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Companies House publishes new fit-and-proper criteria for ACSPs, strengthening expectations around AML supervision, integrity, corporate verification and compliance

August 24, 2026

The criteria will assess whether providers are suitable to perform company formation, filing and verification services. The assessment covers AML supervision, criminal and regulatory history, financial standing, honesty and integrity, and compliance with Companies House requirements. Companies House will also continue monitoring ACSPs after registration and can suspend…

Europol’s report on ‘Museum Heists’ reveals increasingly violent and organised thefts, with criminals targeting high-value artefacts, precious metals and gemstones for lucrative resale through illicit markets

August 24, 2026

The report also identifies a changing criminal landscape, with ad-hoc groups recruited through social media and offenders from other criminal markets becoming involved because museum heists can offer potentially high profits. These crimes increasingly involve cross-border organised crime networks and illegal trafficking of cultural goods, requiring stronger international cooperation and intelligence sharing…

Isle of Man FSA releases its AML/CFT/CPF supervisory progress report, noting improved compliance and setting 2026/27 priorities on sanctions, TF/PF, risk assessments, foreign PEPs, VASPs & Travel Rule

August 23, 2026

The report signals a stronger focus on whether firms’ controls work in practice, with governance, risk assessments, CDD, transaction monitoring and control effectiveness remaining key supervisory priorities. The FSA will also assess firms’ treatment of foreign PEPs, while using supervisory findings to strengthen guidance, the AML/CFT Handbook and preparations for the MONEYVAL mutual evaluation…

FATF welcomes Barbados, Namibia and Thailand to its FSRB Guest Initiative, granting them direct participation in FATF Plenary and Working Group meetings for a one-year cycle from Oct 2026

August 21, 2026

The initiative aims to strengthen the FATF Global Network by bringing regional perspectives and practical AML/CFT/CPF experience into global standard-setting, while helping participating jurisdictions strengthen their own frameworks and regional cooperation. This follows previous participants including the Cayman Islands, Senegal, Kenya, Jamaica and Nigeria…

UNESCO’s new policy brief, ‘Governing AI,’ outlines 9 regulatory approaches to help govts translate AI principles into practical, risk-based, transparent, rights-focused and accountable frameworks

August 20, 2026

It identifies nine approaches including risk-based regulation, transparency, technical standards, regulatory sandboxes, adapting existing laws, rights protections and liability that can be combined to suit national needs. The brief’s key message is that there is no one-size-fits-all model: lawmakers should select the right mix of tools to balance innovation, accountability and fundamental rights, while addressing risks such as discrimination, deepfakes…

Mauritius FIU issues supplementary STR Guidance Note 4.1, clarifying expectations around suspicious activity escalation, MLRO responsibilities, internal assessments and timely STR reporting

August 19, 2026

It explains how firms should identify, escalate, assess and report suspicious activity under FIAMLA. The guidance clarifies that suspicion does not require proof or certainty; reasonable grounds are sufficient to trigger reporting. Employees should escalate suspicious matters directly and without delay to the MLRO/DMLRO, without unnecessary management approvals…

AUSTRAC’s Fintel Alliance uncovers coordinated mortgage fraud across 10 major Australian banks, identifying potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in suspected fraudulent loans

August 19, 2026

Operation Claw found inflated incomes, false employment details, fabricated business activity and misleading documents, with mortgage brokers, accountants and law firms repeatedly appearing across applications. The findings highlight systemic vulnerabilities that could be exploited for financial crime and reinforce the need for cross-bank intelligence sharing, stronger controls and early detection…

UK Insolvency Service and FCA warn of Key Coin Assets Ltd, after 9 investors lost over £300,000 in an alleged Ponzi-style crypto scheme promising returns of up to 100% with “0 Fees, 0 Risks”

August 18, 2026

Key Coin Assets promised investors returns of between 40% and 100%, but an Insolvency Service investigation found no evidence that genuine crypto trading had taken place and nine complainants had paid more than £300,000 into the company. Investigators found that investor funds were rapidly transferred to the director’s personal account and that payments from newer investors appeared to have been used to repay earlier participants…

NCA-UKFIU SARs In Action Issue 37 highlights AI-enabled CDD evasion, growing threat of professional enablers and the global scale of asset tracing, with 36,000+ checks across 31 countries

August 17, 2026

It highlights the second JMLIT Amber Alert on AI-enabled CDD evasion, alongside Project A.S.S.E.T.’s 36,000+ asset-tracing checks involving 40+ law enforcement agencies across 31 countries. This operation identified suspected links to 884 bank accounts, 80 companies, 55 crypto wallets, 44 vehicles, 1 vessel and 44 properties, generating around £5M in UK assets and leads for overseas partners…

HMRC’s Trusts and Estates Newsletter Aug 26 highlights expanded Trust Registration Service requirements for non-UK trusts holding UK property, with new low-value exemptions and enhanced data sharing

August 13, 2026

Following amendments to the Money Laundering Regulations, non-UK trusts that acquired qualifying UK land before 6 October 2020 and continued to hold it on 30 June 2026 are now required to register with the Trust Registration Service. All non-UK trusts acquiring qualifying UK land also fall within the trust data-sharing process, while new exemptions have been introduced for certain low-value trusts…

Europol’s ATLAS Network 2026 Annual Report highlights stronger cross-border action against terrorism and organised crime, with 1,500+ specialist operators involved in 50 activities across 33 countries

August 13, 2026

The ATLAS Network 2026 Annual Activity Report provides an overview of how Europe’s specialist police intervention units are strengthening their ability to respond to terrorism, serious organised crime and emerging security threats. The report highlights cross-border cooperation, joint exercises and operational training in areas such as urban, maritime and high-risk environments, alongside the development of new tactical capabilities and technologies…

FCA calls for greater private-to-private intelligence sharing, urging financial firms to “connect the dots” and disrupt criminal networks before they can scale

August 12, 2026

Beth Harris, Head of Department at the FCA, highlights the need for firms to make greater use of ECCTA’s information-sharing provisions to close intelligence gaps and detect financial crime earlier. Sharing intelligence responsibly can help firms connect the dots, identify emerging patterns and disrupt fraud, money laundering and wider economic crime across institutions and sectors…

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