ACAMS Today Article of the Year Award

Mavis Bennett, CAMS, is a compliance professional with 15 years of experience working within various aspects of an anti-money laundering/Bank Secrecy Act (AML/BSA) program. Working in this space has afforded Bennett a number of opportunities that have brought continuous growth and development to her career. Bennett is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) through ACAMS and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Bennet is the recipient of the 2025 ACAMS Today Article of the Year Award.

ACAMS Today: Congratulation on winning this year’s ACAMS Today Article of the Year Award for your article “The Black Market for Used Cooking Oil.” Can you share with us what you think set your article apart from other articles this year?

MB: All of the articles that have been published in ACAMS Today this year were great and very engaging. However, I think what sets my article apart from the other articles is the uniqueness of the topic. As an anti-financial crime (AFC) professional, we are trained to seek and be aware of the potential for money laundering and other financial crimes being conducted through the financial system and in financial institutions (FIs). But I don’t think any of us would consider a black market or any type of substantial financial crime would be conducted involving used cooking oil. Also, I think with the heightened global initiatives on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, my article brought awareness to the positive presence of transforming waste into useful products, along with the unfortunate presence of a black market involving theft and money laundering even in a seemingly harmless space.

AT: What inspired you to write about this topic and how did you become aware of this unusual form of financial crime?

MB: I saw this crime being reported on the local television news in my area and it simply appeared to be unbelievable―and somewhat humorous. To confirm what I saw, I searched online regarding the black market for used cooking oil and found that this is a significant problem occurring throughout the country and globally. To bring awareness of this financial crime, I decided to write an article for ACAMS Today to remind us that financial crimes can occur in the most unassuming spaces and that we should continue to remain vigilant in our roles as AFC professionals.

AT: You have written several articles for ACAMS Today in addition to this one. What drew you to writing and what do you enjoy about it?

MB: Knowledge is power, and I enjoy sharing purposeful information―particularly information that helps us grow and become more knowledgeable as compliance and AFC professionals. Also, writing an article about a topic that we can all learn from is extremely rewarding.

AT: What advice would you give to other AFC professionals who are interested in writing for ACAMS Today?

MB: For anyone interested in submitting an article to ACAMS Today, I recommend taking the easiest step, which is writing about something you are most familiar with or where there is a connection. This can include writing about areas of AML, BSA or financial crimes that you deal with on a regular basis. This can also include processes or systems that you interact with or use in your role that assist with the task of fighting financial crimes. This information is valuable, and your applied knowledge in your respective areas makes it easier to write and share with others.

Knowledge is power, and I enjoy sharing purposeful information―particularly information that helps us grow and become more knowledgeable as compliance and AFC professionals

AT: What specific areas of financial crime are you excited to explore next?

MB: For my next article, I am not exactly looking into one specific area within financial crime. I am open to and seeking topics that have not been discussed―or not very often. Unfortunately, the areas within financial crime are constantly changing, but with the many changes this will provide a constant stream of new topics with different schemes and dimensions about which to write and share. Also, the constant changes will in turn bring adjustments to the laws surrounding the prevention, detection and reporting of these crimes. This includes changes to internal processes and system enhancements within FIs, leading to a wide variety of new topics to discuss.

Interviewed by Karla Monterrosa-Yancey, CAMS, editor-in-chief, ACAMS, editor@acams.org