Suspicious Transaction Report: Recent Episodes
Royal United Services Institute
The Suspicious Transaction Report is the flagship podcast of RUSI’s Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies. This series feature expert guests and practitioners from around the globe who offer 'behind-the-scenes' insights on the ever-changing financial crime landscape and practical advice on how to implement the latest research and policy developments. Episodes cover a wide range of topics including anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, counter proliferation, sanctions, cryptocurrency, environmental crime, FinTech, corruption and much more.
After 12 months in office, has the new Labour government turned the page on the fight against illicit finance, or is governing harder than opposition?
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with CFS Financial Crime Policy lead Kathryn Westmore and Associate Fellow Josie Stewart about the progress made by the new Labour government in its efforts to combat illicit finance as they assess what more should be done based on Josie's recently published Policy Brief.
A look behind the curtain at the financial dimension of Russia’s attempts to undermine Moldova’s 2024 presidential election and EU referendum.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Veronica Dragalin, former Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor in Moldova, who had a front row seat as the country confronted the reality of Russia’s attempts to subvert the 2024 presidential election and EU referendum via large scale illicit money flows into the country.
How the compliance systems of financial institutions have adapted in response to post-2022 trade restrictions on Russia.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with CFS Associate Fellow Olivia Allison and Jinesh Amin, a financial crime specialist at Quantexa. They discuss the latest CFS policy brief co-authored by Olivia which looks at how banks have responded to the ever-mounting expectations placed on them by governments in their effort to restrict the funding, and importantly resourcing, of the Russian military.
Sanctions have become the go-to policy tool of our times, yet the lessons of the past are often forgotten by those at the centre of the world's stage today.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Eddie Fishman, a former US State Department sanctions official, about his new book ‘Chokepoints.’ Eddie gives a behind the scenes account of how the power of the US dollar and US-dominated financial and trade systems have been harnessed to support the projection of US foreign policy, and what lessons this 25-year episode of history holds for today’s policymakers.
A new report from the Financial Action Task Force examines how financial intelligence can be used to protect children from online sexual exploitation.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Abi Harrison from the United Kingdom's HM Treasury and Stefan Jerga from the Australian Federal Police about a new report from the Financial Action Task Force, examining the financial dimension of online child sexual exploitation. The report, which they co-led, highlights the alarming growth of this horrific crime and the financial indicators which can be used to detect, disrupt and investigate perpetrators and safeguard victims.
With geopolitical risk rising, this episode examines a recent Dutch National Bank report on how banks should navigate growing global tensions and fragmentation.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Thomas Vos, Strategy & Policy Advisor of De Nederlandsche Bank and Haroon Sheikh, Senior Research Fellow at the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) on the risks posed to the banking sector by growing geopolitical risk and fragmentation, their impact on society, and how the financial community should respond.
How could frozen Russian assets be used and what are the legal and geopolitical implications?
Head of CFS Europe, Kinga Redlowska, is joined by Anton Moiseienko, CFS Associate Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Law at the Australian National University, along with Tom Keatinge, Director of CFS. They explore the ongoing debate about the future of frozen Russian assets, examining their potential uses and the legal, political and economic consequences for EU sanctions policy and international law.
This episode explores the role of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)-the Netherlands in combating financial crime, featuring insights from its head, Hennie Verbeek-Kusters on challenges, strategies and global cooperation.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Hennie Verbeek-Kusters, Head of FIU-the Netherlands and former Chair of the Egmont Group, to discuss work at the FIU since 2008. They explore how FIU-the Netherlands operates, some of the unique features of the Dutch approach to fighting financial crime, the evolving financial crime landscape and the impact of international collaboration.
Sanctions on Belarus cover multiple issues: fraudulent elections, human rights abuses, and complicity in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. But what is their real impact?
Head of CFS Europe Kinga Redlowska is joined by Lev Lvovskiy, Senior Researcher at the Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center (BEROC) , and Tom Keatinge, Director of CFS, to examine the goals and effectiveness of sanctions on Belarus. The discussion covers economic impact, the Belarus–Russia alignment on sanctions evasion, and key challenges in sanctions enforcement.
