AML Conversations

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.

In this episode of AML Conversations, John Byrne sits down with Sarah Beth Felix—AML expert and author of Dirty Money Weekly—to break down the biggest storylines shaping financial crime compliance this month.

Sarah offers a practical, forward-looking take on the Epstein files and why community and midsize banks must rethink their approach to adverse media screening. She and John also unpack the confusion surrounding the administration’s de-risking Executive Order, the impact of FinCEN’s recent CDD “exceptive relief,” and the optics behind the agency’s decision to rescind its advisory on the St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship‑by‑Investment program.

They dive deeper into IRS‑CI’s newly released data proving the value of BSA reporting—and what rising CTR/SAR thresholds could mean for law enforcement. To close, Sarah responds to emerging rumors that banks should be required to capture and track customer citizenship status, explaining why such a shift would have massive operational implications.

This is a must-listen for AML professionals navigating a rapidly changing regulatory landscape and looking for actionable insight, context, and clarity.