Welcome to episode 241 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US Department of Justice has launched a $40 million remission process for victims of the OneCoin cryptocurrency fraud, and new sanctions are issued targeting casinos and associates linked to the Cartel del Noreste. AUSTRAC has warned the wealth management sector over a significant lack of suspicious matter reporting, and the UK government has a call for evidence on how ownership and control rules are applied in financial sanctions compliance. The episode also covers a cyber incident at the law firm Jones Day, the conviction of a former Ugandan minister, and a billionaire broker argues for the removal of the ban on insider trading.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 240 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US Treasury issues guidance targeting "sham transactions" used to evade sanctions, and the DoJ establishes the National Fraud Enforcement Division to coordinate major fraud prosecutions. Globally, Operation Atlantic disrupts $45 million in cryptocurrency schemes. In Australia, AUSTRAC has announced findings on AML vulnerabilities in foreign−owned banks and the US Attorney’s Office for New Jersey has made a record $1.5 billion in criminal and civil recoveries. Finally, some news on oversight for stablecoin issuers and the latest developments in a significant costs dispute involving the Serious Fraud Office.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 239 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, record financial fraud losses are reported by the FTC and FBI, totalling $15.9 billion and $21 billion, respectively. The Department of Justice has taken enforcement action in relation to healthcare and COVID-19 fraud, and FinCEN has proposed an overhaul of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing programme requirements. Additionally, the episode covers the US Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal and its financial crime impact. Finally, there is advanced training in Montenegro to strengthen transnational financial investigations, and a round-up of cyber-attacks news.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

In this special episode, I spoke with Boaz Valkin, Co-Founder and CEO of Falkin, a digital safety platform which is redefining how financial institutions approach the global surge in fraud.

Boaz's journey into the world of cyber defence is deeply personal, stemming from a devastating family experience where a close family member lost 15% of her life savings in a single afternoon to a bank phishing impersonation scam. This incident became the catalyst for Falkin's mission: to shift protection earlier in the scam lifecycle, focusing on the moment before someone clicks, replies, or transfers money. Before co-founding Falkin, Boaz built extensive experience in the high-growth tech sector, having served as Head of Product at Cazoo (which listed on the NYSE), Product Director and Founding Tech Employee at Moment, and Product Manager at Prodigy Finance. This background in building and scaling products from "zero to one" and "zero to 100" has prepared him for the complex challenge of tackling fraud.

Welcome to episode 238 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president and several Russian-flagged vessels, and the UK extends a general licence. The SEC brings insider trading charges, while in the UK, the FRC closes its investigation into KPMG. Additionally, the episode covers Transparency International’s assessment of global financial secrecy 10 years after the ‘Panama Papers’, and there is a reported cyber-attack on Hasbro. 

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 237 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, OFSI issues a £390,000 penalty against Apple Distribution International for breaching Russia sanctions, and AUSTRAC significantly tightens anti-money laundering controls. In the US, there is a coordinated warning from the US Treasury and FinCEN regarding organised fraud targeting healthcare, alongside a new proposed whistleblower framework. Additionally, the FCA fines Dinosaur Merchant Bank for market abuse surveillance failures, and there is a critical report on stalled anti-corruption reforms across the European Union. Finally, we consider an international operation coordinated by Eurojust against large-scale bankruptcy fraud and the World Economic Forum’s analysis of how artificial intelligence is accelerating global cyber fraud.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Cybercrime is always in the news. It is high profile. It is impossible to open a news-based website on any day without seeing news that an attack has taken place. Indeed, the most recent high-profile cyberattack in the UK on Jaguar Land Rover has closed the production line, sent employees home, and has the UK government stumping up £1.5bn in pandemic-style support for the supply chain. Against that background, it is unsurprising to see that the cost of cybercrime is expected to rise to $10.5 trillion by the time we’re singing Auld Land Syne on 31st December this year. It is a crucial topic for corporate and individual alike. Consequently, I’m delighted to be joined today by Craig Taylor, CEO CyberHoot. CyberHoot is a cybersecurity awareness training platform designed to educate employees and strengthen a company's human defences against cyber threats, with a core mission of reducing organisational risk by improving "cyber literacy" among staff. What is unique about Cyberhoot’s approach is blending cyber security and psychology to reshape how organisations approach cyber security awareness, focusing on positive reinforcement by rewarding cyber literacy.

Craig has kindly offered 20% off CyberHoot for one year using the coupon code: "Financial Crimes"

Main Website: https://cyberhoot.com/

Individual Registration (Free Personal Training for Life): https://cyberhoot.com/individuals/

Businesses & MSP Registration Signup: https://nest.cyberhoot.com/autopilot-signup/?

Newsletter Registration: 

https://cyberhoot.com/newsletters/

Blog Articles: https://cyberhoot.com/blog/

Cybrary (Cybersecurity Library of Terms in Layperson language): https://cyberhoot.com/cybrary/

Welcome to episode 236 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the UK government expands its human rights sanctions list, and a unanimous Supreme Court decision confirms that Russian sanctions suspended payment obligations under letters of credit. The Crown Prosecution Service has seized an £81 million London property portfolio using an Unexplained Wealth Order, and the European Parliament has approved a new EU-wide anti-corruption directive. Finally, BaFin has issued a fine for failing promptly to disclose inside information, and Google has warned of the quantum threat to current encryption standards.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 235 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US Treasury designates a 16-member network accused of diverting funds to Hizballah, and there is a guilty plea from a former bank CEO involving a multimillion-dollar fraud. In the UK, the NCA reports on the outcome of Operation Henhouse, and there is a new global public-private framework aimed at strengthening fraud prevention. The FCA has launched a formal investigation into the collapse of Market Financial Solutions, and announced a trial of Palantir technology for financial crime analysis. Finally, there is an international operation to dismantle a fraudulent dark web network, and a Dutch penal order issued against Fleurette for foreign bribery in the DRC.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 234 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, a landmark ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the classification of insider list notifications as "inside information" and the National Crime Agency’s latest strategic assessment on the tech-driven "criminal ecosystem". In the US, the Department of Justice has reached a resolution in a foreign bribery case involving medical device sales, while in the EU, there is a new collaborative effort between EU and African investigators to target transnational procurement and customs fraud. Finally, there have been a seizure of Iranian-linked domains used for cyber-enabled psychological operations.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.