Reported by Jory Heckman Despite a declining use of checks in the U.S., criminals are increasingly targeting the mail to commit check fraud. The Postal Service’s surge in mail theft cases contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars in suspected check fraud cases last year, according to a recent Treasury Department analysis. Treasury’s Financial Crimes […]

Reported by AFP – Agence France Presse A Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death for fraud totalling $27 billion goes on trial Thursday in a linked case accused of money laundering. Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty in April of swindling cash from the Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) […]

Reported by JONATHAN RANDLES and  BLOOMBERG A former Jefferies Financial Group hedge fund manager who was sued for allegedly defrauding the fund out of more than $100 million is also facing a federal criminal probe. Manhattan federal prosecutors are investigating Jordan Chirico and allegations by the fund, 352 Capital, that he knowingly invested its money in a Ponzi-like […]

Reported by Allie Griffin and Ian Mohr Embattled rapper and hip hop musician Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in New York City Monday night amid a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations, his lawyer and sources said. It’s unclear what charges the fallen star is facing, but the New York Times reported that the arrest follows a grand jury indictment. […]

Reported by Christopher Knaus and Nick Evershed Convicted criminals and unlicensed agents are operating in the real estate sector across multiple states, a Guardian Australia investigation has found. In New South Wales, the Guardian has established that two individuals convicted of dishonesty offences have been allowed back into the industry well within the usual 10-year prohibition, and […]

Reported by Matthew C. Christoph WHAT MUST BE REPORTED Under subsections (d) through (h) of the Final Rule, the Real Estate Report must contain the legal name, address, and other tax or unique identifying information regarding the reporting person, the transferee entity or trust and its beneficial owners or trustees, the transferor, each signatory to […]

Reported by Connor Hart Wells Fargo has agreed to enhance its anti-money-laundering and sanctions-risk-management practices after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency identified deficiencies with the bank’s current programs. The OCC on Thursday entered an agreement with Wells Fargo, under which the bank must obtain the regulator’s approval of its program for assessing […]

Reported by Mason Braswell Morgan Stanley has agreed to pay $2 million as part of a settlement with Massachusetts state securities regulators based on allegations that it helped a former First Republic CEO sell company stock ahead of the San Francisco bank’s collapse.  Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin accused Morgan Stanley of […]

Reported by Ortenca Aliaj and Owen Walker Former Swedbank chief executive Birgitte Bonnesen is facing 15 months in prison after a Swedish appeals court convicted her of spreading misleading information about the bank’s money laundering problems in Estonia.  Bonnesen, who led Sweden’s oldest bank from 2016 until she was fired by its board in 2019, was convicted […]

Reported by Matei Rosca Documents obtained as part of a new case against social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who have been charged with human trafficking, money laundering and organized crime, deepen questions over their opaque webcam finances. On Aug. 21, Romanian police raided the homes of the brothers and some of their associates […]