakes due diligence, compliance, and strategic decision‑making. With tailored insights spanning key regions and strict confidentiality, JAM helps clients see what others overlook and act with confidence

Find out more: https://www.jam-insights.com

Subscribe, leave a review, and share with anyone in risk, compliance, or investigations — or anyone who’s ever been tempted by a “too good to be true” deal!

In this season-finale episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha tackle one of the most underrated skills in investigations and compliance: how to write a clear, defensible, and genuinely useful due diligence and investigations report.

Drawing on decades of reviewing (and rewriting!) thousands of EDD and intelligence reports, they break down what makes reporting actually effective — from understanding your audience and filtering irrelevant noise, to structuring findings in a way that enables fast, confident decision-making.

They also compare analytical writing with narrative-driven HUMINT reporting, unpack why proportionality matters more than page count, and discuss practical techniques like BLUF, the Pyramid principle, and the classic 5W+H framework. The episode also explores how AI can support (and sometimes undermine) good reporting, and why QA/QC remains the backbone of reliable investigations.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What does a good EDD report really look like?” — this one’s for you.

Resources & Links

https://medium.com/lessons-from-mckinsey/the-pyramid-principle-f0885dd3c5c7

https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/handouts/comm-supp-pdfs/bluf-topic-sentence.pdf

https://airfocus.com/glossary/what-is-the-5ws-1h-framework/

https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-assurance-vs-control

https://oecd.ai/en/ai-principles

Sponsors

We’re proudly independent - but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

Ethixbase360: Confident decisions, powered by people and platform .

Market-leading third-party risk management platform combining smart automation, expert-led due diligence, and responsive support to deliver a clear, connected view of global third-party risk.

Deploy a third-party risk management program that grows with your organization – from a single function to enterprise-wide coverage. Empower faster, smarter decisions with the data and insights trusted by global leaders.

Gain a unified, real-time view of your third-party risk landscape — with built-in insight, and audit readiness. Maximize efficiency and performance with dedicated, expert support designed to save time, reduce costs, and strengthen your program.

Learn more at ethixbase360.com

Control Risks has combined the best of human and tech-enabled intelligence to help clients make confident, risk-based decisions and pursue opportunities anywhere in the world.

Discover VANTAGE, their award-winning suite of third-party compliance solutions, designed to streamline your compliance processes and protect your business.

Visit https://www.controlrisks.com/our-products/vantage?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=26_vantage_group&utm_content=due_diligence_download_podcast to find out how VANTAGE can make a difference for you.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your colleagues, friends, and fellow investigators who care about good reporting, better decisions, and making sense of complex risk.

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha go beyond basic sanctions lists and dive into the real investigative work behind detecting sanctions evasion and avoidance. Our guest, Svetlana Djurdjevic -a leading sanctions expert-joins us to break down the fast-moving world of sanctions investigations.

We explore where red flags truly come from, how investigators piece together onboarding data, internal records, media checks, and transaction patterns, and why speed and context matter more than ever.

Svetlana also shares practical advice for compliance professionals, discusses the global shortage of sanctions expertise, and explains where technology can help (and where only human judgment will do).

Resources & Links

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/18/germany-share-tui-russia-alexei-mordashov

https://sanctionsmap.eu

https://ofac.treasury.gov

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-sanctions-regime-specific-consolidated-lists-and-releases

https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/information

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/a-top-university-in-russia-is-offering-a-masters-degree-in-sanctions-busting/

Books mentioned in this episode:

‘Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future’ by Dan Wang

‘Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology’ by Chris Miller

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your friends, family and colleagues who live and breathe ethics & compliance or just love a good investigative story.

A quick, clear primer on what sanctions are, how they work, and why they matter for financial crime and due diligence professionals.

On this bonus episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha break down the main types of sanctions, who issues them, and the difference between targeted and narrative sanctions. We also touch on recent real-world examples and explain why investigators — not just screening tools — are essential for spotting hidden risks and evasion.

Perfect if you’re new to sanctions or need a fast refresher.

Resources & Links

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list

https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/un-sc-consolidated-list

https://ofac.treasury.gov

https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/information

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-sanctions-against-russia-stop-war-ukraine_en

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/23/us-sanctions-sudan-after-ruling-chemical-weapons-used-during-civil-war

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your friends, family and colleagues who live and breathe ethics & compliance or just love a good investigative story.

Human rights abuses aren’t confined to distant places. They are intricately woven into the global supply chains we depend on every day.

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha break down what Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) truly entails, how it differs from traditional KYC or ABC checks, and why companies must shift their focus from stakeholders to rightsholders.

They discuss how human rights abuses frequently occur alongside financial crime, why companies can’t simply “find a problem and walk away,” and how global regulations such as CSRD, CSDDD, US import bans, and legislation in France and Germany are raising the bar for corporate responsibility.

From Qatar’s World Cup worksites to fast fashion and labor exploitation across Europe, they examine real investigations that reveal where HRDD succeeds in practice and where it falls short.

