A Timor-Leste Firm Links Trump’s World Liberty to a Sanctioned Fraud Syndicate
A politically connected blockchain project that partnered with the Trump family’s crypto firm promoted a proposed resort in Timor-Leste involving three people later sanctioned by the United States for ties to the Prince Group, an alleged Southeast Asian scam syndicate.
London Has Become an Important Destination for Iranian Funds
Iranian-linked wealth has continued to find its way into London property despite years of Western sanctions, with luxury homes, apartments, and a boutique hotel tied to figures accused by British and U.S. authorities of supporting Tehran’s sanctions-evasion networks.
UBS Moved Millions for Ghislaine Maxwell After 2019 Subpoena
UBS AG processed an $8-million transfer for Ghislaine Maxwell in late 2019 that ultimately helped fund the cash purchase of the New Hampshire estate where she later went into hiding before her 2020 arrest.
An Opaque of Web of Loans Raises Due-Diligence Questions in MFS Collapse
The collapse of British property lender Market Financial Solutions (MFS) is exposing what Bloomberg described as an alleged collateral fraud that may leave lenders facing as much as £1.3 billion in losses and is raising new concerns about due diligence in private credit.
Italy Seizes Tuscany Properties Tied to Alleged Swindle of Ursula Andress
Italian authorities have seized assets worth about €20 million in Tuscany that investigators say were purchased with money embezzled from actor Ursula Andress.
U.S. Judge Strikes Down FinCEN Rule on Cash Real-Estate Purchases
A U.S. judge has struck down a Treasury Department rule that required disclosure of the beneficial owners of companies making all-cash real estate purchases, dealing a setback to a Biden-era effort to curb money laundering through the property market.
FCA to Investigate MFS Collapse Amid Fraud Allegations
Britain’s financial regulator has opened an investigation into collapsed mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions, marking the first formal regulatory probe into the Mayfair-based group after its failure amid fraud allegations.
Blacklisted by OFSI, Iran Banker Lives in Spanish Villa Bought with UK Firm
An Iranian banker sanctioned by Britain for allegedly helping finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) owns a luxury villa in Marbella through the Spanish subsidiary of a UK company.
Australia’s Worsening Mortgage Fraud Scandal Spurs Talk of AML Changes
Major Australian banks are working with the country’s financial-crimes watchdog to assess the scale of an alleged mortgage fraud scheme that may extend well beyond an earlier A$1 billion estimate.
Viktor Orban and the Palatial Hapsburg Manor He Says He Doesn’t Own
Hungary’s long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing mounting political pressure ahead of an April 12 election as a sprawling estate in his home village becomes a flashpoint for opposition claims of corruption.