OCC orders Bank of America to shore up BSA/AML, sanctions compliance programs
Bank of America avoided a monetary penalty in agreeing to settle charges with the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency but was ordered to shore up previously disclosed deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) and sanctions compliance programs.
AAR Corp. to pay $56M to settle FCPA violations in Nepal, South Africa
Aviation maintenance services provider AAR Corp. will pay nearly $56 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it paid bribes to government officials in Nepal and South Africa.
OCC hits USAA with third order in five years; places limits on new services, products, membership
USAA Federal Savings Bank has been hit with its third cease and desist order from the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the past five years for failing to correct unsafe and unsound banking practices.
U.K. can’t shake reputation of being a conduit to individual, institutional money laundering
London has long had the dubious reputation of being the world’s money laundering capital and it looks like it’s a title it is likely to retain for some time yet.
Overabundance of U.K. AML regulators stretching enforcement resources thin, experts say
The U.K. will struggle to shed its reputation as one of the world’s biggest conduits for dirty money due to a combination of patchy intelligence-sharing and poorly resourced enforcement agencies, experts told Compliance Week.
Texas court halts FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting requirements
Business owners can stop preparing their 2025 anti-money laundering reports for the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, according to a Texas court, which ruled the Corporate Transparency Act requirement unconstitutional.
DOJ hits McKinsey & Co. subsidiary with $123M criminal penalty over bribes in South Africa
A subsidiary of McKinsey & Co. will pay nearly $123 million to the Department of Justice to settle allegations that it bribed officials in South Africa to win consulting contracts.
Whistleblower’s defamation case reveals scope of USAA ‘coverup’
A defamation lawsuit filed by a whistleblower against USAA, which a Florida judge recently dismissed on a technicality, revealed in public court records an estimated 400,000 violations of the Military Lending Act by USAA Federal Savings Bank (USAA Bank), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of USAA.
Evolving sanctions rules make continuous screening, due diligence essential in 2025
The EU and U.K. have rushed to commit themselves to intensifying action on sanctions evasion after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, but any compliance managers who believe Trump will make global sanctions compliance easier in 2025 are likely to be disappointed.
U.S. Appeals Court ruling in Tornado Cash case opens door for AML regulatory unwind
In striking down penalties against cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash for violating U.S. sanctions, a federal appeals court may have started to chip away at anti-money laundering regulations established by Democrats even before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Top E&C fails of 2024: Boeing, TD Bank, RTX/Raytheon on compliance naughty list
The biggest Compliance Fails of 2024 show the real-world consequences of noncompliance for the companies that faltered, but also for their customers and their employees.
French defense contractor Thales Group under investigation for bribery in Asia
French defense and aviation contractor Thales Group is under investigation by authorities in the U.K. and France for allegedly participating in bribery and corruption.
Trump names Scott Bessent to be Treasury secretary, with a clear deregulation agenda
Hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, named by Donald Trump on Friday as his nominee for Treasury Secretary, has a clear mandate to deregulate the financial markets should he take the helm.
Adani Group CEO, seven business executives charged in huge $250M bribery scheme
Eight business executives, including the billionaire owner of Indian energy company Adani Group, were charged with fraud for their alleged roles in a multi-million bribery scheme to win a solar energy contract in India.
BIT Mining changes business model, pays $10M fine to resolve FCPA violations
A publicly traded cryptocurrency mining company will pay $10 million and completely change its business model to one with “lower corruption risk” as part of a settlement over violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), two regulators announced.
Experts explain why red flags can often be ignored due to ‘underlying systematic issues’
Companies spend huge sums on audit, risk management, and compliance to alert them about potential legal issues before they escalate into serious corporate governance failings. There’s only one problem, however–they often misread their own early warning signs or ignore them altogether.
FCA slaps Metro Bank with $21M fine for inadequate AML monitoring
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has fined Metro Bank 16.6 million pounds (U.S. $21 million) for an alleged failure by its automated system to adequately monitor money laundering risks.