Tom Keatinge and Jessica Davis explore the impact of Trump’s tariff threats on Canada, alongside the country’s ongoing challenges with illicit finance and money laundering.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Jessica Davis, CFS Associate Fellow and President and Principal Consultant with Insight Threat Intelligence, to discuss the rationale and impact of the threat of tariffs from the new US administration, and the policy window this might open for wider illicit finance reforms in Canada.
This episode explores the potential of whistleblower reward programmes to transform economic crime investigations.
CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Eliza Lockhart, Research Fellow at CFS, and Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, to discuss Eliza’s SOC ACE research paper, ‘The Role of Financial Rewards for Whistleblowers in the Fight Against Economic Crime’. Together, they examine how financial incentives could empower whistleblowers, tackle economic crime and drive cultural and systemic change in the UK.
Read the full paper
Talk of state threats, hostile states and hybrid warfare has notably increased. But how do these threats differ from those faced in the past?
CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Matthew Redhead, Senior Associate Fellow at CFS, to discuss his new Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) research programme paper, ‘Old Wine, New Bottles: The Challenge of State Threats’, and to explore this increasingly prevalent phenomenon.
Read the report here: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/external-publications/old-wine-new-bottles-challenge-state-threats
We explore the growing threat of sabotage attacks across Europe and the technological tools used for financing and recruitment.
Host Tom Keatinge is joined by Dr Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and Holger Roonemaa and Inga Springe, investigative journalists from the Baltic states, to discuss Russia’s growing campaign of sabotage.
For further reading, see Holger and Inga’s reporting here and Daniela’s co-authored article for the RUSI Journal on the sabotage gig economy here.
This episode explores the astonishing case of one of the world’s biggest money-laundering schemes via the well-known Swedish Bank, Swedbank.
Host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, and investigative reporter Axel Gordh Humlesjö examine the Swedbank story, what led to the investigation and how, even if banks have robust compliance systems that safeguard them against criminal misuse, they remain vulnerable to those with malign intent.
How might a second Trump term reshape the US’s use of sanctions?
Host Kinga Redlowska, CFS Director Tom Keatinge and sanctions expert Jeff Lord examine the potential impact of a second Trump term on Russia, and how Europe should respond. With the rise of China and changing global dynamics, the conversation considers whether Trump’s trademark ‘maximum pressure’ tactics will resurface – or if he’ll veer towards a novel and more unpredictable strategy.
Tom Keatinge and Wagner expert Jack Margolin discuss how the group became a global mercenary powerhouse and how to counter the rise of such groups.
With insights from Jack Margolin, author of ‘The Wagner Group: Inside Russia’s Mercenary Army’, this episode explores how the Wagner Group evolved into a global mercenary enterprise, profiting from conflict worldwide. With host Tom Keatinge, they unpack Wagner’s unique financial model, the strategic use of corruption, and how sanctions aim to contain these shadow networks. As new players emerge to fill the vacuum left by Wagner, they highlight the urgent need for the global community to address systemic vulnerabilities enabling such networks and to disrupt the rise and operation of similar paramilitary organisations.
Host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, and Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, are joined by Stephanie Baker, Bloomberg investigative journalist and author of Punishing Putin.
They delve into the impact of sanctions on Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, exploring Russia’s evasion tactics, the role of oligarchs, and the evolving use of sanctions as a tool in global diplomacy.
Host Tom Keatinge sits down with CFS Associate Fellow Stephen Reimer and international lawyer Ishita Chakrabati to discuss how authoritarian regimes are abusing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.
Drawing on insights from a two-year RUSI study, this episode analyses how the FATF standards, which aim to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, are being exploited by authoritarian regimes to silence dissent. With the FATF gearing up for its upcoming plenary in Paris, the findings in our recent report emphasise the urgent need for the FATF to address these abuses and for the international community to take action to ensure the standards are used as originally intended.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge speaks with Dr Marcus Pleyer, former FATF president, about his role in shaping global financial crime policies and EU anti-money laundering efforts.
They explore Marcus’s professional journey, from a small corner of Germany’s Ministry of Finance to leading the country’s successful bid to host the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority. The conversation delves into the initiatives Marcus championed at the FATF, including the push for using technology in the fight against financial crime and the importance of a risk-based approach in FATF evaluations.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at CNAS, to discuss her co-authored article ‘Axis of Upheaval’. They discuss the convergence of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea and the challenges posed across economic, military, political and technological dimensions. The conversation also delves into whether these deepening ties represent a coordinated grouping or a series of ‘marriages of convenience’ in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as what the West should do.
