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The EU Parliament approves the AI Act that establishes obligations for AI based on its potential risks and level of impact

It aims to protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field…

 

 

The Wolfsberg Group publishes statement on the suppression of the financing of terrorism

The statement describes the role of financial institutions in CTF and the key controls which seek to mitigate and manage the risk of a financial institution being abused for the financing of terrorism, as part of a risk based financial crime compliance programme. It outlines four priorities: a risk-based approach, customer due diligence, monitoring and screening and global cooperation…

New Moody’s data sheds light on the rise in modern slavery and money laundering across Europe

Moody’s data shows that incidents of modern slavery increased by nearly 17% from 2022 to 2023 – rising from 18,335 to 21,626. This upward trend is a strong increase compared to the figure of 10,277 in 2018. The analysis identified human trafficking as the predominant underlying crime in money…

Specialist CPS team involved in UK’s largest Bitcoin wallets seizure, with an initial estimated value in excess of £2 billion

A Metropolitan Police investigation resulted in the CPS seizure of Bitcoin wallets from Wen, with an initial estimated value in excess of £2 billion. Prosecutors told the court the sheer scale of the seized Bitcoin, the lack of any legitimate evidence for how it was acquired and its connection to a massive investment fraud in China, all indicated that it was criminal property…

US DoJ charges Florida man and Brazilian national for decade-long scheme to defraud IRS

A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment charging Dan Rotta, of Aventura, Florida, and Sergio Cernea, of Sao Paolo, Brazil, with conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing income and assets in Swiss bank accounts. The indictment also charged Rotta with tax evasion, filing a false tax return, making a false statement and failing to file Reports…

ECB announces establishment of seven new workstreams to develop the digital euro rulebook and calls for expert assistance

The workstreams will report to the RDG (representing consumers, retailers, and intermediaries) in order to assist it in drafting various sections of the digital euro rulebook. The rulebook sets out the framework for a new digital form of the euro which complements cash and which consumers and businesses can use throughout the euro area…

HM Treasury proposes expanding its money laundering regulations to capture a broader range of digital asset activities, including non-fungible token (NFT) issuance

The new rules will require businesses dealing with NFTs to conduct customer due diligence and report suspicious activities to the authorities. The move aims to bring NFTs under the same AML regulations as other digital assets like cryptocurrencies. This decision comes as NFTs have gained popularity and value in recent years, leading to concerns about their potential use in illicit activities…

 

FCO publishes post-legislative scrutiny memorandum on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018

Provides an assessment of the functioning of SAMLA and UK sanctions regimes underpinned by SAMLA, following the UK’s introduction of an autonomous sanctions framework post-Brexit.

EU Commission recommends actions to combat counterfeiting and better protect intellectual property rights

The Recommendation, also known as the EU toolbox against counterfeiting, aims to foster collaboration between rights holders, service providers, and law enforcement, while encouraging best practices and the use of modern tools and technologies.

FBI releases Internet Crime Report 2023 highlighting a significant 22% increase in losses due to cybercrime, amounting to over $12.5 billion

Strategy focuses on building strong partnerships with the private sector; removing threats from US networks; pulling back the cloak of anonymity many of these actors hide behind; and hitting cybercriminals where it hurts: their wallets, including their virtual wallets.

FCA publishes its Business Plan 2024/25 highlighting some of the challenges to the UK’s economic and geopolitical landscape

FCA publishes the Business Plan 2024/25 highlighting some of the challenges to the UK’s economic and geopolitical landscape. The areas of focus will include protecting consumers, ensuring market integrity, promoting effective competition, embedding our secondary objective to facilitate international competitiveness of the UK economy…

FATF publishes new guidance on beneficial ownership and transparency of legal arrangements focusing on Rec.25

The new guidance clarifies: Key risks, particularly those compounded by multiple layers, controlled by a Company with various Directors or nominee shareholders and cross-border jurisdictional complexities, Requirements for countries to assess the ML/TF risks associated with different types of trusts and other similar legal arrangements…