To the surprise of no one, FinCEN announced today that it is extending the Geographic Targeting Order, or GTO, regarding real estate transactions....more
On Monday, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding customer due diligence (CDD) requirements for covered financial institutions. The FAQs supplement FinCEN’s...more
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) just issued another Advisory pertaining to two consumer fraud schemes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. ...more
On May 18, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued an Advisory “to alert financial institutions to rising medical scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This [A]dvisory contains red flags, descriptions of...more
As expected, on May 8, 2020, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) reissued its Geographic Targeting Orders (“GTOs”) requiring U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind legal entities...more
5/13/2020
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Beneficial Owner ,
BSA/AML ,
FinCEN ,
Geographic Targeting Order ,
Money Laundering ,
Real Estate Investments ,
Real Estate Market ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Title Insurance ,
Virtual Currency
On May 4, the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) issued a paper entitled “Covid-19-Related Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing – Risk and Policy Responses (“Paper”). ...more
5/11/2020
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
BSA/AML ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corruption ,
FATF ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Fraud ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Transactions ,
FinCEN ,
Money Laundering ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
Some Commentary on the Unfortunate Relationship Between Crisis and Fraud -
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) released an update (“Update”) on its March 16, 2020 COVID-19 Notice, on which we previously...more
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) just issued a release, entitled “The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Encourages Financial Institutions to Communicate Concerns Related to the Coronavirus...more
3/17/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Insider Trading ,
Money Laundering ,
Public Health ,
Scams
In its 2020 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (“2020 Strategy”), the U.S. Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) has laid out its AML and money laundering enforcement priorities. Last week, we...more
3/5/2020
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Broker-Dealer ,
BSA/AML ,
Currency Transaction Reports (CTR) ,
FATF ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Foreign Investment ,
Geographic Targeting Order ,
Innovative Technology ,
Legal Representatives ,
Money Laundering ,
Natural Person Requirement ,
Real Estate Investments ,
Real Estate Market ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Service Professionals ,
Title Insurance ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virtual Currency
First in a Two-Post Series -
The U.S. Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) has issued its 2020 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (“2020 Strategy”)....more
2/28/2020
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Broker-Dealer ,
BSA/AML ,
Casinos ,
Corruption ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Digital Assets ,
FATF ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Foreign Correspondent Banking ,
Money Laundering ,
Money Services Business ,
Proposed Rules ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities Transactions ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Terrorism Funding ,
Terrorist Financing Regulations ,
Transparency ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vulnerable Victims ,
White Collar Crimes
AMA Details Components of a Strong AML/BSA Program -
Earlier this month, the American Gaming Association (“AGA”) released an updated Best Practices for Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Compliance (“Best Practices Guidance”)...more
12/31/2019
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Best Practices ,
BSA/AML ,
Casinos ,
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Employee Training ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
FinCEN ,
Gambling ,
Gaming ,
Information Sharing ,
Know Your Customers ,
Money Laundering ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Risk-Based Approaches ,
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
On November 8, 2019, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) reissued its Geographic Targeting Orders (“GTOs”) requiring U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind legal entities used in...more
U.S. House Passes Corporate Transparency Act; FATF Issues Guidance on Identifying Entities’ Beneficial Owners -
First Post in a Two-Post Series on Beneficial Ownership -
As we often blog, the issue of the beneficial...more
11/4/2019
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Best Practices ,
BSA/AML ,
FATF ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinCEN ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Money Laundering ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Shell Corporations ,
Transparency
Testimony Supports Bill Requiring States to Collect Beneficial Ownership Information at Entity Formation -
As we have blogged, the proposed Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 (the “Act”) seeks to ensure that persons who...more
5/24/2019
/ Bank Secrecy Act ,
Beneficial Owner ,
BSA/AML ,
Corporate Structures ,
FATF ,
FBI ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinCEN ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Money Laundering ,
OCC ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Senate Committees ,
Tax Evasion ,
Transparency
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has, once again, extended its Geographic Targeting Order (“GTO”) requiring U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind legal entities used in...more
Alleged Illicit Activity Included Transactions Promoting North Korea’s Missile Program and an Institutional Commitment to Laundering Money -
On February 13, 2018, FinCEN announced that it had proposed a special measure...more
FinCEN recently announced the launching of the “FinCEN Exchange” to enhance information sharing with financial institutions. We previously have blogged about the potential benefits of a public-private partnership between law...more
Part Two of a Three-Part Series -
In the second part of this series, we explore the practical effects of the FinCEN and DOJ guidance documents on industries attempting to serve marijuana related business (“MRBs”). On June...more
7/12/2017
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dispensaries ,
FinCEN ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Money Laundering ,
Retail Market
Part One of a Three-Part Series -
We begin this week with a three-part series on banking and the marijuana industry. States continue to pass medical and recreational use marijuana legislation despite that the fact that the...more
7/11/2017
/ Bank Secrecy Act ,
Banking Sector ,
BSA/AML ,
Cole Memorandum ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dispensaries ,
FinCEN ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
SAR
“Sometimes, the third time really is the charm” wrote the District Court for the District of Columbia on April 14, 2017. In its opinion, the court upheld FinCEN’s imposition of the Patriot Act’s fifth special measure against...more
2016 was a busy year for developments in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the criminal money laundering statutes, forfeiture, and related issues. In part one of our year-in-review, we discuss six key...more
2/3/2017
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
BSA/AML ,
Casinos ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) ,
FATF ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Fines ,
Gambling ,
Gaming ,
Geographic Targeting Order ,
Money Laundering ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Mortgages ,
NYDFS ,
Offshore Funds ,
Panama Papers ,
Popular ,
Real Estate Market ,
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) ,
Tax Evasion