They also explore how technology, from satellite imagery to worker-voice apps, can support this work. At the same time, they emphasize a simple truth: nothing replaces direct conversations with people and a genuine understanding of local context.

This episode offers a clear and unfiltered look at the systems that enable exploitation, and outlines what investigators and companies must do to protect the people at the center of global supply chains.

Resources & Links

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/revealed-migrant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022

https://www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-labor

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-67927678

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/30/business/hyundai-child-labor-lawsuit.html

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/saudi-arabia-migrants-workers-who-toiled-in-amazon-warehouses-were-deceived-and-exploited/

https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en

https://finance.ec.europa.eu/capital-markets-union-and-financial-markets/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/corporate-sustainability-reporting_en

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/04/how-tiktoks-algorithm-exploits-the-vulnerability-of-children

Sponsors

We’re proudly independent - but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

Ethixbase360: Confident decisions, powered by people and platform

Market-leading third-party risk management platform combining smart automation, expert-led due diligence, and responsive support to deliver a clear, connected view of global third-party risk.

Deploy a third-party risk management program that grows with your organization – from a single function to enterprise-wide coverage.

Empower faster, smarter decisions with the data and insights trusted by global leaders.

Gain a unified, real-time view of your third-party risk landscape — with built-in insight, and audit readiness.

Maximize efficiency and performance with dedicated, expert support designed to save time, reduce costs, and strengthen your program.

Learn more at ethixbase360.com

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/

AI is everywhere in compliance platforms, in vendor pitches, in risk tools, and (apparently) in Boris Johnson’s heart. But what does it actually do for due diligence and investigations?

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Amritha and Sylwia break down the reality behind the hype, joined by special guest Maya. Together, they explore how AI is changing corporate investigations, where it genuinely adds value, and the critical areas where humans are still irreplaceable.

From evolving regulations (DOJ, EU AI Act, Colorado CAIA) to AI sycophancy, scam farms, dark-web intelligence, and the rise of agentic AI that can act autonomously, this conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what matters for risk and compliance professionals.

They also shine a light on one of the industry’s biggest emerging problems: AI washing, when tools claim to be “AI-powered” but rely heavily on humans, or when generative AI quietly makes its way into official reports with… disastrous results.

Resources & Links

https://www.silenteight.com/blog/ai-washing-in-aml-and-compliance-a-growing-challenge-for-financial-institutions

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03390-0

https://theaugmentedinvestigator.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips https://www.clydeco.com/en/insights/2025/05/the-fine-print-of-ai-hype-the-legal-risks-of-ai-wa https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-just-walk-out-actually-1-000-people-in-india-2024-4

https://fortune.com/2025/10/07/deloitte-ai-australia-government-report-hallucinations-technology-290000-refund/

https://www.bloomberglaw.com/external/document/XA09NCM0000000/commercial-comparison-table-eu-ai-act-vs-colorado-s-ai-accountab

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JAVMEs5CG1Y https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc

https://app.sesame.com/

Sponsors:

We’re proudly independent - but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

Control Risks has combined the best of human and tech-enabled intelligence to help clients make confident, risk-based decisions and pursue opportunities anywhere in the world. Discover VANTAGE, their award-winning suite of third-party compliance solutions, designed to streamline your compliance processes and protect your business. Visit www.controlrisks.com/vantage to find out how VANTAGE can make a difference for you.

Link:

https://www.controlrisks.com/our-products/vantage?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=26_vantage_group&utm_content=due_diligence_download_podcast

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your friends, family and colleagues who live and breathe ethics & compliance or just love a good investigative story.

What can you uncover with nothing more than a laptop, an internet connection, and a healthy dose of curiosity?

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha dive into the fascinating world of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with investigator and educator Alicja Pawłowska. From tracking fake baby food gangs and Russian doxxing sites to busting myths about what OSINT really is (hint: it’s not “just Googling”), Alicja shares incredible stories from the field and a few that sound straight out of a spy novel.

We unpack the differences between OSINT and HUMINT, explore where the two overlap, and talk about the ethical red lines every investigator should know. Plus: how social media, satellite imagery, and AI are transforming modern investigations, and what skills will define the next generation of digital sleuths.

Resources & Links

Alicja’s newsletter: https://www.alicjapawlowska.com/

Alicja's investigations:

https://vsquare.org/crossing-nato-lines-tracing-the-arson-sabotage-russia-gru-explosive-parcel-bombs/

https://vsquare.org/doxing-private-data-russian-weapon-ukraine-central-europe-poland-slovakia-attacks/

Financial Crime Book Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12636333/

https://www.bellingcat.com/

https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation

https://thecwa.co.uk/read-of-the-month/the-thief-the-wife-and-the-canoe-by-david-leigh/

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-01/24_0117_ope_resources-for-individuals-on-the-threat-of-doxing-508.pdf

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/13/us-teachers-targeted-by-far-right-in-doxxing-after-charlie-kirks-death

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/28/skripals-poisoned-from-front-door-of-salisbury-home-police-say

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd62v890l5qo

https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2020/12/14/navalny-fsb-methodology/

Every risk professional dreams of clean data and open registries until they try to access them in a high-risk jurisdiction.