Spanish telecomm Telefónica S.A. fined $85M over bribes to government officials in Venezuela
A subsidiary of Spanish telecommunications provider Telefónica S.A. will pay $85.2 million to settle a charge that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it paid bribes to Venezuelan officials to gain preferential access to a currency auction.
Underfunding of BSA/AML compliance made TD Bank an unwitting partner to cross-border crime
Law enforcement officials stumbled on TD Bank’s role in money laundering while investigating a Mexican drug cartel. They found that the bank’s corporate culture considered compliance, particularly BSA/AML compliance, a low priority. As they dug deeper, authorities discovered that multiple money laundering schemes had infiltrated the bank’s network.
Real estate firm JLL fined by Canada’s FINTRAC for AML, KYC failures
Canada’s anti-money laundering regulator fined Toronto-based real estate firm Jones Lang Lasalle $107,827 Canadian dollars (U.S. $77,632) for six violations of its anti-money laundering rules, after discovering gaps in recordkeeping and reporting requirements for know your customer rules.
Raytheon parent RTX settles false claims, defective pricing, Qatar FCPA violations for $950M
The other shoe finally dropped for Raytheon and parent company RTX, as two U.S. regulators announced nearly $1 billion in penalties to settle defective pricing in defense contracts, false claims related to inflated prices on government contracts, and bribes paid to government officials in Qatar that violated the FCPA.
Poor internal controls led to FCPA violations in Moog’s $1.7M settlement with SEC
A company culture geared to “win business at any cost” encouraged employees of New York-based aerospace manufacturer Moog to pay bribes in India to win contracts, the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged.
TD Bank fined nearly $3.1B by U.S. regulators for AML compliance failures
TD Bank will pay nearly $3.1 billion in penalties to four U.S. regulators to settle charges that it “chose profits over compliance” when it allowed three money laundering networks to filter more than $670 million in dirty money through the company.
FinCEN, OFAC sanction crypto platforms linked to Russia, cybercrime
U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have announced sanctions against two Russia-linked cryptocurrency platforms in their ongoing chase to snuff out Russian-linked financial platforms that assist cybercriminals.
AAR Corp. discloses former exec implicated in Nepal, South Africa FCPA violations
Aviation maintenance services provider AAR Corp. disclosed that several former employees may have bribed officials in Nepal and South Africa to win contracts, and chose to self-report violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
Wells Fargo agrees with OCC to shore up BSA/AML, sanctions program deficiencies
The Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ordered Wells Fargo to make “comprehensive corrective actions” to its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering and U.S. sanctions programs, along with receive permission from the OCC to offer new products and services or enter new geographic markets with “medium or high” ...
An Amsterdam discussion on increased role of CCOs
Compliance Week and its sister organization the International Compliance Association will bring together more than 200 GRC professionals for Compliance Week Europe Oct. 15-16 in Amsterdam to discuss how they’re making sense of the constantly changing regulatory landscape.
CPE Webcast: The acronyms that changed the finance industry: from AML and BSA to KYC and BaaS
In the ever-evolving landscape of finance, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) have emerged as critical pillars that underpin the stability and growth of financial institutions.
John Deere to pay $10M to settle FCPA violations by subsidiary in Thailand
Illinois-based manufacturer John Deere will pay approximately $10 million in penalties and disgorgement to the Securities and Exchange Commission for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act with bribes paid by a Thai subsidiary.
DOJ orders Wynn Las Vegas to forfeit $130M over BSA/AML violations
Wynn Las Vegas agreed to forfeit $130 million to settle a range of criminal allegations, including allegedly helping foreign customers hide money transfers and shielding patrons from Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering rules, the Department of Justice said.
Experts warn U.K. money laundering cases to ‘significantly increase’
The U.K. has an ongoing problem with money laundering, but recent changes to economic crime law and corporate registration requirements could bring more cases to court, according to consultancy KPMG.
Strengthening BSA/AML defenses: Critical role of ERTs in modern day compliance
Enforcement actions in the first half of of 2024 by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network highlight the importance of proactive measures in Bank Secrecy Act compliance rather than just being compliant.
