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Interpol White Paper highlights emerging Metaverse crimes and policing challenges

Interpol’s White Paper outlines key challenges in the Metaverse, such as grooming and cyber-attacks, and the complexities of policing digital crimes involving assets like cryptocurrencies, while noting opportunities for law enforcement advancements…

CPS convicts man for running illegal financial service for people smugglers

Asghar Gheshlaghian, a 48-year-old illegal money service bureau owner has been convicted of money laundering and immigration-related offenses. Operating as an unregistered “hawala” banker, he laundered funds for criminals smuggling migrants into the UK, proven by evidence including Whatsapp chats, ledgers, statements from asylum seekers, and undercover footage from an ITV investigation…

FINTRAC imposes an administrative monetary penalty on Global West Realty Limited, a real estate broker in Mississauga, Ontario

Global West Realty Limited was found to have failed to:
ensure that an appointed person be responsible for implementing a compliance program;
develop and apply written compliance policies and procedures;
assess and document money laundering or terrorist activity financing risks;
develop and maintain a written ongoing compliance training program; and
institute and document the prescribed review of its policies and procedures, risk assessment and training program.

City of London Police warns of courier fraud after victims lose more than £19.6m in three months

Pensioners in the east and south of the UK are being warned to stay vigilant due to a surge in courier fraud cases. Criminals, posing as police or bank officials, deceive victims into believing their accounts are compromised. The scammers coerce victims, including one in Essex who lost £5.3 million, to transfer money or purchase valuables like gold and jewelry, often posing as couriers collecting items from victims’ homes…

FATF examines Jamaica’s progress in tackling AML/CTF in the 6th follow-up report to most recent Mutual Evaluation

The country is re-rated on Recommendations 22, 23 and 28 (partially compliant to largely compliant) and Recommendation 24 (partially compliant to compliant).

UNODC publishes report on ML threats from casinos, underground banking and transnational organised crime in East and Southeast Asia

According to UNODC, Tether USD (USDT) is the most used crypto to wash money related to illicit activities.

EBA issues guidance to crypto-asset service providers to effectively manage their exposure to ML/TF risks

The new Guidelines highlight ML/TF risk factors and mitigating measures that crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) need to consider, representing an important step forward in the EU’s fight against financial crime…

EBA to hold public hearing on the Guidelines on preventing the abuse of funds and certain crypto-assets transfers for ML/TF purposes under Regulation

The Guidelines on preventing the abuse of funds and certain crypto-assets transfers for money laundering and terrorist financing purposes, or ‘travel rule’ Guidelines, specify the steps that Payment Service Providers (PSPs), Intermediary PSPs (IPSPs), crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and Intermediary CASPs (ICASPs) should take to detect missing or incomplete information that accompanies a transfer of funds or crypto-assets.

US Beneficial Ownership Information Registry now accepting reports

Companies that are required to comply (“reporting companies”) must file their initial reports by the following deadlines:
Existing companies: Reporting companies created or registered to do business in the United States before January 1, 2024 must file by January 1, 2025. Newly created or registered companies: Reporting companies created or registered to do business in the United States in 2024 have 90 calendar days to file after receiving actual or public notice that their company’s creation or registration is effective.

FinCEN issues analysis of identity-related suspicious activity

This report reveals the existence of significant identity-related exploitations through a large variety of schemes,” said FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki. “Robust customer identity processes are foundational to the security of the U.S. financial system, and critical to the effectiveness of financial institutions’ programs to combat money laundering and counter the financing of terrorism. Financial institutions are encouraged to work across their internal departments to address these schemes…

US DoJ sentences foreign national for conspiring to launder proceeds of internet fraud schemes

The court records and trial evidence reveal that Olugbenga Lawal, from Indianapolis, Indiana, collaborated with the leader of a criminal group in Nigeria which carried out online scams, such as romance and business email schemes, defrauding individuals and businesses in the U.S., particularly targeting vulnerable elderly victims…

FinCEN issues a factsheet on beneficial ownership information access and safeguards the final rule

The Access Rule reflects FinCEN’s commitment to creating a highly useful database for authorized BOI recipients while protecting this sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. This Access Rule follows the final BOI Reporting Rule FinCEN issued on September 30, 2022, which requires certain corporations, limited liability companies, and other similar entities created in or registered to do business in the United States to report to FinCEN information about themselves, their beneficial owners, and, in some cases…