In the first episode of the season, host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, is joined by Bethany Allen, author of Beijing Rules: China's Quest for Global Influence. They discuss how China has developed its economic statecraft in recent years, the innovative methods used to achieve its geopolitical ends, and what the West can do to respond to increasingly muscular Chinese economic activities.
In this teaser, host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, is joined by CFS Director Tom Keatinge to launch the theme for the new season, ‘The Future Of’.
Listen now to get a sneak peek at the range of topics and new ideas that will feature in Season Seven of the STR podcast.
In the last episode of this season, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by T Raja Kumar, former President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). They discuss some of the key achievements during his presidency, such as his focus on asset recovery, increased FATF engagement with regional bodies around the world, the unprecedented suspension of Russia from the FATF, and what to expect as the next round of country evaluations begins.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Darya Dolzikova, RUSI Research Fellow, to discuss her recent paper, 'Power Plays: Developments in Russian Enriched Uranium Trade'. They discuss the financial and diplomatic benefits Russia derives from its nuclear resources and industry expertise, the extent of Western dependencies on Russian enriched uranium despite some efforts to diversify from Russian supply, and the complexity in isolating Russia financially and economically.
Host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and author of Rinsed. They discuss cybercrime, money laundering, crypto hacking by North Korea, how criminals collaborate across multiple jurisdictions to evade the law, the recruitment of money-laundering mules, and the evolution of dark web marketplaces like Silk Road and Hydra.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Justyna Gudzowska, CFS Associate Fellow, and Tom Stocks, Senior Investigative Journalist at the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. They discuss their recently published paper ‘Disabling the Enablers of Sanctions Circumvention,’ the threat of frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing independent, critical journalism, and why anonymous shell companies and trusts are the preferred tools of professional enablers to help their sanctioned clients.
In this episode, CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Peter Geoghegan, Investigative Reporter at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project – a global network of journalists – and author of Democracy for Sale. They discuss the role of ‘dark money’ in political funding, loopholes you can see from space, the lack of regulatory accountability on social media, the way think tanks can influence political processes, and how shell companies can be used as a vehicle to make large political donations.
Host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, discusses the impact of sanctions against Russia with Vladimir Milov, Vice President, Free Russia Foundation.
In this episode, Tom Keatinge and Vladimir Milov discuss the impact that sanctions against Russia are having on the nation’s economy and its people, the Kremlin’s dwindling finances, and why Ukraine’s allies must maintain pressure and focus to make sanctions work.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Kathryn Westmore, CFS Senior Research Fellow, and Sahil Shah, Managing Director, Say No to Disinfo. Together, they explore how the spread of misinformation on social media is an emerging threat to financial stability, the role of misinformation in lasts year’s Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and what banks, regulators and governments can do.
In this episode, Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, is joined by Zoe Reiter, Director for Kleptocracy at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and Tom Keatinge, CFS Director and author of a new RUSI paper entitled 'Combating Kleptocracy: Lessons from the Response to Russia’s War in Ukraine'.
They discuss the fight against kleptocracy, how Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has energised governments in their efforts to combat modern kleptocracy, and lessons from the response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
In this special edition episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, CFS Director Tom Keatinge and Head of CFS Europe Kinga Redlowska discuss the motivation behind the programme’s recent name change, upcoming research outputs, and what exciting activities will take place in 2024 as CFS celebrates 10 years of pioneering analysis and research.
Host Allison Owen, CFCS Associate Fellow, is joined by David Carlisle, Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at blockchain analysis and crypto data company Elliptic London, and RUSI Associate Fellow, to discuss all things cryptocurrency.
With David's new book The Crypto Launderers: Crime and Cryptocurrencies from the Dark Web to DeFi and Beyond just out, they delve into the complex intersection of technology, regulation and crime, and the challenges law enforcement agencies face in investigating crypto.
In this episode, host Gonzalo Saiz, CFCS Research Fellow, is joined by Daniel Tannebaum, Partner at management consultancy firm Oliver Wyman, and Jan Dunin-Wasowicz, Partner and Co-Chair of Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s Sanctions, Export Controls & Anti-Money Laundering practice group.
