Compliance Officers Playbook
Episodes
Crypto Debanking: A Global Problem
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the widespread issue of "debanking" in the cryptocurrency industry, where banks unjustly refuse services to crypto bu...
Basel AML Index 2024: Global Money Laundering Risk Assessment
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Basel AML Index 2024 report, the 13th annual edition, assesses global money laundering risks. It ranks countries based on five risk domains: AML/...
China's AML Law: A New Era of Compliance
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
China's amended Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Law, effective January 1st, 2025, significantly strengthens its AML framework by aligning with Financi...
Stargate AI initiative: Cipher Mining's $50 Million SoftBank Investment
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cipher Mining, a bitcoin mining company, received a $50 million investment from SoftBank, a major investor in the President Trump-announced Stargat...
AML Breaches! Are They Misconduct ? Dentons SRA Appeal
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The primary focus is a High Court appeal concerning Dentons, a global law firm, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA appeals a tribu...
EU Sanctions: Year-End 2024 Review
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode summarises recent developments in European Union sanctions, focusing on the fifteenth package targeting Russia, encompassing individual a...
Global AML Enforcement: 2024 Year-End Review
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A 2024 year-end review of regulatory enforcement highlights a sharp rise in global fines, totalling $25 billion, primarily due to increased scrutiny o...
DeepSeek AI Hacked: A Security Failure
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
DeepSeek AI, a newly released ChatGPT competitor, was quickly compromised via a simple SQL injection attack. Despite promises of robust security and ...
The Evolving Role of the Chief Risk Officer
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the evolving role of the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) in banks, particularly in the UAE, where stricter regulations have been imple...
Volksbank's €5 Million AML Fine
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Dutch central bank (DNB) fined Volksbank €5 million for significant and persistent failings in its anti-money laundering (AML) controls between ...
Digital Euro Compliance: Implications of ECB Legal Decision 2025/2
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode discusses the European Central Bank's (ECB) Legal Decision 2025/2, outlining the legal framework for the digital euro. The decisi...
Source of Funds and Wealth Verification Guide
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains Source of Funds (SOF) and Source of Wealth (SOW) checks, crucial components of Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Launderin...
EU AI Act: 2025 Key Deadlines
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode outlines key deadlines for the EU's AI Act in 2025. February 2nd marks the enforcement of bans on high-risk AI systems. May 2nd initiates...
EU Probes DeepSeek AI's GDPR Compliance
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Italian data protection authority is investigating DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model, for potential breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Re...
BaFin Warning Against Virtual IBANs and Money Laundering Risks
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
German financial regulator BaFin has warned that the use of virtual IBANs presents a heightened risk of money laundering. This warning highlights a ...
Companies House Identity Verification Update
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers the UK government 's document outlining the phased implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. ...
KuCoin's $297 Million Fine and Executive Resignation
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers KuCoin's guilty plea to money laundering charges, resulting in a $297 million fine and the resignation of its CEO. The cryptoc...
Why Data Governance Is Your Blueprint
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Data governance is crucial for modern businesses, impacting compliance, cybersecurity, and ESG performance. Effective data governance ensures data acc...
French Investigation into Binance's Potential Breaking European AML/CTF Laws
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
French authorities have launched a formal investigation into Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, alleging money laundering, tax...
FCA Dear CEO Letter: Wholesale Broker Priorities
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a "Dear CEO" letter outlining its two-year strategy for supervising wholesale brokers in the UK...
Swiss Banker's French Tax Fraud Trial
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Hottinger, a member of a prominent Swiss banking family, is facing trial in France for tax fraud and money laundering. He allegedly concealed mi...
SAR/STR Cheat Sheet For Compliance Professionals
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode provides a guide for creating effective Suspicious Activity/Transaction Reports (SAR/STRs) to help law enforcement. Key elements highligh...
DeepSeek Has Just Disrupted OpenAI and Nvidia !
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, specifically large language models (LLMs), by a Chinese company called DeepS...
Klarna Stopped Hiring: AI, and the Future of Work
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski's, claim that AI can perform all human tasks, leading Klarna to halt hiring and r...
UKFIU SARs Reporter Booklet: Case Studies
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
a January 2025 UKFIU Reporter Booklet, summarises feedback from law enforcement agencies on their use of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) in the U...
