Today's biggest money laundering risks – and why they matter
Join the launch of the 2023 Public Edition of the Basel AML Index to explore some of the biggest and trickiest topics facing anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) professionals.
On the agenda:
A hybrid international conference attended by 1,300 participants has concluded that tackling the criminal use of cryptocurrencies is a race against time. Law enforcement agencies that collaborate in joint task teams and proactively collaborate with the private sector are getting ahead of the criminals. In contrast, countries that do not take the risks seriously are in danger of becoming a haven for crypto-enabled scams, money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Basel AML Index – the Basel Institute’s global money laundering index and risk assessment tool – will see a small but important methodology update this year. The aim is to better reflect the progress of jurisdictions that have graduated from the so-called grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard setter for anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
A blog by Zisheng Xing, a law student at the Arizona State University who is undertaking a legal research internship at the Basel Institute on Governance.
A monumental anti-money laundering fine recently dropped in Australia, sending shockwaves throughout the gambling industry – a sector well-known for flying under the radar of anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the wide-reaching sanctions which ensued, many Western financial institutions began to de-risk Russian clients. Dealing with Russian clients, in many cases, has become expensive from a compliance point of view and toxic from the reputational side.
However, the de-risking of unsanctioned Russian individuals may have a significant impact on the fight against financial crime by potentially causing:
A four-day training course on the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Delivered virtually over four 3-hour sessions, the course aims to help practitioners from a wide range of law enforcement, financial and business sectors prevent, detect and investigate the use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities.
A four-day training course on the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Delivered virtually over four 3-hour sessions, the course aims to help practitioners from a wide range of law enforcement, financial and business sectors prevent, detect and investigate the use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities.
The Wolfsberg Group’s recent updates to its renowned Anti-Bribery and Corruption Programme Guidance for financial institutions has made quite some waves.
The 7th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies (#7CrC) took place on 26–27 October 2023 at the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
It was held in a hybrid format, with 140 spaces available for in-person attendance on each day.
The annual conference is an initiative of Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance through the joint Working Group on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies formally established in 2016.
The art market is often described as ‘niche’. In reality, it is a significant trade industry: sales of art and antiques by dealers and auction houses reached an estimated USD 65.1 billion in 2021. And like many industries of this size, it attracts people seeking to abuse it to launder proceeds of crime or evade sanctions.
This quick guide briefly explains the unique characteristics of the art market that make it vulnerable to this type of abuse. It also outlines steps that jurisdictions can take to prevent and combat abuse of the sector for illicit purposes.