Jun ’18 – Aug ’18 Issue

Vol. 17 No. 3

Issue: Vol. 17 No. 3

Featured

Chasing Cultural Property

The theft and trafficking of cultural property, art and antiquities dates back at least 3,000 years to the looting of the graves of pharaohs and kings. Since the time of the first looting, individuals have been trying to hide the…

Cheaters Never Prosper

Every level of society faces corruption. It is a worldwide issue that affects every country to some degree. Transparency International publishes an annual “Corruption Perceptions” Index that ranks countries…


From the Director of Editorial Content

Fighting Financial Crime Requires Honoring Those Who Protect and Serve

The ACAMS Today (AT) Law Enforcement (LE) issue offers an annual opportunity to pause and take note of ACAMS’….

From the Editor

Let the Games Begin

This year has and continues to be an important one for competition. Earlier this year, the world watched the Winter Olympics in South Korea. June marks the beginning of the World Cup in Russia…


Inside this Edition

Cryptocurrencies and the BSA

In late 2008, a person (or persons), writing under the nom de guerre Satoshi Nakamoto, published a nine-page technical paper purporting to have solved the double-spending problem of…


Organ Trafficking: The Unseen Form of Human Trafficking

Organ trafficking, a lucrative global illicit trade, is often a lesser discussed form of human trafficking among anti-human trafficking stakeholders due to its intricate and often stealth…


Chasing Cultural Property

The theft and trafficking of cultural property, art and antiquities dates back at least 3,000 years to the looting of the graves of pharaohs and kings. Since the time of the first looting…


Shalini Pavithran: The Impact of MSBs in Malaysia

ACAMS Today had the opportunity to speak with Shalini Pavithran, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Malaysian Association of Money Services Business (MAMSB), about….


Life-Changing Suits: Befitting Occupations

From belt keepers to gatekeepers, the transition from the public to the private sector may seem like a natural fit. However, how does law enforcement experience measure up when compared…


A Great Gangster Story with a Lesson on Leadership

Good stories usually have five key elements: a likable protagonist that selflessly rises to the occasion; a malevolent antagonist seeking to oppress others; an impactful event that sets the…


Border Less

This past February, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report entitled “Bank Secrecy Act: Derisking along the Southwest Border Highlights Need for Regulators to…


Cheaters Never Prosper

Every level of society faces corruption. It is a worldwide issue that affects every country to some degree. Transparency International publishes an annual “Corruption Perceptions” Index that ranks…


Tuning Up BSA/AML

When it comes to the Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML), law enforcement needs to be better financial institution translators (FIT). While their private sector…


A Post-Task Force Paradigm: The Community of Interest

“It may be that, in the strategic context of a particular jurisdiction, more than one model can be adopted to deal with different issues or geographic levels of information sharing, rather than having…


European Connect: June–August 2018

During July and August, many of you will be taking two or three weeks away from the office to relax, recharge and reconnect with friends and family. I will certainly be doing that this year and I…


Hard Times for Whistleblowers

In 2015, ACAMS’ European account manager David Sanchez Lopez, based in France, met Stéphanie Gibaud at an ACAMS networking event in London, U.K. The ACAMS France Chapter…


Erik Barnett: The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships

ACAMS Today spoke with Erik Barnett, regional head of Europe for Financial Crime Threat Mitigation (FCTM) at HSBC, on money laundering risks in Europe, counterterrorism and virtual…


Peter Warrack, CAMS: From Law Enforcement to Cryptocurrencies

ACAMS Today spoke with Peter Warrack, chief compliance officer of Bitfinex, to discuss his experience in law enforcement, banking, cryptocurrencies, Project Protect and more. Peter Warrack…


SAR Narratives: Law Enforcement Expectations

The Northern New Jersey (NJ) Chapter hosted an event on March 29, 2018, titled SAR Narratives: Law Enforcement Expectations. The NJ Chapter coordinated this event to get a better…


Denise Nova: Event Planning and Technology

ACAMS Today chatted with Denise Nova, ACAMS’ event logistics supervisor, about planning ACAMS conferences and her favorite event. Nova was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She initially…


Stuart G. Berman, CAMS, CFE—Chicago, IL, USA

Stuart Berman began his career as a securities enforcement auditor with the Illinois Securities Department. As an auditor, he specialized in detecting promissory note Ponzi schemes and…


Elisa Castrolugo—Houston, TX, USA

Elisa Castrolugo, a former federal criminal prosecutor and immigration judge, is an international legal consultant in the areas of anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing…


Andrew McDonald—London, U.K.

Andrew McDonald served over 30 years with the Metropolitan Police Service, of which 20 years were with specialist covert and overt operations within counter-terrorist or organized crime…


Kent Stern, CAMS-FCI—Boca Raton, FL, USA

Kent Stern is the director and lead data-mining architect for CodeCenters International. In 1987, he started the company with a small team of engineers who specialized in designing software…


Real Considerations for Law Enforcement in Seizing Virtual Currency

Myths continue to girdle virtual (crypto) currencies, including that they are anonymous and exclusively used by criminals to purchase items on the darknet or to launder money. Bitcoin is…


Challenges and Best Practices Surrounding the BSA/AML Independent Reviews

Issues involving the independent reviews of Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) were amongst the most frequently cited BSA/AML examination findings for community…


Are you missing the smoking gun?

As techniques, typologies, schemes and conduits used for money laundering and terrorist financing become more complex, sophisticated and less transparent, the ability to prove an…


Cybersecurity: Confronting Impersonation Fraud as Banks Reorganize

High-profile organizational changes in banks and other financial institutions may present media-savvy fraudsters with opportunities to commit scams on unsuspecting customers. Law…


Regulating a Game Changer—Europe’s Approach to Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are seen as bringing innovation to the payments-services sector; furthering financial inclusion; and facilitating greater efficiency in cross-border transactions…