Lenders | Certain Risk

Photo of a sign in Venezuela for the oil company PDVSA. — “PDVSA 5 de Julio” by Wilfredor (2009), Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Edited from the original. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PDVSA_5_de_Julio.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Secret Audio Recording Catches Launderers Discussing How to Hide PDVSA Loot

Secret audio recorded in Madrid in 2017 captures “shadow bankers” laying out a plan to launder millions of dollars tied to corruption at Venezuela’s state oil company, including a proposed bond swap designed to evade anti-money laundering controls

Photo of Deutsche Bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. — “FRA Deutsche Bank.jpg” — Nordenfan, via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FRA_Deutsche_Bank.jpg

Deutsche Bank Raid Focused on Same Years as Earlier BVI Probe

German authorities raided Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt and a separate office in Berlin as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

A photo of a Bank of Scotland branch in Halifax — “Bank of Scotland Halifax” — Secret Pilgrim, via Flickr — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/umdrums/2828957108 — Edited from the original.

Bank of Scotland Fined £160,000 for Failing to Flag Blacklisted Putin Ally

The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has levied a £160,000 monetary penalty on Lloyds Banking Group for violations of Russia sanctions made by its subsidiary Bank of Scotland Plc.

Banco Santander, Punta Arenas at the south corner of Plaza Muñoz Gamero (also known as Plaza de Armas) at the junction of Avenidas 21 de Mayo and Pantano. — Robert Cutts, “Banco Santander, Punta Arenas” (2015), Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/panr/17020952200/ (edited from the original: cropped and text/graphics added). License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Santander Fined Over €40mn for AML Violations at Digital Unit

Banco Santander has been fined more than €40 million by Spain’s anti-money laundering (AML) watchdog Sepblac for past shortcomings in internal processes at its digital unit.

Photo of James Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase at the Annual Meeting 2013 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2013. — “The Global Financial Context: James Dimon” — World Economic Forum / swiss-image.ch (Photo: Remy Steinegger), licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Global_Financial_Context_James_Dimon.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ Changes: none

Trump Sues JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon over Alleged ‘Woke’ Debanking

President Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon on Thursday, alleging the bank closed his and related entities’ accounts for political reasons following the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol, CNBC reported.

Photo of anti-Hamas protestors in Manchester, UK as British hostage Emily Damari arrives in Israel.

OFAC Levies Sanctions on Hamas-Linked Charities

The U.S. is targeting Hamas’ covert support network, including six Gaza-based nonprofits that purportedly masquerade as medical charities while supporting the Palestinian group’s militant wing.

Photo of Nelson Tanure standing in front of a bookcase. — Marco Antonio Lima Santos (2022-01-26). “Tanure.am4 (1 de 1).png.” Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted from the original (edits: [briefly describe your changes]). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tanure.am4_(1_de_1).png License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Brazil Justice Freezes Nelson Tanure’s Assets in Banco Master Investigation

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the assets of veteran entrepreneur Nelson Tanure to be frozen as part of an investigation into failed lender Banco Master SA, according to a January 6th decision seen by Bloomberg.

U.S. Virgin Islands, Department of Justice, Sexual Offender Registry Photograph of Jeffrey Epstein, edited

Senator Seeks Info on $378mn in BNY Wire Transfers Tied to Epstein

Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, is pressing Bank of New York Mellon Corp. for details about $378 million in wire transfers the bank processed involving accounts linked to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Bloomberg report.

Photograph of Yulia Tymoshenko, former president of Ukraine — “Зустріч Зеленського з керівництвом ВРУ, 1.jpg” (May 21, 2019) by President.gov.ua, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Ukraine Charges Former PM Tymoshenko with Soliciting Bribes

Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities have charged former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko with allegedly offering bribes to lawmakers from other parties in exchange for parliamentary votes, according to OCCRP.

A photograph of a mural in Venezuela that reads "Chavez y Maduro X siempre"

Despite U.S. Push, Compliance Risks Remain Deterrent for Firms in Venezuela

President Donald Trump’s apparent green light for doing business in Venezuela is unlikely to prompt a rush of corporate investment, even if U.S. sanctions are rolled back, according to recent reporting by Dow Jones Risk Journal.