Log in/out

Our extensive knowledge at your fingertips

Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing

United States

This section covers AML/CTF initiatives by the US Treasury, US DoJ, OCC, FinCEN, SEC and other related US organisations.

USA PATRIOT ACT 2001
Bank Secrecy Act AML Statutes & Regulations
Internal Revenue Service FATCA updates
US Department of the Treasury updates
US Department of Justice Enforcement actions
Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Financial Crime Enforcements Network (FinCEN) updates
Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions
Financial Industry and Regulatory Authority updates

And many more…

Sections

Latest editions

Search

U

FinCEN withdraws proposed rules that would have imposed certain regulatory requirements on FIs related to certain digital assets, specifically convertible virtual currencies

October 5, 2026

FinCEN has withdrawn two proposed rules that would have introduced recordkeeping, verification and reporting requirements for certain convertible virtual currency transactions. The proposals covered unhosted wallets and a special measure targeting convertible virtual currency mixing. The withdrawals follow FinCEN’s review of public comments and form part of the Trump Administration’s deregulatory agenda and…

White House launches “Super Intelligence” era, directing federal agencies to replace AI terminology with “SI” and develop a new federal definition

September 29, 2026

The order also calls for a proposed federal definition of “Super Intelligence” within 60 days, alongside recommendations for changes to existing laws and executive actions. It directs federal agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” across official communications, reports and policy documents, where permitted by law. The move signals a broader U.S. policy focus on increasingly advanced AI capabilities…

U.S. Senate investigation report finds 84% of 846 Iran-linked crypto wallets used Tether (USDT) as $603 million moved through Iran’s shadow banking network

September 28, 2026

Two sanctioned Iranian oil smugglers allegedly moved more than $603 million worth of Tether (USDT) between 2021 and 2025 through networks linked to Iranian financial institutions and regional proxy groups. The findings highlight how stablecoins, crypto intermediaries and unregulated exchanges can be used to bypass sanctions and move funds outside traditional banking channels…

US DOJ seizes more than $52M in crypto linked to Chinese-run scam marketplace Xinbi Guarantee as global action targets the infrastructure behind scam centres

September 9, 2026

The Scam Center Strike Force coordinated the action with Treasury as part of a broader campaign against cryptocurrency-enabled fraud originating from Southeast Asian scam compounds. DOJ reports that the latest seizures bring the value of cryptocurrency restrained through the Strike Force’s operations to approximately $938 million. The action illustrates increasing coordination between criminal enforcement, asset forfeiture and OFAC sanctions against…

FinCEN’s Financial Trend Analysis reveals $17.5B in suspected health care fraud across 5,702 BSA reports, with home health care the most frequently identified provider type

September 9, 2026

The Analysis draws on Bank Secrecy Act reporting to identify patterns and trends associated with suspected fraud against public and private health care programmes. The publication provides financial institutions with intelligence derived from suspicious activity reporting and demonstrates FinCEN’s increasing use of aggregated BSA data to identify significant financial-crime typologies…

FinCEN and US Banking regulators clarify that qualifying govt-issued digital credentials can be used for customer verification under existing CIP rules, including remote a/c opening

September 8, 2026

The FAQs confirm that these credentials can support both in-person and remote account opening, provided institutions can reliably authenticate the information and establish the customer’s true identity. Verifiable Digital Credentials remain optional, but banks must consider signs of fraud or unreliable credentials when determining whether identity has been sufficiently verified…

FinCEN warns financial institutions about digital asset investment scams after identifying nearly $13 billion in transactions linked to suspected overseas scam centres

September 3, 2026

FinCEN’s analysis examines Bank Secrecy Act reporting associated with industrial-scale investment fraud, including schemes commonly described as “pig butchering”, romance baiting or cryptocurrency confidence scams. The accompanying alert provides financial institutions with typologies and indicators intended to improve detection and suspicious activity reporting, with particular attention to transnational criminal organisations operating scam compounds in Southeast Asia.

FinCEN’s new Financial Trend Analysis links $12.7B in suspected digital-asset scams to 33,904 BSA reports, exposing growing use of stablecoins, money mules & professional money launderers

September 3, 2026

Analysis of 33,904 BSA reports covering September 2023 to December 2025 shows the scale at which these operations have become industrialised, with shell companies and professional laundering networks helping move proceeds after victims are persuaded to transfer funds. FinCEN has issued new red flags to help firms identify both victims and associated financial flows…

U.S. DOJ indicts man for allegedly operating a $25M hawala network moving funds between the U.S. and Yemen through dozens of business a/cs, highlighting risks from unlicensed money transmission

September 3, 2026

The scheme allegedly used dozens of bank accounts held through businesses he controlled, including trading companies and convenience stores, to facilitate the transfers outside the formal banking system. The case highlights the ML risks posed by informal value transfer systems, multiple business accounts and cross-border transactions…

FinCEN clarifies SAR confidentiality rules, allowing banks to discuss suspicious transactions, fraud concerns and a/c closures with customers, provided they do not reveal that a SAR was filed

September 2, 2026

FinCEN and US banking regulators have issued a joint statement clarifying that SAR confidentiality requirements do not prevent banks and credit unions communicating with customers about the underlying facts, transactions and documents behind suspected fraud or other suspicious activity. Firms can request CDD information, question the purpose or source of funds, explain restrictions or account closures and warn customers about fraud…

FinCEN imposes new GTO requiring certain southwest-border MSBs to report and retain records on $1,000–$10,000 cash transactions, strengthening controls against ML and cartel-linked illicit finance

September 2, 2026

The reissued Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) requires certain MSBs in designated ZIP codes across eight counties in Texas and New Mexico to file Currency Transaction Reports for cash transactions between $1,000 and $10,000. Effective for 180 days following publication in the Federal Register, the measure is intended to increase visibility of cash flows linked to Mexico-based cartels, drug trafficking and associated laundering…

U.S. DOJ with the FBI, seize over $560K in cryptocurrency and Hamas-linked websites and servers used to solicit terrorist financing, disrupting online fundraising networks

September 1, 2026

The FBI traced crypto donations through rotating wallet addresses promoted on encrypted messaging channels and seized the funds through court-authorised warrants issued in March, June and October 2025. The operation also provided information on thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas online to donate or attempted to donate using crypto and traditional payment methods…

No results found.