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UK publishes a Strategy to transform its retail payments infrastructure, enhancing innovation, interoperability, security, competition, and resilience through upgrades governance reforms

November 7, 2025

It sets out both short-term improvements, such as enhancements to the Faster Payments System, and longer-term infrastructure transformation to support next-generation technologies like tokenised deposits and account-to-account payments, while proposing governance reforms—including a new Retail Payments Infrastructure Board and an industry-led delivery company—to enable agile, collaborative delivery of the payments roadmap…

HMT’s consultation on AML/CTF Supervision Reform proposes shifting oversight to the FCA to create a stronger, unified regime for tougher, more consistent action against FC

November 6, 2025

The consultation sets out four potential models for reforming the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervisory regime — including expanded powers for the Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS), consolidation of professional-body supervisors, a single professional-services supervisor, or a single public AML supervisor. It also seeks stakeholder input on strengthening…

SRA publishes a thematic review examining law firms’ compliance with MLR 2017 source of funds and wealth requirements, revealing major gaps in document scrutiny, audit trails, and risk-based checks

November 5, 2025

The thematic review reveals that 11% of reviewed legal matter files lacked any source-of-funds checks and 18% showed inadequate scrutiny, including 8% where evidence did not match ledger entries. It identifies challenges around guidance clarity, resource constraints, client and fee-earner reluctance, and underscores the expectation that firms must document risk-based decisions and maintain a clear audit trail of their controls…

NCA’s UKFIU SARs Booklet Nov 25 shows how high-quality SARs and DAMLs helped law enforcement seize millions, including £2M from organised crime, £1.2M from money-mule activity, and £850K from fraud

November 5, 2025

Case studies illustrate how timely and detailed DAML SARs have directly supported account freezing orders and asset forfeiture actions across multiple money-laundering and fraud investigations. They highlight recurring typologies — such as unexplained international transfers, excessive cash deposits, layering through linked companies, and suspected money-mule activity — and demonstrate how robust reporting enables law enforcement to trace, restrain and recover criminal proceeds…

Companies House’s 2024-25 Annual Report highlights major progress in gatekeeping, better data integrity, stronger enforcement, and upgraded digital services under new economic crime powers

November 4, 2025

The report details delivery of new powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, expanded identity verification, and enhanced data quality measures to improve register integrity. It also notes rising enforcement referrals, significant digital transformation, and continued efficiency gains as Companies House positions itself as a proactive gatekeeper against corporate misuse…

FCA reviews consolidation in the advice and wealth-management sector, stressing sustainable growth and consumer protection while warning that rapid M&A must not dilute governance or AML controls

October 31, 2025

The review highlights risks arising from debt-fuelled acquisition strategies, integration challenges and uneven control frameworks, noting that firms must demonstrate credible plans to maintain service quality and regulatory compliance as they scale. It also emphasises that governance, systems and oversight must evolve in step with expansion to safeguard consumers and uphold regulatory obligations, including effective financial-crime risk management.

SRA’s 2024–25 AML Annual Report exposes widespread weaknesses in law firms’ risk assessments and AML controls, calling for urgent, risk-based action and stronger oversight

October 30, 2025

The report indicates a marked increase in supervisory interventions—covering inspections, file reviews and enforcement actions—as the SRA addresses persistent weaknesses in firm-wide risk assessments, client and matter-level risk evaluations, source-of-funds checks and sanctions compliance. It further emphasises emerging threats in conveyancing, technology risk (including AI) and supply-chain complexity, underscoring the need for firms to evolve controls proportionately as regulatory expectations rise…

TI-UK’s paper Improving the UK’s Trust Registration Service urges expanding the TRS’s scope and data access to expose hidden ownership in UK property and close loopholes enabling ML through opaque trusts

October 25, 2025

The report highlights that the Trust Registration Service (TRS) under HM Revenue & Customs remains ineffective in tackling hidden ownership in UK property via trusts, citing examples of at least £2.5 billion held through trust structures. It recommends reforms to broaden registration (including trusts acquiring property before October 2020 and overseas trusts holding UK assets) and to allow more meaningful public access to TRS data, in line with the Sixth Anti‑Money Laundering Directive standard…

UK Govt’s guidance Supply chain resilience against ransomware outlines steps for organisations to tighten supplier oversight, boost cybersecurity, and adopt a four-step plan to strengthen defences

October 24, 2025

The UK, in collaboration with Counter‑Ransomware Initiative members and Singapore, launches new international guidance designed to help organisations identify vulnerabilities in supply-chain networks and stop cyber criminals before they exploit them. With endorsement from 67 CRI member states and in view of rising incidents — including a 2024 attack on a key NHS supplier in the UK — the initiative underscores the importance of coordinated global action to protect critical services and networks…

UK Govt appoints the FCA as the single AML/CTF supervisor for professional services, bringing around 60K firms – including lawyers, accountants, and TCSPs under one unified regulator

October 21, 2025

The report outlines the UK government’s response to its 2024 consultation on AML supervision reform, confirming that the FCA will become the single public supervisor for professional services firms. This reform, shaped by consultation feedback, aims to streamline oversight, strengthen risk-based supervision, and improve coordination with law enforcement, addressing previous gaps in the UK’s AML framework…

FCA’s survey on Financial Crime Controls in Corporate Finance firms exposes major AML gaps, with two-thirds failing key standards and urging stronger risk assessment, due diligence, and oversight

October 20, 2025

The FCA’s review reveals that a notable proportion of corporate finance firms fail to maintain comprehensive business-wide risk assessments or adequately monitor their appointed representatives. Strengthening these controls is essential to ensuring compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations and reducing the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes…

UK AAT’s 2024–25 AML Annual Report reveals major compliance gaps among accountancy firms and rising crypto and AI-fraud risks, urging stronger governance to combat evolving FC

October 17, 2025

The report provides a detailed overview of AAT’s monitoring activity during the year, including practice-assurance reviews, identified deficiencies, enforcement actions and monetary fines imposed on members who fail to meet AML obligations. It further outlines the supervisory approach, emerging threats and highlights resources and guidance made available by AAT to help members fulfil their obligations under the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations…

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