Ian Sherr joins Compliance Week as its new editor-in-chief
New Compliance Week Editor-In-Chief Ian Sherr shares his thoughts on where compliance is headed as businesses meet the realities of not just following the rules, but staying ahead of the pace of regulatory change at a global scale.
FinCEN finalizes AML rules for investment advisers, cash real estate transactions
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released new anti-money laundering requirements for U.S. investment advisers and real estate professionals that attempt to close loopholes that criminals and kleptocrats have long exploited.
Nordea Bank to pay $35M to resolve NYDFS probe into AML shortcomings
Finland-based Nordea Bank will pay $35 million to resolve an investigation by the New York Department of Financial Services into “significant compliance failures” in its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act program.
TD Bank discloses liabilities over AML probes in U.S. balloon to $2.6B
TD Bank has set aside $2.6 billion to settle allegations made by U.S. regulators that deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program allowed fentanyl traffickers to launder money on its platform.
Ex-trader at Vitol latest to plead guilty in alleged PEMEX bribery scheme
A former trader at the U.S. affiliate of energy giant Vitol pleaded guilty to bribing officials at Petroleos Mexicanos in an effort to secure contracts.
Banks avoid penalties in OCC deals, agree to shore up AML/BSA, board oversight
Among the enforcement actions issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in August, two banks were separately penalized for deficiencies in anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act compliance and board oversight.
U.K. whistleblower protections, awards needed to compensate ‘career suicide’
Discrimination against whistleblowers in the U.K. has risen to such a level that the government may need to actively pursue plans to afford greater legal protection, as well as introduce financial awards to compensate for their “career suicide.”
American Portfolios agrees to $225K settlement with FINRA over AML failings
Broker-dealer American Portfolios will pay a $225,000 fine to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) over alleged deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program.
U.K. forced labor ruling raises bar for supply chain monitoring
Companies will need to tighten up how they monitor their supply chains after a recent U.K. ruling determined that corporates could be open to money laundering charges if they fail to act in cases where they believe there is a risk of forced labor.
Examining potential uses for GenAI in banking, financial services
The American Bankers Association sent a letter to the Treasury Department asking questions on the ethical application of generative AI in banking and finance, with an IBM report published the same day describing potential future uses of GenAI tools in finance.
Experts warn FCA review prompts firms to declassify or retain PEPs
The U.K Financial Conduct Authority published findings showing that financial services firms are implementing its guidance on politically exposed persons related to anti-money laundering inconsistently, with experts warning firms of reputational damage arising from potential enforcement.
SEC fines OTC Link $1.2M over allegedly failing to file SARs
New York-based broker-dealer OTC Link will pay a $1.2 million fine to settle charges levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegedly failing to implement a system to monitor and report potential suspicious activities on its platforms.
Podcast: BCG managing director on anti-financial crime technology
Staff writer Aaron Nicodemus discussed anti-financial crime technology in banking with Hanjo Seibert, managing director and partner of Boston Consulting Group, during the latest episode of the Compliance Week podcast.
Q&A: Paxful CCO on ramping up compliance after BSA failures
Manfred Bekeris, chief compliance officer at cypto peer-to-peer network Paxful, sat down with Compliance Week to talk about joining the company shortly before its former chief operating officer and co-founder pled guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
Wells Fargo discloses AML, sanctions programs under investigation
Wells Fargo disclosed in a public filing its anti-money laundering and sanctions programs are under investigation, adding to the already long list of compliance issues plaguing the bank.
Game-changing DOJ pilot whistleblower program panned by critics
The Department of Justice released the details of its long-awaited corporate whistleblower awards pilot program that will prioritize reporting in areas of corporate crime not currently covered by existing whistleblower programs.
Interpol to launch AML pilot program in Africa by 2025
The International Police Organization will launch a pilot anti-money laundering initiative in Africa that will trace and recover funds stolen by corrupt officials and criminals.
SFO staffing shortages improve under new leadership
Staffing shortages that have plagued the U.K. Serious Fraud Office are trending in the right direction since its new director took charge, with the anti-bribery agency forging ahead with initiatives to ensure its future sustainability.