Financial Crime Weekly Episode 87

Hello, and welcome to episode 87 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I’m Chris Kirkbride. Now, I thought previous weeks had been busy and that things would ease down as we got deeper into December, but it is almost as if things are sent deliberately to try us, for this has been a massive week for financial crime. Get set for the longest episode ever, with all aspects of financial crime pumping out stories.

As usual, I have linked the main stories flagged in the podcast in the description. These are:

Aviva, One in five businesses have been victims of cyber attack in the last year.

Competition and Markets Authority, CMA cracks down on more supermarket land agreements to protect shoppers.

Council of the European Union, EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime: restrictive measures prolonged.

Crown Prosecution Service, Shropshire man jailed for £1.9 m cheque fraud after plea agreement.

Crown Prosecution Service, First ever CPS deferred prosecution agreement for £615 million.

Crown Prosecution Service, Entain DPA and court summary judgment.

Department of Justice, Baton Rouge Woman Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding the PPP and EIDL Loan Programs and Laundering the Fraudulent Proceeds.

Department of Justice, Man Charged in $148M Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Scheme.

Department of Justice, Doctor Charged in $14M Medicare and TRICARE Fraud Scheme.

Department of Justice, Five persons sentenced to federal prison in international drug and money laundering operation.

Drepartment of Justice, Swiss Private Bank, Banque Pictet, Admits to Conspiring with U.S. Taxpayers to Hide Assets and Income in Offshore Accounts.

Department of Justice, Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Connection with COVID-19 Fraud.

Department of Justice, Founder and Majority Owner of Cryptocurrency Exchange Pleads Guilty to Unlicensed Money Transmitting.

Department of Justice, Former City Commissioner Sentenced for Role in Bribery Conspiracy.

Department of State, Designation of North Macedonia Public Official Kocho Angjushev for Significant Corruption.

Department of State, U.S. Department of State Announces Reward Offer for Information Leading to the Arrest and/or Conviction of Russian National Accused of Sanctions Evasion.

Department of the Treasury, Treasury Sanctions Former Guatemalan Government Official for Engaging in Public Corruption.

Department of the Treasury, Treasury Targets DPRK’s International Agents and Illicit Cyber Intrusion Group.

European Parliament, Protection of EU funds: EU should do more to detect, prevent and recover frauds.

European Payments Council, Yearly update of the “Payment Threats and Fraud Trends Report”.

Europol, 11 olive oil counterfeiters arrested following Operation OPSON.

Europol, Paper trail ends in jail time for 1,013 money mules.

Financial Conduct Authority, FCA commences criminal proceedings against brothers for insider dealing and fraud.

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, FINTRAC imposes an administrative monetary penalty on the Royal Bank of Canada.

Gambling Commission, New online confidential reporting service launched.

HM Treasury, Guidance: HM Treasury Advisory Notice: High Risk Third Countries.

Insolvency Service, London-based builder sentenced for Covid loan abuse.

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Why fighting corruption is key to good governance.

International Monetary Fund, 2023 Review of The Fund’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combating The Financing of Terrorism Strategy.

International Monetary Fund, Financial Crimes Hurt Economies and Must be Better Understood and Curbed.

International Regulatory Strategy Group, Anti-money laundering and beneficial ownership.

National Crime Agency, Red ALERT: Exporting High Risk Goods.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Russia (06/12/2023).

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Belarus (06/12/2023).

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Cyber.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Guidance: Financial sanctions, Cyber.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Guidance: Who is subject to financial sanctions in the UK?

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence: Payments to Local Authorities INT/2023/3781228.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Semiannual Risk Perspective for Fall 2023.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Money laundering through cryptocurrency uncovered in RCMP’s Project Decrypt.

Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Charges Five Unregistered Brokers, Four Companies in Widespread Pre-IPO Fraud Scheme.

Serious Fraud Office, SFO launches criminal investigation into global aviation supplier with dawn raid in London.

Spotlight on Corruption, Regulating the accountancy profession for money laundering – is business as usual working?

The Guardian, More than 870 Australian federal public servants acted corruptly over six years, investigation finds.

Transparency International, How Enablers Facilitate Illicit Financial Flows: Evidence from Africa.

Treasury Select Committee, Letter from FCA to Treasury Select Committee concerning Blackmore mini-bonds.

UK government, UK exposes attempted Russian cyber interference in politics and democratic processes.

UK government, World first agreement to tackle online fraud.

UK government, Online Fraud Charter.

UK legislation, The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 SI No 1306.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Texas man who created fake church to fraudulently obtain fake car, COVID-19 loans sentenced to over 8 years in prison.