top of page
News & Insights
Our latest thinking on financial crime compliance, regulatory change, technology, and the forces reshaping global risk management.
Search


FinCEN Targets Mexico Casinos Tied to Sinaloa Cartel Money Laundering
The US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has taken decisive action to disrupt the financial flows supporting the Sinaloa Cartel by identifying transactions involving ten Mexico-based gambling establishments as being of primary money laundering concern. Published on 13 November 2025, the finding and accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) represents a significant escalation in efforts to sever criminal organisations’ access to

OpusDatum
Nov 13, 20252 min read


FinCEN Identifies $9 Billion in Iranian Shadow Banking Activity During 2024
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released a new Financial Trend Analysis (FTA) revealing around 9 billion dollars in potential Iranian shadow banking activity that passed through US correspondent accounts in 2024. The findings, based on reports from US financial institutions, underscore the scale and sophistication of Tehran’s global sanctions evasion operations. According to FinCEN, Iran’s shadow banking network

OpusDatum
Oct 22, 20252 min read


FCA Bans & Fines Financial Advisor £100,281 for Insider Dealing
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned and fined financial advisor Neil Sedgwick Dwane £100,281 for insider dealing, following misconduct that breached market integrity and professional trust. In 2022, Mr Dwane, acting as an advisor for ITM Power Plc (ITM), had access to confidential market-sensitive information concerning an upcoming company announcement scheduled for 27 October. The announcement triggered a 37% drop in ITM’s share price. The day before the announc

OpusDatum
Oct 22, 20252 min read


Financial Crime Oversight in Corporate Finance Firms Shows Gaps, Says FCA
A Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) survey has found that two-thirds of corporate finance firms not currently required to submit financial crime returns may be falling short of their obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations, raising concerns about weak oversight and inconsistent compliance practices. Corporate finance firms play a critical role in supporting the growth and success of the UK economy by helping businesses secure investment and lending. However, the FC

OpusDatum
Oct 19, 20252 min read


Banks Urged to Help Tackle Rising Romance Scams
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called on banks and payment firms to strengthen their defences against romance scam fraud after uncovering serious shortcomings in how the sector identifies and prevents this growing form of financial crime. Despite positive examples of firms intervening effectively, the regulator found repeated instances where opportunities to stop fraud were missed, leaving victims facing devastating losses. Romance fraud cost victims £106 million i

OpusDatum
Oct 16, 20252 min read


OFSI Annual Review 2024–25 Highlights Strengthened Sanctions Enforcement & Record Asset Freezes
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has published its Annual Review 2024–25 , outlining a year of significant progress in strengthening the UK’s financial sanctions regime amid escalating global tensions. The release coincides with the announcement by the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary of new sanctions against Russia’s largest oil companies, further tightening pressure on Kremlin revenues and global enablers of its illegal war on Ukraine. OFSI’s report s

OpusDatum
Oct 14, 20251 min read


UK Delivers Major Blow to Putin’s War Machine with New Russian Oil Sanctions
The UK has imposed its toughest sanctions yet on Russia, directly targeting its energy sector and the global enablers sustaining President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Announced jointly by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and HM Treasury, the sweeping package of 90 new sanctions cuts deep into the Kremlin’s oil revenues, striking at major producers Rosneft and Lukoil – which together export more than three million barrels per day. Rosneft alone accounts for

OpusDatum
Oct 14, 20252 min read


EBA Publishes 2024 Report on Supervisory Convergence Including AML/CTF
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has today released its annual Report on the convergence of supervisory practices for 2024 across the European Union. The Report highlights the EBA’s sustained efforts to strengthen supervisory alignment among Member States, covering prudential supervision, resolution, consumer protection, digital finance, and—until the end of 2025—anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). This year’s Report marks the first

OpusDatum
Oct 14, 20252 min read


US & UK Launch Unprecedented Joint Crackdown on Cybercrime Networks in Southeast Asia
The United States and UK have announced their largest-ever coordinated action against cybercriminal networks operating in Southeast Asia, marking a major escalation in international efforts to dismantle transnational scam operations. The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in partnership with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has imposed sweeping s

OpusDatum
Oct 13, 20253 min read


EBA Report Reveals Widespread Use of White Labelling in Banking & Payments
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published a new report revealing that white labelling – where financial products or services are offered under another company’s brand – is now used by more than a third of banks across the EU. The findings underscore a rapid shift in financial distribution models driven by digitalisation, platformisation, and partnerships between regulated and non-regulated entities. According to the EBA’s 2025 Spring Risk Assessment Questionnaire, 35

OpusDatum
Oct 13, 20252 min read


FCA Supports Tokenisation to Boost Efficiency and Innovation in Asset Management
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced new plans to support the adoption of tokenisation within the UK asset management industry, signalling a major step forward for financial innovation and operational efficiency. Published on 14 October 2025, the consultation paper CP25/28: Progressing Fund Tokenisation outlines how tokenisation—the digital representation of assets using distributed ledger technology (DLT)—can transform fund operations, reduce costs, and open

OpusDatum
Oct 13, 20252 min read


FCA Announces Partnership to Accelerate Delivery of Open Finance
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a major new partnership and the launch of two TechSprints to fast-track the UK’s transition towards open finance, marking a significant step in its commitment to drive digital innovation across financial services. The initiative follows the FCA’s January letter to the Prime Minister, in which it pledged to use its powers to accelerate open finance and explore its potential benefits, particularly in supporting small and mediu

OpusDatum
Oct 12, 20252 min read
bottom of page
%20-%20C.png)