AML Conversations

This week on This Week in AML, John Byrne and Elliot Berman unpack a rapidly evolving risk landscape—from the ongoing war with Iran and its implications for terrorism threats, to new DOJ enforcement policies and global fraud trends reshaping financial crime compliance.

They discuss OFAC’s latest Russia-related license, concerns about the lack of updated DHS threat advisories, and the implications of conflict-driven risks for financial institutions. The conversation also covers major developments in fraud and AML, including new SAR guidance, DOJ updates on voluntary disclosure, AI-enabled fraud, human trafficking trends, and critical reports from Interpol, Nasdaq, and MONEYVAL.

The episode closes with updates from Europe on fraud enforcement and AMLA’s supervision plans, as well as breaking news from the U.S. national security community—offering essential insights for compliance, risk, and financial crime professionals.

A must‑listen for compliance professionals looking to stay current in a rapidly shifting environment.

In this week’s episode of This Week in AML, Elliot Berman and John Byrne break down a wide-ranging set of developments shaping the financial crime landscape. They begin with the U.S. Treasury’s three newly released national risk assessments—money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing—highlighting key findings on fraud trends, shell companies, NPO vulnerabilities, and geopolitical threats.

Elliot and John also discuss emerging insights from the IRS on the value of CTRs, the White House’s new cybersecurity strategy, upcoming AMLA public hearings in the EU, and AUSTRAC’s expanded compulsory examination powers. Additional topics include recent enforcement actions targeting illicit Iranian oil networks, covert Russian vessel-protection teams, and FATF’s updated consolidated assessment ratings.

A must‑listen for compliance professionals looking to stay current in a rapidly shifting environment.

In this timely and eye-opening conversation, John Byrne sits down with leaders from the Charity & Security Network, EarthRights International, and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to explore how the current U.S. AML/CFT environment is reshaping the operating reality for nonprofits.

With the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beginning its mutual evaluation of the United States, the stakes for civil society have never been higher. The guests unpack Recommendation 8, the rise of de-risking, expanding state and federal investigations, and how banks’ compliance decisions—sometimes based on misinformation—can delay humanitarian assistance, hinder environmental advocacy, and even jeopardize lives.

From faith-based organizations facing surprise information demands to environmental groups navigating criminalization and “eco‑terrorism” labels, this episode exposes the real-world consequences when financial regulations drift from a risk-based approach. The discussion closes with concrete takeaways for AML/CFT practitioners, emphasizing communication, due diligence, and the need for a deeper understanding of nonprofit missions.

This week, Elliot and John unpack a whirlwind of global developments impacting financial crime compliance. They break down a major OCCRP report on how Russia, North Korea, and Iran are exploiting cryptocurrency for sanctions evasion and illicit finance—alongside new Chainalysis insights on post-strike crypto movements in Iran. The conversation explores FATF’s latest reports on stablecoins, cyber-enabled fraud, and the evolving risk-based approach.

On the U.S. regulatory front, they cover the effective date of FinCEN’s residential real estate reporting rule, the OCC’s proposed stablecoin framework under the GENIUS Act, and the ongoing debate over rollbacks to the Corporate Transparency Act. Across the Atlantic, they examine the FCA’s push to strengthen AML supervision for professional bodies.

The episode also examines the liquidation of Swiss bank MBaer under U.S. enforcement pressure and amid concerns about recent counterintelligence cuts.

In this week’s episode, Elliot Berman and John Byrne cover a wide-ranging set of developments reshaping the global AML landscape. They open by marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine before diving into new regulatory, enforcement, and geopolitical stories affecting financial crime professionals.

John highlights the Federal Reserve’s request for comment on removing “reputation risk” from bank supervision and discusses ongoing litigation involving JPMorgan and the Trump Organization. The conversation then turns international: OCCRP’s newly announced Anti-Corruption Hero Awards, revelations of European-made parts ending up in Russian military drones, and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law’s work on financial access for human rights defenders.

Elliot and John also examine Australia’s transition to a new AML/CFT regime and Canada’s new financial intelligence initiative focused on extortion. Additional topics include the Treasury Inspector General’s audit of FinCEN, IRS-CI’s latest BSA data usage report, and U.S. cases involving cyber intrusions and tax fraud.