They discuss the differences in the US and EU approaches to sanctions against Russia, how tackling the practice of sanctions circumvention through third countries impacts the private sector, and the role of enforcement action in countering sanctions violations.
Host Tom Keatinge, CFCS Director, is joined by Xolisile Khanyile, former head of South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow. They discuss her decades-long career as a prosecutor in the financial crime world, illegal wildlife trafficking, public-private partnerships, South Africa's FATF ‘grey-listing’, and how everyday crime impacts South Africa's response to money laundering.
Host Tom Keatinge, CFCS Director, is joined by Liz Rosenberg, former Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes at the US Department of the Treasury.
They discuss her ambitions for combatting illicit finance as she re-entered the US Treasury in 2021, her role in the review of the US sanctions strategy, the measures developed to respond to Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine, including the oil price cap, and the priorities ahead for the US two years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Martin Sandbu, European economics commentator at the Financial Times, discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in using Russia’s currently frozen Central Bank assets to support Ukraine’s economy and reconstruction.
The hashtag ‘Russia Must Pay’ is frequently trending on social media, boosted by politicians, civil society organisations and individuals outraged by Russia’s continued aggression. But while this sentiment is easy for politicians and financiers to articulate, it has yet to be matched in deeds. Martin Sandbu joins host Tom Keatinge to explore how the $300 billion of immobilised Russian Central Bank assets could be unlocked and deployed to support the Ukrainian economy and fund the huge costs associated with the reconstruction of a country devastated by Russia’s illegal war.
China’s regular muscle-flexing and other threatening moves towards Taiwan poses a great challenge. How should the West think about this behaviour, given the integration of China into the international economy and the extent to which the West relies on trade with Beijing? Could sanctions be used as a policy instrument here?
In this episode, host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFCS Europe, is joined by Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics and Security Programme at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). They discuss the findings of a recent CNAS report entitled ‘No Winners in This Game: Assessing the US Playbook for Sanctioning China’. If you are curious about possible sanctions scenarios in the case of an escalation of tensions between the US and China, then don’t miss this week’s episode.
The financial crime and sanctions world has mushroomed into a global industry. Thousands of compliance officers, analysts, policymakers and law enforcement officials are involved in some element of this behemoth. Among these many thousands, a few figures have emerged as opinion formers – those who found themselves at the forefront of developments.
In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at RUSI, is joined by Danny Glaser who has spent over 20 years at the heart of US efforts to advance the fight against financial crime. They talk about sanctions, terrorist financing, and the ‘most powerful organisation few have ever heard of’: the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Sanctions circumvention has been at the core of policy discussions on restrictive measures. But what does ‘circumvention’ mean, and what is the on-the-ground reality in the countries that are so often associated with this activity?
Host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFCS Europe, is joined by Carl Schreck, investigative journalist at Radio Free Europe, and Olivia Allison, CFCS Associate Fellow, to discuss the challenge of tackling sanctions circumvention and evasion.
While the tempo of Russia sanctions issuance has dropped off, policymakers and diplomats are working to boost their effectiveness. But what does ‘sanctions effectiveness’ mean and how can we measure it? And are sanctions serving their purpose to undermine the Russian war machine?
Host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFCS Europe, is joined by Elina Ribakova, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Timothy Ash, Senior EM Sovereign Strategist, BlueBay Asset Management, to discuss the challenge of assessing the effectiveness and impact of sanctions on Russia.
Those in the private sector can often feel stuck between policymakers who fear cryptocurrencies are undermining their carefully built regulatory fortifications, and the online world of dark markets beyond those regulatory walls.
Host Tom Keatinge is joined by co-author Allison Owen, CFCS Associate Fellow, and Rodrigo Peiteado, Senior Manager of Digital Asset investigations at BVNK, to discuss a new virtual asset risk assessment guide for the private sector published by the CFCS: Institutional Virtual Asset Service Providers and Virtual Assets Risk Assessment Guide | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
Effective implementation of sanctions requires cooperation with partners around the globe. Host Tom Keatinge, Director of CFCS at RUSI, sat down with EU Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivan in Brussels to explore the EU’s approach to negotiations with third countries to clamp down on the circumvention of sanctions, emphasise the importance of data in sanctions diplomacy and stress the role of the private sector in making sanctions effective.