Europe-Wide Money Laundering Ring Dismantled: €100 Million Laundered.
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A large-scale, multinational investigation, supported by Eurojust and Europol, successfully disrupted a sophisticated money laundering operation. The...
£25,000 Fines for Law Firm and Compliance Officer
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A London law firm, Law and Lawyers Limited, and its compliance officer, Francis Mathew, were each fined £25,000 for multiple rule breaches. The Soli...
1 Billion Passwords Stolen: Protecting Yourself
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers a massive malware attack resulting in the theft of over one billion passwords. The breach highlights the widespread vulnerabilit...
Compliance as Value Driver and Investment: Cost Savings & Benefits
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episodes presents numerous examples showcasing how compliance, often viewed as a cost, actually functions as a significant investment for organ...
Decoding Europe's Cybersecurity Regulations: DORA, NIS2 and CRA
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers the complex European cybersecurity regulatory landscape, focusing on three key regulations: DORA (Digital Operational Resilience...
Robert Mazur Under's Cover Story: The Infiltration, Inside the Medellin Cartel
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Mazur, a former undercover agent, recounts his two-year infiltration of Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel in his book excerpts. He details c...
Remote Work Cybersecurity: Prevention Strategies
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode discusses cybersecurity challenges specific to remote work. It highlights the increased risk of breaches due to accidental emplo...
Blockchain's Global Banking Revolution
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode discusses the rapid global adoption of blockchain technology within the banking sector. Initially dismissed, blockchain is now viewed as ...
Toyota Bank Polska's Recent GDPR Fine And How Your Organization Can Avoid a GDPR Fine
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode discusses the recent GDPR fine issued to Toyota Bank Polska. The Polish data protection authority fined the bank for two GDPR violations...
Trump's Crypto Executive Order: A US MiCA ?
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump issued an executive order establishing a cryptocurrency working group to develop a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, in...
DORA Regulatory Mapping and Requirements: A Guide to Compliance
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode details the EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), a regulation designed to bolster the operational resilience of financ...
AI First-Order Risks and Second-Order Risks
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The OMFIF report, "What AI Means for Finance: Risks of an Intelligent Financial System," examines the profound impact of artificial intellig...
Trump's Deregulatory AI Order
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's new executive order dramatically reverses President Biden's approach to AI regulation, prioritising deregulation and rapid t...
Beneficial Ownership Information: A Guide to the Corporate Transparency Act
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the US Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) of 2021, which mandates beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting for most busine...
Supreme Court Upholds Corporate Transparency Act
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Both sources report on the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), a law aimed at combating money laundering. The...
Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Impact Assessment
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The UK government's Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill aims to combat the significant cost of welfare fraud, estimated at £10 billion ...
FCA Review: Money Mule Detection Failures
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review of UK payment service providers' efforts to combat money mule activity. The review asse...
Vietnam's US$1.2 Billion Money Laundering Ring Busted
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vietnamese police announced the dismantling of a significant money-laundering operation, arresting five individuals, including a bank employee. This r...
FCA: Money Laundering Through Markets (MLTM) Review
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) report assesses the risk of Money Laundering Through Markets (MLTM), focusing on wholesale brokers. The report ...
MiCA, Banks, and the Limits of Crypto Regulation
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode discusses the conflict between the newly enforced EU cryptocurrency regulation, MiCA, and banks' continued blocking of payments to complia...
Stargate Project: Trump's AI Strategy and Europe's Response
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode tackles few sources which debate the optimal balance between innovation and regulation in Europe, particularly concerning AI. A Member of...
Nesting in Banking: Compliance and SWIFT Solutions
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode discusses nesting in banking, a risky practice where financial institutions use intermediaries to conceal the true sender of tran...
Stargate: A $500 Billion AI Revolution
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode covers two contrasting perspectives on the future of AI development in the United States. The first source highlights a massive $...
Trump Designates Mexican Cartels as Terrorist Groups
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's re-designation of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organisations is the central focus, reversing a previous decision. This action, ...
The Compliance Officer's Dilemma
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explores the challenges faced by compliance officers in balancing risk management, regulatory adherence, and business strategy. I...
