AML Conversations

This week the US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held hearing on the federal response to the drug overdose epidemic. John and Elliot discuss key themes of the hearings, interesting elements of the testimony, and insights into how the traffickers are moving their ill-gotten gains.

Adverse Media Screening is a powerful tool for KYC and EDD. During this installment of AML Conversations, John Byrne discusses how AMS can be a key part of an effective financial crime compliance program with Adrian Gardner, Head of KYC at Cash App and Eve Whittaker, Senior Account Manager at Arachnys.

This session covers the recently released report by Polaris and The Avery Center on how two financial institutions, working with a human trafficking survivor, were able to develop five themes on how traffickers moved funds derived from their illicit activities.

This week US banking regulators asked for comment on proposed interagency guidance on third-party relationships. The proposed guidance will replace existing guidance, some of which dates to 2009. John and Elliot discuss the proposal, what financial service providers should consider as this proposal becomes final, and how the proposal may impact the examination process.

The FATF has issued it’s second 12-month review of its revised standards for virtual assets and virtual asset providers. John Byrne, Executive Vice President and Elliot Berman, Creative Director of the AML RightSource staff, sit down and discuss the key elements of the review and its implications for global compliance in this emerging area.

This week FinCEN issued the first Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism National Priorities. They identify eight areas of focus for the next four years. John and Elliot discuss the Priorities, what they mean for the focus of enforcement going forward, how they may impact the examination process, and how FIs may consider responding publication of the Priorities.

This week John and Elliot discuss the recent FinCEN recognition of a number of organizations related to the use of a Bank Secrecy Act, how they are using the data to aid in law enforcement efforts. They go through a handful of the examples listed in the document, and also talk about how friends of the show made this list!

John Davidson, AML expert from the securities industry, shares his views on the difference between traditional banking and securities, recent cases and actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and how he sees the financial crime prevention area changing in the coming years.

The US Administration is continuing its focus on domestic terrorism. This week it published its National Strategy for Combatting Domestic Terrorism. This week, Executive Vice President John Byrne, and Creative Director Elliot Berman of the AML RightSource staff discuss the key elements of the strategy and what it may mean for Bank Secrecy Act compliance going forward.

In this episode of AML Conversations, John Byrne sits down with Kerry Donley, a financial services executive who spent 18 years on the Alexandria, VA City Council and as Mayor for 8 of those years. Kerry had to navigate work-life balance with the added challenge of public service. He has dealt with the impact of 9/11 on his community, working closely with law enforcement and the unique nature of historical Alexandria that contains the home of George Washington. A compelling and insightful conversation that is relevant to today’s challenges.