Before 7 October 2023, the terrorist threat posed by Hamas was largely clouded by preoccupation with geopolitical tensions and the ongoing war in Ukraine. But not anymore. Hamas’s coordinated attacks on Israel and the resultant conflict has made the terror group’s threat and its financing unavoidable. Host Stephen Reimer unpacks the key issues and debunks some common myths at the heart of the Hamas financing story with Jessica Davis of Insight Threat Intelligence and Matthew Levitt of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Recently, the political class in Westminster has been consumed with with the conduct of bank accounts or, more specifically, when these are being closed, unilaterally, by banks. It’s a long running problem. Might the spotlight brought to the issue by Nigel Farage finally create some overdue action by the UK government? In this episode, host Tom Keatinge is joined by Izabella Kaminska from Politico and the Blind Spot, and Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, the Financial Times’ banking and fintech correspondent, to explore what has been going on – and why the Farage farrago is perhaps old wine in new bottles.
As multilateral organisations battle strong geopolitical headwinds, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – the global financial crime watchdog – is not immune to such pressures. Indeed, it faces a range of challenges that are increasingly raising questions about its continued legitimacy. In this episode, host Tom Keatinge explores what these challenges are and how the FATF might stay ahead of them with two former FATF insiders, David Lewis and Michelle Harwood.
Tom Keatinge and Alanna Putze, two of your CFCS podcast hosts, introduce a new concept for the Suspicious Transaction Report podcast, offering listeners fresh content on the intersection between finance and security. Here is a glimpse of what’s in store, including some of the guests, topics and ideas that will feature throughout the season.
Is there a resurgence of state threats or have democracies just opened up their eyes to this complex challenge? In a season that explores today's varied threat landscape, this final episode delves deeper into the dynamics between economics and security. Host Tom Keatinge is joined by RUSI Trustee Suzanne Raine and Associate Fellow Jason Shepherd to discuss the blurring of geopolitics and finance through the lens of history and look at what must happen to strengthen democratic resilience for the future.
How do adversarial states exploit cyber to pursue their own strategic objectives? From intelligence gathering and information operations to physical disruption and financial gain, cyber operations are increasingly shaping the global threat landscape. And it’s not just large state actors such as Russia and China that are behind them, but also dozens of emerging states, along with contractors and private entities. Dr Jamie Collier of Mandiant joins host Alanna Putze to explore the implications of this multifaceted threat and whether democracies are on track to respond.
Disinformation is not new, but it has certainly evolved. Today, it is strongly linked to international security, as malign actors seize on it to pursue their own strategic interests. Are democracies equipped to navigate this new landscape of political warfare?
Host Alanna Putze is joined by Monika Richter of the American Foreign Policy Council and Graham Brookie of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab to explore the multifaceted scope of today’s disinformation challenge, and why tackling it is vital for democratic security.
Hybrid warfare is on the rise. From cyber and disruptive technologies to energy security and economic interconnectedness, malign actors have an array of domains to exploit. How has NATO adapted, and can it be nimble enough to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving threat landscape? Host Tom Keatinge is joined by James Appathurai, NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, to explore how the military alliance is building resilience and the private sector’s vital role in this effort.
How are organised crime and illicit finance exploited as vectors of state-based threats? This episode focuses on Russia and the unique capabilities it gains via illicit proceeds, including the power to subsidise occupation. Host Stephen Reimer is joined by Tena Prelec of the University of Oxford and Rowan Newman of the UK government's Serious and Organised Crime Network as they explore the blurred lines between government, business and criminal actors and the impact on international security.
Interference and influence – whether in politics, national institutions or boardrooms – has long been an objective of adversaries of democracy, who frequently deploy money in pursuit of their goals. This episode spotlights Latvia, a country that is no stranger to corrupt external influences. CFCS’s Tom Keatinge is joined by journalists Sanita Jemberga and Edward Lucas to explore what went wrong in Latvia, why the rest of Europe is not immune to this threat, and what must be done to safeguard democracy.