Block, Inc. $80 Million AML Settlement
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode discusses the recent settlement agreement between Block Inc. (Cash App) and 48 US states concerning Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failures. ...
Upbit Faces Sanctions for AML Violations
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode tackles reports that Upbit, South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange, faces potential suspension and substantial fines for violating ...
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mastery: Core Function 5 - Recover
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode from "The Compliance Officer’s Playbook" explains the "Recover" function within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It focuses on...
NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Core Function 4 - Respond
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode from "The Compliance Officer’s Playbook" explains the "Respond" function within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It details si...
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mastery: Core Function 3 - Detect
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode from "The Compliance Officer’s Playbook" explains the "Detect" function within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It stresses th...
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mastery: Core Function 2 - Protect
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode from The Compliance Officer’s Playbook explains the "Protect" core function within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It details...
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mastery: Core Function 1 - Identify
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode of "The Compliance Officer’s Playbook" explains the "Identify" function within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF). It empha...
Mastering GRC: A NIST CSF Homework
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode details the first week's homework assignment in a cybersecurity training series focusing on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). The a...
Stenn Collapse: Fintech Crime and Regulatory Risk
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The UK fintech company Stenn collapsed after indirect involvement in a US money laundering case triggered investigations by its lenders, highlighting ...
SEC $18 Million Order Against LPL Financial
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The SEC issued an $18 million penalty against LPL Financial for repeated violations of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, specifically concernin...
Building an Effective Operational Risk Management Framework
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode explores the challenges of creating effective Operational Risk Management (ORM) frameworks. It highlights common pitfalls such as overcomp...
BitMEX's $100 Million AML Fine
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A US court fined cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX $100 million for violating the Bank Secrecy Act between 2015 and 2020 due to insufficient anti-money l...
Europol's Global Asset Seizure Operation.
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europol’s Groundbreaking Operation to Seize Criminal Assets: Project A.S.S.E.T. 🔍In a major step forward in the fight against organized crime, Eu...
Brutal AML Truth: We’re WAYYY Too Slow to Adapt! Learning from Startups
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode, "Brutal AML Truth: We’re WAYYY Too Slow to Adapt," argues that Anti-Money Laundering (AML) programs are too slow to counter ev...
Volkswagen Data Breach Exposes 800K EV Owners' Data
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A data breach exposed the personal information of approximately 800,000 Volkswagen electric vehicle owners. The breach, initially reported by a German...
Financial Crime Audit Fieldwork & Testing Techniques
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode outlines the crucial fieldwork and testing phases of a financial crime audit. It details key steps, including data collection (tr...
Scoping Financial Crime Audits
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains how to prepare a scoping document for a financial crime audit. It outlines the document's key components, including the ...
SFO Secures First Unexplained Wealth Order
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK successfully obtained its first Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) to seize a £1.5 million property believed pur...
DORA Compliance for Financial Entities in Luxembourg
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) came into effect on 17 January 2025, significantly altering ICT risk management and reporting for EU fin...
IT Audits Simplified: ITGC vs. ITAC
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode clarifies the often-confused concepts of IT General Controls (ITGC) and IT Application Controls (ITAC) in IT auditing. ITGC provi...
Criminal Networks' Abuse of Legal Businesses in the EU
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses a Europol report which examines how serious organised crime networks in the EU exploit legitimate businesses. It details the di...
GRC Certifications to Unlock Your Career Potential
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode provides guidance on choosing relevant certifications within the Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) field. It outlines five key specia...
Chinese Money Laundering Networks
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode details a sophisticated money laundering scheme involving Chinese brokers, Mexican drug cartels, and cryptocurrency. Drug money is conver...
AI Geopolitics: U.S. Takes Major Steps Toward Superintelligence Dominance
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden's recent executive orders, imposing export controls on AI chips and directing the construction of large-scale data centres, suggest a ...
EU Commission vs FATF High-Risk Country Lists
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains why EU financial institutions must legally adhere to the European Commission's list of high-risk third countries for anti-money ...
Robinhood's $45 Million AML Fine
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode comprises news articles and website content from AML Intelligence, focusing on financial crime and regulatory compliance. A key piece repo...
