U.S. Sanctions Mexican Rapper ‘El Makabelico’ For Laundering Cártel del Noreste Money Through Concert

Reported by Héctor Ríos Morales (Excerpt shown below. To read full report, go to: https://www.latintimes.com/us-sanctions-mexican-rapper-el-makabelico-laundering-cartel-del-noreste-money-through-concerts-588074) The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three senior members and one associate of the Cártel del Noreste (CDN)—formerly known as Los Zetas—for their roles in the cartel’s criminal activities, including drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. […]

FinCEN Calls for Vigilance on Crypto Kiosk Activities

Reported by Kevin Hall (Excerpt shown below. To read full report, go to: https://www.occrp.org/en/news/fincen-calls-for-vigilance-on-crypto-kiosk-activities) The Treasury Department on Monday warned financial institutions to monitor and report suspicious activity at so-called crypto ATMs, which have been used to launder proceeds from drug sales and other criminal activity. Formally known as convertible currency kiosks, or CVC kiosks, […]

Ex-Flagstar CEO accused of illegal conduct

A former compliance executive at the bank sued Alessandro DiNello, saying the ex-CEO knew of a client’s money laundering and discussed sensitive information while a “junior employee sat on his lap.” Reported by Rajashree Chakravarty (Excerpt show below. To read full report, go to: https://www.bankingdive.com/news/ex-flagstar-ceo-alessandro-dinello-accused-of-illegal-conduct/756595/) Former Flagstar CEO Alessandro DiNello is accused of allegedly being […]

Target Operating Models That Work: From Vision to Value

Reported by by Fenergo and PwC The whitepaper “Target Operating Models That Work: From Vision to Value” by Fenergo and PwC presents a detailed framework for designing and executing effective Target Operating Models (TOMs) in financial institutions, particularly to strengthen Client Lifecycle Management (CLM), AML compliance, and operational agility. It emphasizes that TOMs should not […]

How a Gilded Age Name Helped Alleged Fraudsters Dupe a Billionaire

Reported by Margot Patrick  (Summary featured below. To read full report, go to: https://www.wsj.com/finance/scam-billionaire-astor-bf8ce715?mod=WTRN_pos1) In 2021, Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, known for his ownership of TV Azteca and Grupo Elektra, sought to expand his bitcoin portfolio. To fund the move, he arranged $400 million in loans backed by over $1 billion in his own […]