Hello, and welcome to episode 187 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, geopolitical pressure intensifies as the EU proposes its 19th sanctions package against Russia, featuring a full transaction ban on Russian banks and targeting LNG imports by 2027 to cripple the war economy. Meanwhile, in the United States, FinCEN has proposed delaying the critical Investment Adviser AML Rule until January 2028, granting firms additional time to prepare for compliance aimed at closing vulnerabilities exploited by illicit actors funnelling dirty money into US assets. We also examine high-stakes global enforcement, including the $750,000 fine levied against ShapeShift AG by OFAC for sanctions violations involving digital assets related to countries like Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria, and global successes like Eurojust cracking a sophisticated €100 million cryptocurrency investment fraud spanning 23 countries. Finally, we explore the growing role of technology, from the UK’s new AI fraud-buster which recovered a record nearly £500 million in fraudulently claimed public funds, to mounting concerns raised by experts about how complex AI algorithms in high-frequency trading may contribute to market manipulation.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 186 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, we look at action by the EU against Israel. The UK has reaffirmed financial sanctions against Chinese drone manufacturer Autel Robotics, and issued an advisory warning UK firms about using North Korean IT workers. On the regulatory and digital asset front, the Financial Conduct Authority outlined its strategy for combating financial crime, proposing new rules for crypto firms to enhance systems, controls, and operational resilience, and in Canada, the RCMP has announced the execution of the largest cryptocurrency seizure in its history. On fraud, we look at property fraud in England and Wales, and on cybercrime, we discuss the significant threat to critical infrastructure, and a survey revealing that cyber attacks, often traced to Russia and China, have cost the German economy nearly €300 billion over the past year.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 185 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, the US Treasury's imposition of sanctions on Sudanese Islamist figures over Iran ties and a global network funding Iran's military and terrorist activities. We look at a $100 million pump-and-dump fraud scheme where Chinese tech executives allegedly defrauded US investors. On the cybercrime front, we cover the data breach at luxury group Kering, owner of Gucci, and the crippling cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover, which has compromised sensitive data, disrupted production, and is estimated to have cost £1 billion in lost production. Furthermore, we'll look at the commentary from the Royal United Services Institute arguing that the global anti-financial crime system is "fundamentally broken," despite over $200 billion spent annually on compliance, urging systemic reform and real-time data sharing. Finally, we'll touch on the UK’s significant increase in asset recovery, the National Crime Agency taking the helm of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group amid rising global threats, efforts to promote integrity in education in Moldova, and a warning from the Information Commissioner's Office about a surge in cyber attacks within UK schools, often caused by students themselves.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 184 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions news, OFSI has set a deadline for reporting frozen assets, delisted Ilya Brodskiy, and imposed new designations under the Russia Sanctions Regime, while the US Treasury executed its largest-ever sanctions action against the Houthi networks. We also look at the jailing of a London fraudster for misusing the Covid Bounce Back Loan scheme, MONEYVAL's new evaluation of Hungary's anti-money laundering framework, and a study highlighting whistleblowers' critical role in uncovering Ukrainian corruption. Furthermore, the podcast addresses the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) crackdown on "finfluencers" for illegal promotions, the FCA's call for a united front against financial crime, the UK's record return of nearly £50 million to crime victims, and the government's intensified fight against cybercrime and fraud.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 183 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we look at the US Treasury's actions against Palestinian NGOs and Southeast Asian cyber scam networks, alongside Vanquis Bank's censure for delayed counter-terrorism sanctions enforcement in the UK. International efforts to combat money laundering are examined through a joint handbook launched by FATF, INTERPOL, UNODC, and the Egmont Group, alongside investigations into Roman Abramovich. We look at the surge in US money mule cases and stablecoin abuse, new FinCEN guidance on cross-border information sharing, and the FCA's warnings about market abuse risks in corporate finance firms. Finally, we look at FinCEN's congressional scrutiny regarding surveillance and cartel crackdowns, the SFO's successful use of an Unexplained Wealth Order, and Transparency International UK's blueprint for ending offshore financial secrecy.