(To purchase book, click here: “Den of Thieves“) James B. Stewart’s “Den of Thieves” has never really left us, it just keeps finding new casts. First published in 1991, the book remains the definitive chronicle of how Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, and Dennis Levine built an insider trading network so vast it reshaped Wall Street’s […]

Reported by SOPHENG CHEANG (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://apnews.com/article/cambodia-mexico-money-laundering-sinaloa-cartel-drugs-crime-70889f60244dc67497eed3bfc99e98d4) Cambodian and U.S. anti-drug agencies have uncovered a network that authorities say uses cryptocurrency to launder money for Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel, officials from both countries said Friday. Meas Vyrith, secretary-general of Cambodia’s National Authority for Combating Drugs, told The Associated Press […]

Reported by Josh Spero (Summary presented below. To read full report, go to: https://www.ft.com/content/2a791f9d-1036-4ef9-a232-5993b91c554d?syn-25a6b1a6=1) UK anti-money-laundering rules designed to prevent criminals from moving large sums through the art market are increasingly catching small businesses that may not view themselves as part of the regulated financial-crime ecosystem. The rules require art market participants — including galleries, […]

Reported by FinCEN Renews Order Requiring Enhanced Reporting When Money is Transferred Outside of the United States On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) renewed its Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) designed to combat fraud in Minnesota and protect U.S. taxpayers.  Extensive schemes have fraudulently diverted state and Federal dollars […]

Reported by PYMNTS (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.pymnts.com/authentication/digital-identity/2026/banks-target-repeat-checks-that-drive-customers-away/) A SOLO pilot is testing reusable verification records across participating banks and FinTechs while leaving compliance decisions with each receiving institution.  Participating institutions can use different verification processes; the pilot standardizes how completed work is documented and evaluated.  The project will test […]

Reported by Andres Knobel (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://taxjustice.net/2026/08/18/new-imf-aml-guidance-pushes-for-beneficial-ownership-transparency-and-tackles-risks-from-major-financial-centres/) On 25 June 2026, the IMF published its Guidance Note for Addressing Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Issues in Surveillance, Financial Sector Assessment Programs, and Use of Fund Resources. This Guide can help address one of the main problems of the […]

Reported by George Tsagkarakis (Summary featured below. To read full report, go to: https://egamers.io/the-kyc-file-binance-handed-moscow-how-a-700-ukraine-donation-became-a-terrorism-case/) A Russian IT specialist, Yuri Belenkiy, has been jailed since September 2025 and is awaiting trial over more than $700 in cryptocurrency donations to Ukraine. According to Russian investigators, the payments were made between January 2023 and March 2024 following an […]

On August 13, 2026 , the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a  Financial Trend Analysis showing that financial institutions flagged nearly $5 billion linked to suspected human smuggling over a three-year period. The report, which analyzed patterns and trends identified in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data between 2023 and […]

(To buy book, go to: “Billion Dollar Whale“) The book “Billion Dollar Whale,” by Wall Street Journal reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, is not just a financial crime thriller, it is arguably the most instructive case study of the last decade for anyone in compliance. The book traces how Jho Low, a young Malaysian […]

Reported by Ella Lee (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.ft.com/content/145f1b61-0a68-45b4-afb8-62fc74381ce4?syn-25a6b1a6=1) The US Department of Justice is overhauling its approach to white-collar crime enforcement, shifting staff and resources to a new division targeting fraud against the government and theft of taxpayer dollars. The pivot comes as the justice department has softened its approach to […]