In Focus Archives - ACAMS Today

Advice from a veteran and AFC professional

November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 /Leave a comment

I joined the Army a few months after September 11, 2001 (9/11). Military service runs in my family with relatives serving in the Civil War, World War II and Vietnam. A few months before I joined, I obtained the Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts...

AFC Challenges, Compliance, In Focus

Terrorist financing since 9/11: How the threat and the response have evolved

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 /Leave a comment

As we pause to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), we are reminded that 9/11 has forever changed how the world combats terrorist financing. The 9/11 attacks triggered a revolution in the financial surveillance landscape, forcing governments and institutions to rethink the...

AFC Challenges, Fraud, Fraud Alert, In Focus

Leveraging national security priorities for an enhanced counter-fraud response

July 30, 2025August 13, 2025 /Leave a comment

Recent assessments by agencies such as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have highlighted the evolving and complex nature of the fraud threat landscape. Instead of opportunistic scammers, this landscape...

AFC Challenges, Compliance, Fraud, In Focus

When secrets become currency: A deep dive into insider trading

July 11, 2025 /Leave a comment

Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of the Galleon Group, once one of Wall Street’s powerful hedge funds, had mastered the art of secrets. He relied on a network of insiders, notably executives at major companies like IBM, Intel and Goldman Sachs, to feed him confidential information....

AFC Challenges, Global Financial Crime Review, In Focus

Sovereign Wealth Funds: The Blind Spot in Global Financial Crime

June 3, 2025July 3, 2025 /Leave a comment

In the beginning of 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the first-ever U.S. sovereign wealth fund (SWF), marking a historic shift in the U.S. economic policy. Around the same time, Indonesia launched Danantara SWF, designed to attract investment in metal processing, artificial...

AFC Challenges, Compliance, Global Financial Crime Review, In Focus

Offshore Trust Structures and Feeder Fund Mechanisms

May 15, 2025May 23, 2025 /Leave a comment

Offshore trusts and feeder funds remain highly effective instruments utilized by illicit actors aiming to introduce compromised funds into the U.S. financial system. While standard compliance frameworks commonly address clear-cut transactions and overt indicators, the intricate connections between privacy-focused jurisdictions, complex trust formations and intermediary...

AFC Challenges, Compliance, In Focus

Next-Generation Financial Crime Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessments

May 6, 2025May 30, 2025 /Leave a comment

As the financial services landscape grows more dynamic, the stakes have never been higher. The importance of robust financial crime risk management frameworks cannot be overstated. Enterprise- wide risk assessments (EWRAs) are a North Star for these, playing a critical role in supporting a risk-based...

AFC Challenges, Compliance, In Focus

Financial Crime: Emerging Threats and Game-Changing Technology

April 2, 2025 /Leave a comment

Financial crime has long been a challenge for global economies, evolving with each advancement in technology and globalization. From traditional crimes like money laundering and fraud to modern schemes exploiting digital platforms, the landscape of financial crime is more complex than ever. This article explores...

Badge Bulletin, Compliance, In Focus, March – May 2025

When to Make the Call to LE

March 19, 2025March 19, 2025 /Leave a comment

Public-private partnerships are all the rage these days. It seems one cannot scroll social media or flip through industry magazines without seeing references to public-private partnerships. And rightly so. As Kenneth A. Blanco, chief compliance officer for the Financial Crimes Unit at Citigroup and former...

Acceso LatAm, Español, In Focus

Sanciones contra Cuba y Venezuela: Obstáculo al desarrollo económico

March 5, 2025 /Leave a comment

Las sanciones económicas se han convertido en una herramienta habitual de la política exterior de muchos países, utilizada para ejercer presión sobre gobiernos que consideran hostiles o contrarios a sus intereses. En el caso de Cuba y Venezuela, EE.UU. y otros países han implementado una...

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