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FINRA Censures MCAP LLC Over Critical Failures in Anti-Money Laundering Oversight
MCAP LLC has been formally censured by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority following the discovery of substantial shortcomings in its anti-money laundering compliance framework. The enforcement action stems from the firm’s failure to meet essential regulatory obligations, particularly those requiring routine evaluation of systems intended to detect and prevent financial crime. According to the findings, these deficiencies underscore the broader obligation placed on me
6 days ago4 min read


Tribunal Upholds £68,000 Fine Against Scott-Moncrieff and Associates Over AML Failures
Scott-Moncrieff and Associates has lost its appeal against a £68,000 penalty imposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority after a tribunal confirmed serious shortcomings in the firm’s financial crime controls. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that the regulator’s original decision was sound, finding that the firm permitted millions of dollars to flow through its client accounts without adequate proof of legitimate legal services underpinning those transactions. Th
6 days ago5 min read


South Korean Regulators Crack Down on Coinone Over Major Anti-Money Laundering Failures
South Korea’s financial authorities have imposed a 5.2 billion won penalty alongside a three-month partial suspension of operations on the cryptocurrency exchange Coinone after uncovering widespread deficiencies in its anti-money laundering controls. The action follows an extensive investigation conducted by the Financial Intelligence Unit, which identified roughly 70,000 cases in which the platform failed to properly verify user identities in accordance with national legal r
6 days ago5 min read


Dutch Prosecutors Move Toward Legal Action Against Rabobank Over Compliance Failures
The public prosecution department is preparing to initiate legal proceedings against Rabobank over its alleged failure to adhere to regulations concerning money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According to a brief statement released on Wednesday, the bank did not adequately examine “unusual transactions” conducted by its clients over an extended period. The investigation, which is approaching its final stages, focuses on activities spanning from October 2016 throug
Apr 71 min read


AMF Imposes €450,000 Penalty on Kerdiz Finance Over AML and Compliance Failures
A €450,000 penalty handed down by the AMF against Kerdiz Finance et Conseil and its senior managers has brought to light significant shortcomings in anti-money laundering controls, alongside broader regulatory breaches. The ruling targets an investment advisory firm that failed to comply with multiple obligations under French law, with authorities identifying serious weaknesses in due diligence, transaction monitoring, governance structures, and client protection measures. Th
Apr 65 min read


Merricks Solicitors Penalized After AML Failures Expose Gaps in Compliance Systems
Merricks Solicitors Limited has reached a regulatory settlement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority following an investigation that revealed substantial weaknesses in its defenses against financial crime. The agreement arises from the firm’s failure to maintain critical records required under national anti-money laundering regulations, a lapse that ultimately led to disciplinary action. By accepting the outcome and agreeing to pay the costs associated with the investigat
Mar 316 min read


SRA Settlement with Ranson Houghton LLP Highlights Longstanding AML Compliance Failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has concluded a regulatory settlement with Ranson Houghton LLP following an extensive investigation into the firm’s anti-money laundering systems, bringing the matter to a close in March 2026. The outcome followed a desk-based review conducted by the regulator’s proactive supervision team, which uncovered persistent and long-running compliance deficiencies. Central to the findings was the firm’s failure to maintain a properly documented fir
Mar 306 min read


New Mexico Jury Delivers ‘Historic’ Verdict Against Meta Over Platform Safety Failures
A jury in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties after concluding that the company misled users about the safety of its platforms and facilitated harm, including incidents of child sexual exploitation. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, marks the first time a jury has held Meta legally responsible for actions carried out via its platforms. The case was initiated by the state attorney general’s office in December 2023, following a two-year investigat
Mar 274 min read


FINRA Censures Herold and Lantern Investments, Imposes $125,000 Penalty Over Anti-Money Anti-Money Failures
Herold and Lantern Investments Incorporated has been formally censured and ordered to pay a $125,000 penalty by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after regulators uncovered major shortcomings in the firm’s anti-money laundering safeguards. The enforcement action followed findings that the brokerage failed to establish a compliance framework capable of reasonably detecting and reporting suspicious activity related to low-priced securities between November 2020 and Ma
Mar 66 min read


OFSI Details Compliance Failures Behind £160,000 Bank of Scotland Fine, Emphasizes Lessons for Sanctions Enforcement
Officials from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) have returned to the enforcement action against Bank of Scotland Plc, providing a detailed breakdown of the compliance lapses that resulted in a £160,000 fine. The case, linked to the UK’s Russia sanctions regime, underscores how even minor technical oversights in screening processes can allow sanctioned individuals to move capital undetected. By analyzing failures in automated systems and internal escalat
Feb 264 min read


