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Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing

United Kingdom

This section covers AML/CTF initiatives by FCA, HMT, HMRC, JMLSG and other related UK organisations.

FCA Financial Crime: Guide for firms
HM Treasury Money Laundering Prevention
HMRC Money Laundering Regulations
JMLSG industry Guidance
FATCA UK Regulations 2013
FATCA UK Regulations Guidance 2013
Gambling Commission Money Laundering
National Crime Agency updates

And many more…

 

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FCA finalises rules to streamline transaction reporting requirements, cutting firms’ compliance costs by over £100m a year while maintaining high-quality data to support market abuse and FC detection

August 4, 2026

The reforms remove reporting obligations for certain foreign exchange derivatives and financial instruments traded only on EU venues, and shorten the timeframe for correcting historic reporting errors from five to three years. The FCA expects the changes to improve data quality, reduce duplication and create a more proportionate reporting framework while preserving…

FCA issues Handbook Notice 143, bringing the UK’s new cryptoasset regulatory framework into effect and raising governance, reporting and compliance expectations for virtual asset firms

July 31, 2026

The changes introduce a more comprehensive regulatory approach for cryptoasset activities, bringing enhanced accountability, transparency and oversight across the sector. For financial crime professionals, this marks a significant step towards strengthening controls around virtual assets, with greater expectations on firms to manage money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud and wider financial crime risks through…

Gambling Commission publishes its 2026 ML/TF Risk Assessment, updating its 2023 guidance to reflect the UK’s 2025 NRA and revising the ML risk rating for casinos from Low to Medium

July 30, 2026

The assessment requires licensed gambling operators to review and update their business risk assessments, policies, procedures and AML/CTF controls, using the Commission’s latest risk ratings to strengthen customer due diligence and risk-based compliance. Casino operators, in particular, are expected to maintain documented risk assessments and demonstrate timely implementation of enhanced AML controls, with compliance subject to ongoing supervisory review by the Commission…

House of Commons Library’s Banking Fraud briefing reveals £1.28B lost to banking scams in 2025, with only 4% of fraud cases referred to police for investigation, flagging major challenges in tackling FC

July 29, 2026

UK Finance recorded £703 million in unauthorised fraud and £576 million in authorised push-payment fraud, while government data showed that banking and other fraud affected around one in 14 adults. The briefing also draws together criticism from the Home Affairs Committee, the policing inspectorate and the National Audit Office concerning fragmented enforcement, low police prioritisation and insufficient preventative action by technology and financial-services companies…

 

NCA secures the conviction of 108 organised criminals, resulting in 851 years of prison sentences, while seizing up to £70M worth of drugs between April 2021 and March 2026

July 29, 2026

The investigations dismantled major drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering networks, leading to the seizure of up to £70 million worth of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and ketamine, the recovery of £1.8 million in criminal cash, the removal of 33 firearms, and the identification of a further £51 million in criminal assets for confiscation. The operation highlights the effectiveness of coordinated…

NCA launches nationwide romance fraud awareness campaign after 12,348 victims lost £116M between April 2025 and March 2026, equivalent to more than £13,000 every hour

July 29, 2026

With over half of victims aged 50 and above, the campaign delivers fraud prevention messages across television and social media, highlighting key warning signs such as requests for money, reluctance to video call, and attempts to move conversations to encrypted platforms. The initiative forms part of the NCA’s broader strategy to disrupt fraud networks while strengthening public awareness as a key defence against financially and emotionally devastating scams…

NCA freezes 16 luxury London properties worth approximately US$30M linked to a suspect under investigation in Singapore’s record US$2.3B money laundering case

July 24, 2026

The assets, held through UK-registered companies, were restrained under the Proceeds of Crime Act as part of ongoing civil recovery proceedings. The case highlights the ongoing misuse of UK real estate to conceal and integrate suspected illicit wealth and underscores the growing importance of global cooperation, BO transparency and asset recovery in combating cross-border money laundering…

FCA publishes findings from its review of financial crime controls across 242 asset management and alternative investment firms, highlighting good practices and gaps in key AML controls 

July 22, 2026

The review found that over one-fifth of firms had inadequate business-wide risk assessments, 18% lacked a formal customer risk assessment, and only 36% of firms outsourcing CDD/EDD had full oversight of third-party AML processes. The report also sets out examples of good and poor practice, with a particular focus on the heightened ML risks arising from complex ownership structures in private markets, while urging firms to strengthen governance, CDD and AML control frameworks…

FCA’s Webinar held on 17 July 2026 provided guidance on the UK’s upcoming cryptoasset regime, including authorisation requirements, compliance expectations and AML oversight

July 17, 2026

The Webinar provides an overview of the UK’s upcoming cryptoasset regulatory framework, covering the FCA’s rules, guidance and expectations for firms entering the new regime. It explains key regulatory requirements, authorisation processes and how firms can prepare for compliance. The session is aimed at helping cryptoasset firms understand the transition from…

NCA intelligence sharing with the Nigerian Police Force and Meta led to the arrest of 6 suspected fraudsters linked to a celebrity impersonation scam, striking a major blow to cross-border fraud

July 16, 2026

The suspects were arrested in Asaba, Delta State, after joint work between the NCA, Nigerian Police Force and Meta helped identify individuals allegedly running celebrity impersonation scams against victims around the world, including in the UK. The case reinforces the UK’s emphasis on cross-border and public-private fraud disruption, following the UK–Nigeria cybercrime, fraud and financial crime MoU…

Companies House reports that expanded enforcement and identity-verification work increased its workforce to 2,424 and operating expenditure to £256.1 million in 2025–26

July 16, 2026

The Companies House Annual Report and Accounts 2025 to 2026 sets out how the registrar used its strengthened powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to improve company information and support investigations into suspected fraud and abuse. Companies House spent £15.2 million on penalties and sanctions activity, received £2.1 million from the Economic Crime Levy and increased cooperation with HMRC, the Insolvency Service and other enforcement bodies.

NCA secures convictions against a group that diverted payments from a fraudulent pandemic PPE deal into luxury vehicles, property improvements and personal debts

July 15, 2026

The defendants falsely claimed they could supply protective equipment during the pandemic and were convicted of fraud and money-laundering offences following a five-week trial. Investigators traced the proceeds into personal expenditure and payments to associates, illustrating how opportunistic procurement fraud was converted into apparently legitimate private assets and consumption.

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