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Howdy, and welcome to my blog. If you'd like to get instant updates whenever I've been inspired or irritated enough to write something, please do subscribe.The day job
When I'm not writing this blog, I'm doing AML training, writing, research and advice. Obsessed? Hell, yeah! To find out more, have a look at my website.-
“The Solo Squid: How to Run a Happy One-Person Business”
“Heir Apparent” – the sixth Sam Plank novel
FREE Official Guide to the Sam Plank Mysteries – sample chapters and glossary
New e-boxset of first three Sam Plank e-books! Click image to buy…
“Faith, Hope and Trickery” – the fifth Sam Plank novel
New piggy in the sty! This one is for UK estate agents
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Recent posts
Collection of columns: “Susan in the City: The Cambridge News Years”
“Portraits of Pretence” – the fourth Sam Plank novel
Sam speaks! New audiobook of “Fatal Forgery”
“Worm in the Blossom” – the third Sam Plank novel
AML for NEDs in five editions: Guernsey, Isle of Man, International, Jersey and UK
AML books for UK staff
AML books for Guernsey staff
AML books for Jersey staff
AML books for Gibraltar staff
“The Man in the Canary Waistcoat” – the second Sam Plank novel
“Fatal Forgery” – the first Sam Plank novel
Edward’s adventures now out in 6-part e-format
Another good read
Posting dates
June 2023 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Categories
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Blogroll
Tag Archives: suspicion
Could do better
One of my most over-used phrases in my AML training is “new entrants to the AML family” – when I am explaining that we cannot expect all sectors (e.g. estate agents, art market participants) to be as au fait with … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged AML, business risk assessment, CDD, FCA, Financial Conduct Authority, MLRO, PEPs, Regulations, reporting, risk, SARs, suspicion, training
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The woes of UWOs
Unexplained Wealth Orders are now three years old. Although many would like to see their reach expanded – divorce lawyers are particularly interested – they remain available only in cases involving PEPs or those suspected of serious criminality. And indeed, … Continue reading
Mind your own business
One of the trickier aspects of the MLRO’s job is the juggling act they have to perform to keep everyone happy – staff, Board (or whatever their firm’s top layer of control is called), regulators and investigators. Although this can … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged AML, annual report, Board, directors, FCA, FIU, guidance, JMLSG, MLRO, money laundering, nominated officer, reporting, SAR, suspicion
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Ethics girls and boys
With the recent headlines concerning Mr Trump’s tax arrangements and Mr Johnson’s awarding of government contracts to chums, you can imagine that the issue of morality has been much on my mind. I come from mixed stock: one half of … Continue reading
Posted in AML, Uncategorized, White collar crime
Tagged AML, communication, due diligence, ethics, financial crime, fraud, money laundering, research, risk-based approach, suspicion, training
4 Comments
Latest leak lessons
This is a tricky time to write a blog post, as everywhere is swirling with stories from the “FinCEN Files”. I have explored the leaks on the ICIJ website, read the reputable (and disreputable) press sources and watched the “Panorama” … Continue reading
Posted in AML, Money laundering, White collar crime
Tagged AML, communication, corruption, due diligence, Economist, financial crime, government, legislation, MLRO, money laundering, organised crime, Panorama, PEP, proceeds of crime, research, SARs, suspicion, suspicious activity report, white collar crime
4 Comments
Friends in low places
For my sins, I start every working day with a trawl of the latest money laundering stories. As I scan them, I am doing mental triage: Really significant developments go onto the Newsroom page of my website Those, and other … Continue reading
Data doom and delight
With writing a post once a week only (I’ve fallen into writing longer posts less frequently – hope that’s OK), there’s sometimes a bit of a delay until I get round to dealing with something that’s been in the news. … Continue reading
Posted in AML, Money laundering, Training
Tagged AML, communication, disclosure, due diligence, financial crime, government, money laundering, organised crime, Politico, proceeds of crime, research, SARs, suspicion, tax evasion
5 Comments
A sprinkling of SAR-dust
There is regularly – and quite rightly – a fair amount of soul-searching about the SARs regime. Does it shift the burden of investigation from law enforcement to the financial sector? Does it cost much more than it saves? Are … Continue reading
Posted in AML, Money laundering
Tagged AML, Bank Secrecy Act, communication, disclosure, due diligence, FATF, financial crime, FinCEN, FIU, fraud, organised crime, proceeds of crime, RUSI, SARs, suspicion, suspicious activity report
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A most tempting offer
The name of my company is the result of a family joke: my father observed one day that I was always thinking about crime. I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to have the name but I was, and it’s memorable … Continue reading
No, no, no to UWO, UWO, UWO
Most of us in the world of AML have welcomed the advent of the Unexplained Wealth Order – the court order introduced by the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which can be served to compel either a PEP or someone involved … Continue reading
Posted in AML, Bribery and corruption, Money laundering
Tagged AML, Azerbaijan, beneficial ownership, corruption, due diligence, financial crime, government, Kazakhstan, money laundering, National Crime Agency, NCA, PEP, Politically Exposed Person, proceeds of crime, suspicion, tax evasion, Unexplained Wealth Order, UWO
2 Comments