Austrian Regulator Freezes KuCoin EU Operations Over Compliance Failures Amid Broader Global Scrutiny
Austria’s chief financial watchdog, Financial Market Authority of Austria, has delivered a decisive administrative ruling against KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH, effectively blocking the cryptocurrency platform from onboarding new clients or rolling out new products after identifying serious deficiencies in its internal governance structure. The enforcement action followed the regulator’s determination that the company no longer retained the mandatory personnel required to oversee r
Feb 254 min read


ECB Fines J.P. Morgan SE €12.18 Million Over Prolonged Risk Reporting Failures
The European Central Bank has imposed administrative penalties totaling €12.18 million on J.P. Morgan SE after identifying long-running inaccuracies in the bank’s regulatory reporting. The sanctions stem from systemic errors in the calculation of risk-weighted assets, a core metric underpinning the resilience of the international banking system. Supervisors concluded that, for several years, the institution failed to present an accurate picture of its risk exposure due to def
Feb 246 min read


Isle of Man Regulator Fines Shelgeyr Limited £200,000 Over Major AML and CFT Compliance Failures
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has released a public enforcement statement detailing serious regulatory violations committed by Shelgeyr Limited, the company behind the Maverick Games brand. The action followed a comprehensive regulatory inspection that uncovered numerous breaches of the Gambling Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Code 2019. Investigators determined that the operator did not sustain adequate safeguards against fin
Feb 174 min read


FINTRAC Fines Windsor Brokerage CAD 107K for Anti-Money Laundering Failures
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has levied an administrative monetary penalty of CAD 107,250 against Manor Windsor Realty Ltd, citing multiple breaches of federal anti-money laundering requirements. The penalty, issued on November 27, 2025, followed a detailed compliance review of the real estate brokerage based in Windsor. According to federal regulators, investigators uncovered four distinct compliance failures that violated Canada’s
Feb 174 min read


Binance’s Billion-Dollar Iran Exposure Raises New Questions About AML Failures and Compliance Culture
The international financial sector has been shaken once again by revelations tied to the $4.3 billion settlement that was originally intended to transform how Binance manages high-risk financial activity. New reporting published in February 2026 indicates that more than $1 billion in funds associated with Iranian actors allegedly flowed through the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange between early 2024 and late 2025. The situation underscores a growing conflict between
Feb 174 min read


UK Law Firm Fined £10,462 Over Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Failures
Castle Sanderson Limited has been ordered to pay a financial penalty of 10,462 pounds after reaching a regulatory settlement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The Leeds-based legal practice, which offers services including conveyancing, wills, and probate, was sanctioned following an investigation that identified ongoing deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) systems. Regulators found that the firm failed to maintain sufficient internal policies and did
Feb 114 min read


SRA Tightens Scrutiny on Small Law Firms After AML Failures Lead to Fine for Newcastle Practice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is placing increasing emphasis on supervising smaller legal practices, demonstrated by a recent £1,596 fine issued to a Newcastle-based firm following serious failures in money laundering record-keeping. The enforcement action against Caisson Turner Legal Services reflects a broader shift in regulatory strategy, where smaller firms are no longer shielded from proactive oversight based on their size. The SRA investigation revealed an eight-y
Feb 104 min read


Estate Agents Hit With Over £800,000 in Fines as HMRC Cracks Down on AML Failures
HM Revenue & Customs has released its latest roster of businesses sanctioned for failing to comply with money laundering regulations, revealing that estate agents make up almost half of all penalties issued during the period. The newly published data, covering enforcement action between 1 April and 30 September 2025, shows that a total of 369 penalties were imposed across all sectors under HMRC supervision, with combined fines amounting to £1,881,237. Of those, 170 penaltie
Feb 62 min read


Bank Negara Malaysia Penalizes Four Institutions USD 273,614 for AML Reporting Failures
Bank Negara Malaysia has imposed administrative monetary penalties and compounds amounting to USD 273,614 on four separate entities for breaching statutory requirements related to the reporting of suspicious financial transactions. The enforcement actions involve MBSB Bank Berhad, Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank), Boardroom Corporate Services Sdn Bhd, and Ilham Secretarial Services, all of which were found to have fallen short in identifying
Feb 34 min read


Santander Fined Over €40 Million After AML Failures Uncovered at Digital Unit Openbank
Banco Santander SA has been ordered to pay a penalty exceeding €40 million following an extensive supervisory review of the anti-money laundering arrangements at its digital subsidiary, Openbank. Spain’s anti-money laundering authority, Sepblac, concluded that there were material weaknesses in the internal procedures and control systems governing Openbank’s operations in Spain. The sanction, one of the largest ever issued by the watchdog, reflects heightened regulatory pressu
Jan 285 min read
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