Dec ’17 – Feb ’18 Issue

Issue 17.1

Issue: Vol. 17 No. 1

Featured

Celebrating Excellence

Each year ACAMS is honored to recognize members at the award ceremony during the Las Vegas conference. This year, at the 16th Annual AML and Financial Crime Conference, ACAMS recognized several innovative…

The Best of AML

Every month, anti-money laundering (AML) professionals from both the public and private sectors are nominated and selected to win the ACAMS AML Professional of the Month Award. AML professionals are picked for…


From the Director of Editorial Content

World Peace Through AML!

The title is catchy and hopeful, but perhaps a little too much to put on the anti-money laundering (AML) community. Still, in the midst of all the conflict between…

From the Editor

Reflections of Greatness

In 2018, we will have the opportunity to witness excellence, greatness and talent during the approximately two-week period of the Winter Olympic Games…


Inside this Edition

Project Protect: An In-Depth Review of the Public-Private Partnership to Combat Human Trafficking in Canada

Ending human trafficking is often regarded as an issue of others, as opposed to a domestic priority. One could argue that this preconception is a derivative of the label given to the acts…


Leveraging Your Community to Survive Beneficial Ownership

We in the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) world are accustomed to keeping our noses to the grindstone and getting the job done. From early morning to late in the evening, we read news…


AML in Asia: 2017 in Review

The common themes in anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory developments for 2017 binding various Asian jurisdictions together are the emergence of public-private partnerships…


The Best of AML

Every month, anti-money laundering (AML) professionals from both the public and private sectors are nominated and selected to win the ACAMS AML Professional of the Month Award…


The Networking Mindset

It is 2017 and as an active social media user, I keep my LinkedIn page updated and detailed, so I have recruiters calling me daily. But for some reason, networking events—the analog…


Death SARs

If you follow that proven investigative tactic of “follow the money” to the end, sometimes you may just find that it leads to a literal “dead end.” Lots of scandalous deeds have been done…


Anti-Money Laundering Effectiveness Ratings: Ranking Countries and Outcomes

Contemporary anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) practice has shifted toward evaluating the effectiveness of money laundering controls. In addition…


Community Bankers and Fintech

The Community Banking Corner section provides useful tips for Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) professionals in community banks to help them in their…


ACAMS Today Coloring Contest

The first cover is colored without “transparency.” The second cover is a scan of the first cover inside of a colored transparency sheet. The “red” flags of suspicious activity are revealed…


Looking Ahead at Europe in 2018

I am proud that at ACAMS we build relationships. We build relationships between people, organizations and countries, and as a membership and training organization, we teach people…


Ultimate Beneficial Ownership

The Fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (4AMLD) came into force in 2015 and was due to be implemented in all EU countries by June 26, 2017.1 However, some countries…


Celebrating Excellence

Each year ACAMS is honored to recognize members at the award ceremony during the Las Vegas conference. This year, at the 16th Annual AML and Financial Crime Conference, ACAMS…


Emerging Financial Crime Threats for 2018

As the techniques used by criminals continue to develop and become more sophisticated, what are the most significant threats faced by the industry in 2018 and which measures…


ACAMS Germany Chapter Activities in 2017

Throughout 2017, the ACAMS Germany Chapter has continued to develop its activities and engage with anti-money laundering (AML) professionals across Germany. Events hosted in…


The Compliance Officer University Degree

In 2017, ACAMS participated in the first promotion of the compliance officer university degree, delivered by the University of Versailles, in France. The program was supervised by the…


Best Practices to Successfully Implement an AML Monitoring System

In the era of “big data,” automated surveillance in our field of expertise has become inevitable. Although technology may never be able to completely replace humans when it comes to…


Build Today for Change Tomorrow

We have, perhaps unknowingly and unwittingly, created our most powerful weapon to fight against the bad guys—data. For that, we can thank the internet, social media and our need for…


Casinos: Building a Culture of Compliance

Developing and maintaining a culture of compliance has not been “top of mind” in the casino industry. The question is, “why?” If we look to the past, we will find the answer. The casino industry…


Navigating Early Termination for FDIC Loss Share Agreements

Over the last few years, our economy has experienced a tremendous recovery from the crisis in 2008, with the financial health of consumers and business alike beginning to…


Tim McClinton: ACAMS’ Goals in 2018

ACAMS Today sat down with Tim McClinton, president and managing director for ACAMS, to speak about his goals for ACAMS and what has impressed him most about the…


Julia Ablin, CAMS—Paris, France

Julia Ablin has 14 years of experience with financial institutions. A few months ago, Ablin joined the subsidiary of China Construction Bank located in Paris where she assumed the…


Robert-Michael Ablin, CAMS—Paris, France

Robert-Michael Ablin has over 18 years of experience with financial institutions where he has held a number of operational and risk management leadership roles. Ablin is currently…


Mohammad Habibur Rahman, CAMS, CDCS—Dhaka, Bangladesh

Mohammad Habibur Rahman is the assistant vice president and head of financial institutions at Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and a member of the bank’s central compliance unit…