INTERPOL's First Silver Notice
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
INTERPOL has introduced a new Silver Notice system to track and recover criminal assets globally. This pilot programme, involving 52 countries until a...
Full Fraud Risk Assessments
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains the importance of conducting comprehensive Full Fraud Risk Assessments (FRAs) for organisations. It details the steps in...
Understanding Thematic Fraud Risk Assessments
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains Thematic Fraud Risk Assessments (TFRAs), a crucial fraud prevention tool. TFRAs focus on specific areas within an organi...
Initial Fraud Impact Assessments: A Practical Guide
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains Initial Fraud Impact Assessments (IFIAs), a proactive risk management tool. IFIAs help organisations identify and mitiga...
How to Conduct Enterprise Fraud Risk Assessments
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses a practice note from the UK Government Counter Fraud Profession, providing guidance on conducting Enterprise Fraud Risk Assessm...
Pandora Papers: Australian Politician's Son's Offshore Drug Trade
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode details the conviction of Mark Chikarovski, son of a former Australian political leader, for running a multi-million dollar dark web drug ...
Financial Crime Guidance for UK Firms
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Financial Crime Guide (FCG) from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) offers practical guidance to firms on countering financial crime risks. It ...
Why UK’s FCA Rejected Nearly 90% of Crypto Firm Applications In 2024
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) annual report reveals that a significant majority (almost 90%) of cryptocurrency firm registration applic...
Meta's Retreat from Fact-Checking and the Potential Rise of Scams
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meta's decision to replace its third-party fact-checking program with a community-based system, similar to that used by X (formerly Twitter), is the c...
Anti-Corruption Due Diligence for SMEs
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers a policy document from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) which provides guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises ...
Underrated GRC Architecture: A Strategic Approach
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode discusses the often-overlooked importance of GRC architecture in achieving effective governance, risk, and compliance. It highlig...
Bank of America's Compliance Issues
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a cease-and-desist order to Bank of America for deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) ...
AML: Beyond Box-Ticking Compliance
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode argues that current anti-money laundering (AML) programmes in financial services are inadequate, focusing on superficial compliance rather...
Compliance and Third-Party Risk Management Trends 2024/2025
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode summarises a Moody's report on compliance and third-party risk management trends for 2024 and 2025. Key themes in 2024 included sanctions...
Understanding Hacker Types for Cybersecurity Compliance
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode categorises six types of hackers: black hats (malicious actors seeking personal gain), white hats (ethical hackers working to imp...
Operation Destabilise: A Ransomware Investigation Revealing a Sophisticated Cash-for-Crypto Scheme
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered a massive, complex money-laundering operation, codenamed Operation Destabilise. Starting with a ransom...
Risk Registers: A Roadmap From Reactive to Proactive Risk Management
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains the importance of a risk register as a crucial tool for effective risk management. It defines a risk register as a dynam...
Modeling Risk Evaluation: A Quantitative and Qualitative Approach
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode details a methodology for modelling and evaluating risk, focusing on the interplay between qualitative and quantitative methods. A key co...
Applying a Risk-Based Approach: More Than a Buzzword
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode explains how financial institutions should effectively implement a risk-based approach to compliance. The episode outlines a four...
A Fresh Cyber Attack Alert! A Timely Reminder on Digital Resilience!
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode highlights the urgent need for digital resilience in financial institutions, particularly in light of a recent cyberattack and the upcomin...
Europe's Cybersecurity Readiness and DORA Compliance. Is Your Organisation Ready ?
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A podcast episode discusses a SecurityScorecard report revealing that only 26% of Europe's top companies achieved an "A" rating in cybersecurity, high...
FATF on Beneficial Ownership Transparency: A Multi-Pronged Strategy
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode discusses the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) multi-pronged approach to improving beneficial ownership (BO) transparency. Co...
FCA Crypto Firm Application Feedback! How to Successfully Secure Your License.
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode examines the UK Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) feedback on cryptocurrency firm applications for anti-money laundering (AML) ...
The Asset Recovery Challenge: Less Than 2% Recovered Globally!
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode examines the shortcomings of current anti-money laundering (AML) measures. It highlights the low global asset recovery rate (less...