Regulatory Compliance Journal
How to write the perfect SAR?
Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) drafted by financial institutions contain some of the most valuable information available to law enforcement agencies in the fight against financial crime. Yet, the FinCEN Files scandal of 2020 has shown that major banks have consistently failed to write and s...
- 11 min read
Why do most AML programs fail?
Despite the consistent efforts adopted by banks to fight money laundering and financial crime, fines for AML breaches have hit an all-time high. In 2022, financial institutions were fined a grand total of $4.17 billion (€3.95 billion) worldwide, with around $55 billion (€52 billion) ...
- 10 min read
What are the impacts of Financial Data Leaks?
In the past decade, a series of leaks from insider sources have shed light on the complex systems of money laundering, tax evasion, and fraud perpetrated by certain countries and wealthy individuals. The profound work carried out by international journalists in publishing the wrongdoings have ...
- 11 min read
AML: What is adverse media or negative news?
The digital era has given KYC analysts unprecedented access to a plethora of information on individuals and companies. Newspaper articles, online blogs, and social media are accessible and filterable with one click and may reveal important news on a financial institution’s customer. However, ...
- 11 min read
Financing terrorism: The billion-dollar blood antiquities art dealing
The destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra and the beheading of its Antiquities Chief, Khaled al-Asaad, in 2015 by the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS) are still fresh in the minds of many. Beginning in 2014, the terrorist group has wrecked havoc across the Middle East and...
- 10 min read
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How and why to embed AML Lookbacks within financial firms?
Money Laundering, AML, Audit, Audit Findings, Financial operations, Due Diligence, Financial firms,In recent years, regulators have begun to scrutinize more closely financial institutions regarding the soundness of their AML/CTF program, dissecting the nuts and bolts of their procedures and controls. But the current set-up isn’t what they are s...
How will PSD3 shape the future of financial services?
PSD3, PSD2, Transparency, Financial operations, Financial Institutions, Compliance, EU, Fraud, Consumer security,PSD3 is not just an update, but the evolution of trust in digital finance. Continuing the progress made by PSD2, the new regulation aims to further boost competition and consumer protection in electronic payments. It is also designed to empower consu...
How important are audit trails for your company?
Financial firms, Audit, Ethics, Governance, Conduct Risk, RegTech, Transparency, Financial Institutions, AML, MiFID2, KYC,An audit trail (also called audit log) is a relevant chronological recording of actions, a set of files, or the destination of a collection of records that represent a sequence of successive activities or events within an operational environment, a p...