AML Conversations

In August 2021, Global Financial Integrity published Acres of Money Laundering – Why U.S. Real Estate is a Kleptocrat’s Dream. The report compares the real estate money laundering regulations across the G7 countries. John and Elliot discuss the report’s findings on the use of the US commercial real estate market to launder funds and the roles played in the transactions by various gatekeepers. They...

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), The Washington Post and many other news organizations around the world have published a series of stories based on nearly 12 million records obtained by the ICIJ – known as the Pandora Papers - which shed light on how heads of state, the super-rich, and criminals have hidden their assets.  John and Elliot look at some of the key fin...

This week the Department of Homeland Security added an item to its website entitled “if you see something, say something.” The item discusses how individuals can report suspicious activity. John and Elliot look at some of the red flags identified by the DHS and discuss the impact of viewing suspicious activity reporting as something beyond the responsibility of entities regulated under the Bank Se...

In this episode of AML Conversations, John Byrne and David McLaughlin discuss David’s journey in creating QuantaVerse and the problems he set out to solve. They talk about the interaction of technology and human analytics and how to develop effective processes for superior outcomes by balancing the strengths of both.

This week FinCEN published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding anti-money laundering regulations for the trade in antiquities. John and Elliot look at some of the questions in the ANPRM, discuss who FinCEN would like to receive comments from, and remind listeners about the importance of providing comments to ANPRMs and the proposed regulation when they are published later this year.

In this episode of AML Conversations, John Byrne, Debra LaPrevotte, and Dr. Louise Shelley discuss environmental crime and the need for a more cohesive approach. Wildlife trafficking continues to enable the facilitation of illicit funds and is the “soft underbelly of organized crime.” Our panel discusses this global problem and what can be done to address what is a “low risk, high reward” crime.

This week the Basel Institute on Governance published its 10th AML Index. The Index looks at activities by 112 countries to effectively operate AML/CFT systems. John and Elliot share some insights into how the index is applied and the results.

This week is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The events of that day impacted many lives and changed how people view the world and the threats in it. It also impacted how the financial crime compliance community looks at threats and performs its work. John and Elliot share some insights on how 9/11 changed things over the past 20 years.

This week FATF issued a Mutual Evaluation Report for Japan. John and Elliot discuss the findings in the report, the report process, and the focus of the process on assessing the effectiveness of a nation’s measures and their level of compliance with the FATF Recommendations.

This week saw a White House summit on cybersecurity making clear the connection between cybersecurity and national security. John and Elliot discuss the importance of connecting the domestic focus with our efforts globally to form strong partnerships and build effective cooperation to thwart cyber threats, and protect the international financial system.

This week saw the rapid fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban. John and Elliot discuss the collateral damage from this sudden change, examining the impact on financial access for individuals, NGOs and national government, the safety of historical artifacts, and how these changes can affect civil liberties.

This conversation with two of the authors of a recent article for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta that examines claims of the connection between bank de-risking and AML regulation. John Byrne talks to Mark Nance, the Director of the Master of International Studies program at NC State’s School of Public and International Affairs and Eleni Tsingou, a professor in International Political Economy...

This week saw virtual currencies be the focus in many venues. John and Elliot discuss statements from the head of the SEC and the fine levied against BitMEX by FinCEN for regulatory violations. They also review the negotiations in the US Senate, during the debate on the Infrastructure Bill, surrounding tax reporting by participants in the virtual currency ecosystem.

John Byrne, Executive Vice President and Vesna McCreery, Managing Director of the AML RightSource staff, sit down and chat about the progression of financial crime compliance over the past 20+ years. They discuss the journey from reputation risk, to transaction monitoring, to comprehensive client due diligence. John and Vesna examine the changes in regulatory focus and expectations and how the fin...

In this installment of AML Conversations, John Byrne sits down with Bill Maggio. In a wide-ranging conversation, Bill, a member of the AML RightSource Advisory Board, and John discuss entrepreneurship, how new and rapidly growing companies help stimulate business communities, and the current expansion activity at AML RightSource.

In this installment of AML Conversations, John Byrne speaks with Markus Schulz, Deputy Global Head FCC & Global Head Change Management at IMG, about the history of technology in the financial crime compliance space and how technology has migrated into the regulatory and examination processes as well.

This week, Tim White and John Byrne discuss the recently imposed sanctions on Cuban officials by the Biden Administration

This week the at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Banking Committee the risks related to central bank digital currencies. John and Elliot discuss some key risks identified in the testimony, including dollar primacy, economic and trade sanctions, and cybersecurity.

This week the US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held hearing on the federal response to the drug overdose epidemic. John and Elliot discuss key themes of the hearings, interesting elements of the testimony, and insights into how the traffickers are moving their ill-gotten gains.

Adverse Media Screening is a powerful tool for KYC and EDD. During this installment of AML Conversations, John Byrne discusses how AMS can be a key part of an effective financial crime compliance program with Adrian Gardner, Head of KYC at Cash App and Eve Whittaker, Senior Account Manager at Arachnys.

This session covers the recently released report by Polaris and The Avery Center on how two financial institutions, working with a human trafficking survivor, were able to develop five themes on how traffickers moved funds derived from their illicit activities.

This week US banking regulators asked for comment on proposed interagency guidance on third-party relationships. The proposed guidance will replace existing guidance, some of which dates to 2009. John and Elliot discuss the proposal, what financial service providers should consider as this proposal becomes final, and how the proposal may impact the examination process.

The FATF has issued it’s second 12-month review of its revised standards for virtual assets and virtual asset providers. John Byrne, Executive Vice President and Elliot Berman, Creative Director of the AML RightSource staff, sit down and discuss the key elements of the review and its implications for global compliance in this emerging area.

This week FinCEN issued the first Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism National Priorities. They identify eight areas of focus for the next four years. John and Elliot discuss the Priorities, what they mean for the focus of enforcement going forward, how they may impact the examination process, and how FIs may consider responding publication of the Priorities.

This week John and Elliot discuss the recent FinCEN recognition of a number of organizations related to the use of a Bank Secrecy Act, how they are using the data to aid in law enforcement efforts. They go through a handful of the examples listed in the document, and also talk about how friends of the show made this list!