Featured Column Archives

Europe Express, Featured Column, Global Financial Crime Review

Dissecting the Mafia: Calabria’s ‘Ndrangheta

March 17, 2023 /Leave a comment

C alabria, the southern region of Italy referred to as the “toe” of the “boot,” is home to one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in the world—the ‘Ndrangheta. Its ruthlessness has made it one of the major players in the international drug market, allowing...

Community Banking Corner, Featured Column, March - May 2023

Information Sharing: Why Community Banks Should Participate

March 10, 2023March 14, 2023 /Leave a comment

Section 314 of the USA PATRIOT Act, which was passed back in 2001, is a vital portion of the legislation. Anyone who had been in the anti-money laundering/Bank Secrecy Act (AML/BSA) space prior to 2001 understands how significant this change was to the industry. Section...

Career Guidance, Featured Column, March - May 2023

Making the Leap to Management

March 10, 2023March 14, 2023 /Leave a comment

The world of anti-money laundering (AML) provides for many careers at all levels across many industries, including banking, financial technology (fintech), gaming, lending, insurance and many others. Career levels could include entry-level analysts, experienced investigators, team leads, supervisors, managers and department heads. Because the field...

Career Guidance, Featured Column, March - May 2023

What Does a Recruiter Do?

March 10, 2023March 14, 2023 /Leave a comment

Many people have trouble understanding what employment recruiters are and what they do for a living. The irony is that what they do is actually simple—recruiters recruit. Some recruit nurses, while others recruit Java developers. Then there are those who recruit anti-money laundering (AML) and...

Community Banking Corner, Featured Column

Community Banks: Cybersecurity

March 3, 2023 /Leave a comment

Cybersecurity may have been an issue that many considered “IT’s problem” years ago. However, with a never-ending stream of breaches, hacks and attacks making the news, it is and should be top of mind for all bankers. The financial system is a prime target for...

ACAMS Connection, Europe Express, Featured Column

Dissecting the Mafia: Sicily’s Cosa Nostra

February 8, 2023February 23, 2023 /Leave a comment

For the past 100 years, the mafia’s brutal and lawless presence has influenced everything from pop culture to history, extending beyond Italy’s borders to impact crime around the world. The word mafia is used as an informal term for four major groups: Calabria’s ‘Ndrangheta, Campania’s...

Back to the Basics, Featured Column, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, March - May 2023, World Digest

Why Terrorist Organizations Use Human Trafficking

January 25, 2023March 14, 2023 /1 Comment

Editor’s note: This article is the second part of a two-part series on human trafficking and terrorist organizations. The first part is available on ACAMSToday.org. Human trafficking (HT) is used by terrorist organizations to exploit individuals and to carry out or support terrorist activities. In...

Featured Column, Four Questions, Special for the Web

Four Questions: Making Sense of Recent Crypto-asset Developments

December 19, 2022February 9, 2023 /Leave a comment

The collapses of several crypto-assets businesses this year—FTX’s bankruptcy and ensuing scandal being the most recent—have sent the crypto industry into a tailspin. In this installment of our Four Questions column, Joby Carpenter—ACAMS’ global subject matter expert on crypto-assets and illicit finance—talks to ACAMS Today...

Featured Column, Special for the Web, Tech Scope

FTX Co-founder Arrested, Indicted on Eight Counts

December 14, 2022February 9, 2023 /Leave a comment

On Monday, December 12, former FTX Co-founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was arrested in the Bahamas pursuant to criminal charges filed in the Southern District of New York (SDNY). According to a tweet by U.S. Attorney for SDNY Damian Williams announcing the arrest, “USA...

ACAMS Connection, Career Guidance, December 2022 – February 2023, Featured Column

The Fraudulent Candidate Phenomenon

December 12, 2022February 9, 2023 /1 Comment

I thought I had finished writing articles about the effects of the pandemic on work and the employment market. I discussed working from home, returning to the office, the growth of fintech and the renaissance of digital banking and how the new normal would look....

ACAMS Today

The Magazine for Career-minded Professionals in the Anti-Money Laundering Field

Russia’s Hope of Ice Hockey Glory Buried Under Sanctions

Trade Finance Risk and Controls

Is It “Groundhog Day” for Digital Assets?

The Rise of Real Estate Money Laundering

Choppy Waters: Negotiating the Complexities of Sanctions Due Diligence in an Uncertain World

The BSA Tractor

Featured Column

Dissecting the Mafia: Calabria’s ‘Ndrangheta

Information Sharing: Why Community Banks Should Participate

Making the Leap to Management

What Does a Recruiter Do?

Community Banks: Cybersecurity

Dissecting the Mafia: Sicily’s Cosa Nostra

Why Terrorist Organizations Use Human Trafficking

Four Questions: Making Sense of Recent Crypto-asset Developments

FTX Co-founder Arrested, Indicted on Eight Counts

The Fraudulent Candidate Phenomenon