US, UK and Australia Blacklist Russian ‘Bulletproof’ Hosting Firms Tied to Ransomware Attacks
The United States, Britain and Australia have imposed coordinated sanctions on Russian technology companies and individuals accused of providing key online infrastructure for ransomware and other cyberattacks, Reuters reported.
Brazil Weighs Taxing Cross-Border Crypto Payments
Brazil’s government is weighing plans to tax the use of cryptocurrencies in international payments, targeting a fast-growing channel for moving money across borders, according to a Reuters report.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s Gold Toilet Problem
Law enforcement raids on luxury Kyiv apartments, including one bathroom fitted with a golden toilet, and images of duffel bags stuffed with cash have plunged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration into its biggest corruption crisis since he took office, the Financial Times reported.
Singapore Seen as Destination for ‘Scam Farm’ Proceeds
Singapore is facing renewed scrutiny over its defenses against dirty money after police seized hundreds of millions of dollars in assets linked to the Prince Group, a conglomerate labelled by U.S. and UK authorities as a “transnational criminal empire,” according to the Financial Times.
Wildlife Trafficking’s Ties to Guns, Drugs and Human Smuggling
Wildlife traffickers are funneling dirty money through the same financial pipelines used for such illicit activity as human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and the illegal sale of weapons around the world, according to new University of Waterloo research cited by CBC News.
Brazil Imposes AML Rules on VASPs, Stablecoins
Brazil’s central bank unveiled long-awaited rules for virtual assets on Monday, extending anti–money laundering (AML) and counterterrorism financing (CTF) obligations to crypto firms and classifying fiat-pegged crypto transactions as foreign-exchange operations, Reuters reported.
Albanian Organized Crime Seen as Growing Threat in Europe
Albanian organized crime groups have tightened their grip at home and expanded across Europe while drawing minimal pushback from Brussels, according to a Follow the Money investigation conducted with media partner BLAST.
California Crime Ring Using ID Docs of Foreign Scholars to Defraud Financial Firms
ID thieves based in California’s San Fernando Valley and Glendale have been using the Social Security Numbers of foreign scholars who left the U.S. years ago to file hundreds of bank and credit-card applications, according to a cybercrime expert who spoke with the Los Angeles Times.
Ex-NAB Staffer Charged as Alleged ‘Gatekeeper’ for $200mn Fraud Syndicate
Australian authorities charged a former National Australia Bank employee they allege acted as the “gatekeeper of funds” for a Sydney crime syndicate accused of defrauding “all financial institutions,” according to a Reuters report.
Ex-EU Commissioner Charged with Money Laundering
Belgian authorities have officially charged former European commissioner Didier Reynders with money laundering, a person familiar with the case confirmed to Follow the Money. He is not being held in custody.