Japanese-Language Translator Charged with Illegally Transferring More Than $16 Million from Shohei Ohtani’s Account

Reported by U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California LOS ANGELES – A Japanese-language translator was charged today via federal criminal complaint with unlawfully transferring more than $16 million from a Major League Baseball (MLB) player’s bank account – without the player’s knowledge or permission – to pay off his own substantial gambling debts incurred with […]

Morgan Stanley Drops on Report of US Probes Into Wealth Unit

Reported by Sridhar Natarajan Morgan Stanley shares fell the most in five months after a report that a cadre of US regulators are scrutinizing the firm’s efforts to prevent potential money laundering by wealthy clients. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and other Treasury Department offices are digging into […]

Two Russian oligarchs win court ruling over EU sanctions

Reported by Pjotr Sauer Two Russian oligarchs have won a surprise victory against EU sanctions over Moscow’s war against Ukraine but remain under punitive measures for the time being. The European court of justice ruled that the European Council had not presented enough evidence to establish that Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman were involved in […]

Recent FDIC consent orders show increased scrutiny of bank relationships with fintech partners

Reported by Kristen E. Larson & Kaley Schafer In February 2024, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) entered into consent orders with two banks who partner with fintechs to offer “banking as a service” (BaaS) related to safety and soundness, compliance with applicable laws, and third party oversight.  BaaS refers to arrangements in which banks integrate their […]

Detained Execs, Daring Escapes: How Binance’s $35 Million Battle With Nigeria Unfolded

Reported by Chidirim Ndeche Binance’s operation in Africa’s biggest cryptocurrency market is under intense scrutiny, with Nigerian authorities accusing the crypto giant and a host of other exchanges of infractions including currency manipulation and facilitating transfers of illicit funds. With one Binance executive in custody in Nigeria, and a second having fled the country after having been detained, […]

CFPB warns banks of video games’ money laundering, fraud risks

Reported by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Fraud in gaming markets The ability to transfer and otherwise convert gaming assets to fiat currency or crypto-assets has led to a proliferation of money laundering137and fraud138 on gaming platforms. Researchers and academics have found that gaming markets can facilitate illegal money laundering.139 For example, a person can open different […]