What role do non-state proxy groups play in the current global security framework? This episode focuses on the Wagner Group, which has the potential to aid Russian state interests on multiple fronts, and not just on the battlefield. Host Stephen Reimer dives into the murky world of the Wagner Group, state threats and finance with guests Justyna Gudzowska, director of illicit finance policy at investigative NGO The Sentry, and Jason Blazakis, director of the Centre on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute in Monterey, California.
Are the UK and its allies sufficiently equipped to tackle today’s threats from hostile state actors? And how might placing those threats under a financial lens help to shape responses? Host Tom Keatinge is joined by RUSI Associate Fellow and Senior Specialist at the House of Commons Ashlee Godwin, and Jonathan Evans, former Director General of MI5. They set the scene for this season’s theme of ‘finance weaponised’, exploring the evolving state threat landscape and how it might impact the future of democracy.
The final episode explores a major global challenge that initially lacked a cohesive policy response and now poses an urgent threat. CFCS’s Alanna Putze is joined by the Atlantic Council’s Julia Friedlander and journalist Edward Lucas to explore the active financial measures that malign actors use to corrode trust in democracy. With Russia as the prime example, they ask if the world possess the policy leadership and strategic vision required to safeguard global democracy at this crucial moment.
The UN first placed North Korea under international sanctions 15 years ago. Yet despite continued provocations and clear evidence of violations, there have been no substantive changes to the sanctions regime for the past five years. Is it time to rethink our sanctions approach to North Korea? CFCS’s Sasha Erskine and Aaron Arnold are joined by former UK Ambassador to South Korea Alastair Morgan to examine the evolution of North Korea sanctions, the current state of play, and what we might expect in the future.
If you've any follow-up questions for Sasha and Aaron, you can find their contact information on their profile pages on the RUSI website: rusi.org/cfcs
What happens when firms get financial crime compliance wrong? Ten years ago, the compliance world was rocked when the US authorities handed HSBC a $1.9 billion fine for “unacceptable failures” in its anti-money laundering procedures. These fines set a lot of activity into motion. But to what effect? Roger McCormick of Bayes Business School joins CFCS’s Isabella Chase to dive into the punishment playbook, exploring its impact, how its changed and where it might be heading.
Countering the financing of weapons of mass destruction is an important component of global non-proliferation efforts. While the focus has largely been on North Korea, as well as Iran, countering proliferation financing (CPF) is likely to apply to other actors in the future. Are the measures put in place sufficiently future-proofed? CFCS’s Wojciech Pawlus is joined by Jonathan Brewer of King’s College London and RUSI’s Darya Dolzikova to look at the origins of CPF policy and examine what might lie ahead.
It’s hard to keep up with the pace of change in environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy. With a number of game-changing developments in the past year alone, there’s no doubt that ESG is at the forefront of the agenda, for both corporates and the financial sector. RUSI’s Alexandria Reid dives into this rapidly evolving world with James Ford of Mayer Brown. Together, they discuss lessons from the past 10 years of ESG policy, and what we might expect next.
Fraud is an age-old crime; one that has drastically evolved in recent years. Far from the small-scale individual acts or larger corporate offences of the past, organised volume fraud has now reached epidemic levels, posing a growing threat to the UK’s national security and financial stability. CFCS’s Kathryn Westmore is joined by Jonathan Holmes of PwC’s Digital and Forensic Services Investigations Team, to explore how well we’ve adapted and how we can best stay ahead of the fraud threat.
An unscheduled episode, recorded as the tragic events in Ukraine unfold. It considers the central plank of the West’s response to Russia’s aggression – sanctions. Tom Keatinge is joined by RUSI Associate Fellows and legal experts Anna Bradshaw of Peters & Peters and Nick Turner of Steptoe & Johnson. They discuss the wider challenges related to sanctions and their use, what these mean in the context of the current crisis, and whether it is time to rethink our approach to sanctions.
Confiscating the proceeds of crime seems like an obvious way to deter illicit activity, yet asset recovery is all too often an afterthought in the global response to financial crime. Gretta Fenner of the Basel Institute on Governance joins CFCS’s Maria Nizzero and Helena Wood to discuss why a smarter approach to asset recovery could be transformational in narrowing the global development gap and in apprehending corrupt actors.