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 182 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, OFAC settled a penalty with Fracht FWO Inc. for violations involving Venezuela and Iran, sanctioned a Chinese chemical firm and executives for trafficking synthetic opioids, and designated Palestinian human rights organizations over alleged targeting of Israel by the ICC. OFAC also reclassified Ecuadorian criminal groups as transnational terrorist organisations. Internationally, Australia imposed sanctions on Russian officials for civil society repression and Navalny's death, while the UK revoked a licence allowing Evraz North America to operate under sanctions and sanctioned Russian actors involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. The UK government also launched a sanctions survey to inform future policy. On the money laundering front, the Financial Action Task Force warned countries to crack down on shell companies, and OSCE enhanced Turkmenistan's capacity to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. For bribery and corruption, GRECO urged Slovakia to accelerate anti-corruption reforms. Other financial crime topics included an IMF warning about tech-savvy criminals outpacing regulators and a proposed privacy-preserving compliance framework for stablecoins. Finally, cybercrime saw a major cyberattack halt Jaguar Land Rover production in the UK.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 181 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we look at US Treasury's action against an Iraqi-led network for smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi crude, and the UK and EU's decision to slash the Russian oil price cap to $47.60. In money laundering, updates on HM Treasury's approval of JMLSG guidance, FATF's new National Risk Assessment toolkit to help nations identify threats, and the Wolfsberg Group's latest framework for monitoring suspicious activity. Fraud saw major moves with a new U.S. Trade Fraud Task Force from the DOJ and DHS, and the UK enacting a landmark corporate offence for failure to prevent fraud. We'll look at Portugal's progress and areas for deeper reform in anti-corruption as noted by GRECO, insider trading convictions and repayments from the West brothers, and the SFO's review of rate-rigging convictions following a Supreme Court ruling. Finally, in cybercrime, we'll look at the statewide government shutdown in Nevada due to a ransomware attack, the alarming misuse of Anthropic AI by hackers in espionage and extortion schemes, a massive data breach fine for SK Telecom, and a new ISO/IEC standard targeting AI-driven morphing attacks in biometric ID fraud.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 180 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we bring you up to speed on the latest developments in financial crime, starting with major sanctions updates from the US and UK. We cover the indictment of Haitian gang leader 'Barbecue' for US sanctions violations, and significant US Treasury actions against Mexican cartels involved in timeshare fraud, drug trafficking, and agricultural extortion. We also delve into the sanctions against Garantex and Grinex for enabling cybercrime and sanctions evasion, the US Treasury's temporary authorisation for the US-Russia Alaska summit, and the UK OFSI's recent amendment concerning irregular migration. In money laundering news, we explore an innovative BIS proposal leveraging blockchain transparency for enhanced crypto anti-money laundering compliance, particularly relevant for stablecoins. We also examine a new report exposing deep-rooted corruption in the global arms trade and the City of London Police's use of an INTERPOL Silver Notice to pursue a fugitive fraudster's assets. This and much more in this week's episode.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 179 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we delve into developments across the globe, starting with US sanctions targeting Iranian networks for financial evasion and domestic repression, entities involved in violence and illegal mining in Eastern Congo, and the ongoing saga of a seized Russian superyacht. We also cover legislative efforts in the US to combat money laundering in the art market through the proposed Art Market Integrity Act, and explore how the European Banking Authority is leveraging SupTech to strengthen anti-money laundering supervision. Additionally, we examine Germany's shortcomings in implementing anti-corruption measures, a landmark corporate prosecution by HMRC under tax evasion laws, and critical updates on cybersecurity challenges, including enhanced measures by the US Judiciary and concerns over the UK's outdated training system.

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

Hello, and welcome to episode 178 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we look at actions by OFAC targeting a narco-terrorist network and expanding sanctions against a cartel, including a "narco-rapper," alongside an OFSI license extension for payments to sanctioned banks. We also address money laundering failures by Paxos, Poland's limited progress in anti-corruption efforts, and a whistleblower's revelations about UK government-sanctioned bribery in arms deals. Furthermore, the episode outlines fraud cases, including confiscation orders against investment fraudsters in the UK, a guilty plea in a New Zealand Ponzi scheme, and a FinCEN summit aimed at tackling fraud in the digital assets ecosystem.

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