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha go behind the curtain of high-risk jurisdictions where the paper trail might look perfect, but the truth is buried under bureaucracy, politics, and silence.

From so-called “digital” registries that aren’t accessible online and may or may not exist on paper to conflicting filings and “missing” records, they unpack what high-risk really means from a due diligence & investigations’ perspective (hint: it’s not always what the FATF list says). Along the way, they explore why business still thrives in opaque markets, how to work ethically and safely when information is scarce, and why context and human intelligence (HUMINT) often reveal more than any database ever could.

Tune in to hear how risk, ethics, and compliance teams make sense of the gaps, the silences, and the stories hidden behind “public” information.

Resources & Links

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/17/ey-ordered-pay-whistleblower-11m-dubai-gold-audit-case

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/rolls-royce-plc-agrees-pay-170-million-criminal-penalty-resolve-foreign-corrupt-practices-act

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/31/airbus-to-pay-record-3bn-in-fines-for-endemic-corruption

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/business-management/slapps-and-reputational-risks

https://dialogue.earth/en/justice/in-thailand-slapp-laws-are-silencing-environmental-journalists-and-activists/

https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/black-and-grey-lists.html

Sponsors:

We’re proudly independent - but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

Control Risks has combined the best of human and tech-enabled intelligence to help clients make confident, risk-based decisions and pursue opportunities anywhere in the world. Discover VANTAGE, their award-winning suite of third-party compliance solutions, designed to streamline your compliance processes and protect your business. Visit the link below to find out how VANTAGE can make a difference for you.

Link:

https://www.controlrisks.com/our-products/vantage?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=26_vantage_group&utm_content=due_diligence_download_podcast

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your friends, family and colleagues who live and breathe ethics & compliance or just love a good investigative story.

Every investigation, from corruption cases to sanctions busting, eventually leads to one critical question: Who’s really behind it all?

In this episode of Due Diligence Download, Sylwia and Amritha explore the world of Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) - the people who truly control companies, assets, and money flows, no matter how many shell layers or offshore addresses are in between.

It begins with an unbelievable FBI case that exposed how little we sometimes know about who really owns what. From there, the hosts unpack the tangled web of hidden ownership and the global push for transparency.

You’ll learn:

What a UBO really is and why the “25 percent ownership rule” doesn’t always work.

Why UBOs matter for compliance, risk management, and even national security.

How criminals hide behind nominees, trusts, and offshore layers, and how investigators follow the money anyway.

The biggest red flags that signal something’s off, including secrecy jurisdictions, complex shareholding, and evasive owners.

How investigators and regulators are fighting back, from FATF standards to new transparency laws.

Practical steps for identifying true ownership and keeping due diligence meaningful, not mechanical.

Resources&Links

https://news.mongabay.com/2011/08/fbi-questioned-over-ties-with-corrupt-official/

https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/dam/fatf-gafi/guidance/Best-Practices-Beneficial-Ownership-Legal-Persons.pdf

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/uk-may-ditch-plans-to-stop-fraudsters-using-fake-names-to-run-businesses/

https://www.transparency.org/en/campaigns/global-standards-fatf-beneficial-ownership-transparency

https://www.occrp.org/interactives/dubai-unlocked/en/

https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/

https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/

Sponsors

We’re proudly independent - but we partner with companies who share our passion for smarter due diligence and investigations.

Ethixbase360: Confident decisions, powered by people and platform

Market-leading third-party risk management platform combining smart automation, expert-led due diligence, and responsive support to deliver a clear, connected view of global third-party risk.

Deploy a third-party risk management program that grows with your organization – from a single function to enterprise-wide coverage.

Empower faster, smarter decisions with the data and insights trusted by global leaders.

Gain a unified, real-time view of your third-party risk landscape — with built-in insight, and audit readiness.

Maximize efficiency and performance with dedicated, expert support designed to save time, reduce costs, and strengthen your program.

Learn more at ethixbase360.com.

A Data Pro turns global data into actionable intelligence. For over 26 years, we have helped decision-makers in risk, compliance, and communications with tailored solutions. Our three core divisions deliver measurable impact: Risk Intelligence strengthens compliance and KYC/AML programmes through due diligence, sanctions lists, UBO tracing, and PEP/SEP screening; Media Intelligence equips PR, marketing, and executives with insights on reputation, crises, competitors, influencers, and trends; and Data Solutions provide clean, structured data for automation and AI. With 500+ multilingual specialists across 80+ jurisdictions, we catch risks before they catch up to you—helping your business act confidently and proactively.

Find out more here - https://adata.pro/