More than a decade since Bitcoin’s emergence, cryptocurrency continues to shake up the financial sector, keeping regulators on alert and intriguing the public. It simultaneously causes excitement about its possibilities, as well as concern about its illicit finance risks. But where are we exactly on crypto? Host Anton Moiseienko is joined by Ari Redbord of TRM Labs and CFCS’s Allison Owen to take stock of cryptocurrency’s evolution and what we might expect next.
How can the current counterterrorism financing (CTF) regime remain relevant when the threat is constantly evolving? In the 20 years since 9/11, terrorists have adopted diverse financing methods, new terrorist actors have emerged, and autocrats have co-opted CTF standards for their own nefarious purposes. Host Stephen Reimer is joined by RUSI Associate Fellow Jessica Davis and Amit Sharma of FinClusive to explore how to make CTF more effective, while mitigating its unintended consequences.
Is the current global anti-financial crime regime on the right track? Just a few weeks after leaving his role as Executive Secretary of the FATF, David Lewis joins host Tom Keatinge in setting the scene for this season. They look at international financial crime policy through the prism of its history and ask if it is meeting its intended goals. How has policy taken shape over the last 30 years, how effective has it been, and what realistically needs to change in order for it to remain relevant?
What stood out for the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies team in 2021? Tune in to the annual festive podcast episode with Isabella Chase, Aaron Arnold, Stephen Reimer and Helena Wood to find out about the financial crime scandals and surprises of 2021 and hear the team’s predictions for the year ahead.
Governments pursuing human rights sanctions increasingly rely on evidence collected and submitted by NGOs on the ground. Charlie Loudon, international legal advisor at REDRESS – an organisation which fights torture – joins Emil Dall in offering insights on the vital role NGOs have in identifying states or entities that should be sanctioned, and why this matters not just for policy, but also for the victims.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Emil Dall and Associate Fellow Samantha Sheen.
Aid organisations must navigate through tough circumstances to reach those most in need. The challenges are not solely physical; they also include compliance with a complex global sanctions and counter-terrorism finance regime, one that is often disconnected from realities on the ground. Former humanitarian policy advisor Rachel Sider joins Stephen Reimer to share insights from the field.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Olivia Kearney and Associate Fellow Nick Turner.
Despite half a century of evolution, the US financial crime policy landscape remains as convoluted and challenging to navigate as ever. Yet, it has also shown real sparks of innovation, particularly in terms of information sharing and the much-lauded AML Act of 2020. Host Tom Keatinge is joined by RegTech consultant Jim Richards to dive into the complex world of financial crime compliance in the US and explore what might lie ahead.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes RUSI’s Darya Dolzikova and Associate Fellow Jessica Davis.
A robust anti-money laundering regime prevents crime and terror, yet it can also exclude large portions of society from financial services. Roughly 1.7 billion people across the globe lack access to finance, and this includes 1 million in the UK alone. Host Isabella Chase is joined by Mariam Zahari, Policy Specialist at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, to explore why the fostering of an inclusive financial integrity framework matters for both sustainable development and global security.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Wojciech Pawlus and RUSI Associate Fellow Malcolm Wright.
It’s no secret that North Korea and other actors seek to exploit financial systems to pursue their proliferation goals. Sub-Saharan Africa has been one of the most affected regions; its financial institutions stand on the front lines of compliance, particularly when it comes to the recently-intensified UN sanctions measures. Host Wojciech Pawlus is joined by Mpendu Zwane, the counterproliferation finance manager at Absa, to hear how this South Africa-based banking group stays on top of the threat.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS Director Tom Keatinge and RUSI Associate Fellow Gemma Rogers of Fintrail, the financial crime-fighting consultancy.
The public-private partnership (PPP) concept is now an essential component in the fight against financial crime, but that wasn’t always the case. Host Tom Keatinge is joined by Paul Jevtovic, the former CEO of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), who had an instrumental role in placing PPPs at the centre of financial crime-fighting. This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Isabella Chase and Michael O’Kane from leading UK law firm Peters & Peters.
Preventing financial crime in gambling is no mean feat, particularly given the diversity of criminal methods both online and on land. Yet the UK has managed to stay on top of the threat, even receiving accolades from FATF for the strength of its risk-based supervision. Claire Wilson, Senior Manager of Anti Money Laundering and Money Laundering Reporting Officer at the UK Gambling Commission, joins host Anton Moiseienko in offering insights on the UK’s approach. This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Anton Moiseienko and RUSI Associate Fellow Matthew Redhead.
