Dear AML Community,
As a substack subscriber I am offering a FREE "Detailed Guide to KYC/CDD."
This guide will walk you through the crucial process of Customer Due Diligence (CDD), covering everything you need to know about collecting and verifying customer information - whether you're dealing with individuals, legal entities, trusts, or NPOs.
The guide will only be available to new and existing Substack subscribers until February 28th, 2025.
Important Note: This guide is not a substitute for your national AML requirements or internal procedures. However, it's designed to enhance your CDD capabilities and ensure you're effectively mitigating risks.
Know anyone who would find this publication and this guide useful? Share this publication and they will get immediate access!
These are the main news we found interesting for this week:
Greentube Alderney Limited, trading as Admiral Casino, has been fined by the Gambling Commission in the UK £1 million for failing to implement its social responsibility and anti-money laundering policies. The operator failed to properly assess customer income and vulnerability, verify customer documents, and identify suspicious activity. They also neglected to adequately scrutinize customer occupations and potential conflicts of interest, and failed to investigate potential links between accounts.
Cristine Petitfrere, 30, from Miramar, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for personally laundering money from romance scams. Petitfrere funneled money from victims to overseas co-conspirators and kept a portion for herself. She laundered over $2.7 million and was ordered to forfeit over $203,000 in proceeds that she personally received as part of those activities.
The U.S. agreed to share $50 million in forfeited assets with Estonia in recognition of their assistance in the Danske Bank prosecution. Danske Bank pleaded guilty to defrauding U.S. banks by concealing high-risk customers. Estonia provided crucial evidence in the investigation. The funds will be used by Estonia to combat financial crime, enhance asset recovery, and improve international cooperation in law enforcement.
In case you missed these posts:
Monday 6th January: What is Proliferation Financing? (2 min read)
Tuesday 7th January: Monthly Newsletter – GET YOUR FREE GIFT (8 min read)
Wednesday 8th January: Does AI know you better than yourself? (2 min read)
Thursday 9th January: How did Bernie Madoff went undetected for so long? (1 min read)
Friday 10th January: Friday Career Tips: If you want to succeed in an interview… (1 min read)
And if you are a compliance officer in Cyprus, join me for an evening of networking and discussion. The event is sponsored by Binderr. Register here.
Bernie Madoff's Ponzi Scheme: How it Went Undetected for So Long (3 min read)
That's all for this week! Wishing you a productive and relaxing weekend.
AML Cube and its associates can assist you with:
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Don't hesitate to schedule a call with our team to discuss how we can help.
Best regards,
Anna Stylianou