Environmental Crime is the 4th largest transnational organized crime in the world. This episode focuses on the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), where the pace of the global response does not match the scale of the threat. Yet, many local authorities embraced the challenge long before it was on the global anti-financial crime agenda. Host Alexandria Reid is joined by Atuweni Agbermodji, who headed Malawi’s Financial Intelligence Authority and was instrumental in driving change to tackle IWT crime in the country.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Maria Sofia Reiser and RUSI Associate Fellow David Artingstall.
A cashless society is nearly here and with it comes the need for effective and secure digital identity. While many governments and institutions are playing catch up, Canada has embraced the challenge. Host Isabella Chase is joined by Andre Boysen, Chief Identity Officer at SecureKey to get the scoop on Canada’s pioneering efforts in digital identity and the game-changing impact it could have on financial services across the world.
This week’s ‘In the News’ includes CFCS’s Kayla Izenman and Charles Delingpole of Comply Advantage.
Why isn’t crime paying for society? Estimates show that only 1% of criminal proceeds are ultimately confiscated. Asset management consultant Aidan Larkin, together with host Helena Wood, discusses the barriers to action and how to make the changes that will get money back to society.
In this week’s ‘In the News’ segment, CFCS Director Tom Keatinge and Research Analyst Sasha Erskine bring you their insights.
Modern slavery and human trafficking are one of the most profitable crimes in the world, generating hundreds of billions of dollars a year. What more can the financial sector do to help tackle it? Host Tom Keatinge is joined by financial investigations consultant and former Hong Kong law enforcement official Steve Farrer to explore new and novel ways that policy can be put into practice to combat this egregious crime
Isabella Chase and Tom Keatinge, two of your hosts for this season, discuss the thinking behind the ‘Policy into Practice’ concept and give listeners a glimpse of what’s in store – from the array of guests, topics and ideas that will be covered in the episodes.
2020 – never a dull moment in financial crime! In this special end-of-year episode, CFCS’s Isabella Chase and RUSI colleagues Kayla Izenman, Emil Dall and Anton Moiseienko unpack the financial crime scandals and surprises of 2020 and give their predictions for the year ahead.
RUSI’s Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies (CFCS) is launching a new podcast, Financial Crime Insights.
It's based on past CFCS events with top thinkers on topics that remain relevant in the world of financial crime.
In the trailer episode, Alanna Putze talks to STR hosts Isabella Chase and Tom Keatinge about the thinking behind this new podcast and what listeners can expect – plus as sneak peek at STR Season 3.
Tom Keatinge returns as host for our final episode. He’s joined by journalist and author Oliver Bullough to discuss a possibly surprise destination that poses a high risk to those that are seeking to protect themselves from financial crime.
In this episode, host Kayla Izenman is joined by Jesse Spiro of Chainalysis to get a reality check on the riskiness of cryptocurrency and explore its potential to upend the financial system for the better.
In this episode, host Stephen Reimer unpacks the UAE's latest FATF mutual evaluation report with Ibtissem Lassoued, Partner and Head of Advisory, Financial Crime at Al Tamimi & Company in Dubai. She reveals the on-ground realities of the AML system so strongly critiqued by the global watchdog.
In this episode, host Anton Moiseienko is joined by journalist and cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs to dive into the workings of money mule networks. Are they innocent enablers or knowing accomplices? And how do you recognise a mule when you see one?
In this episode, host Isabella Chase speaks with art compliance consultant Rakhi Talwar, who unveils the realities and myths of financial crime in the art world, and asks whether recent regulations will drive the art market out of Europe.
In this week's episode of High Risk Thinking, host Emil Dall is joined by the team behind EuropeanSanctions.com, Maya Lester, QC of Brick Court Chambers and Michael O’Kane of Peters & Peters to discuss the high risks associated with sanctions - from the point of view of the designated individual.
LLPs, SLPs, UBOs… In this episode, host Tom Keatinge is joined by Graham Barrow of the ‘Dark Money Files’ to examine why these acronyms always pop up in financial crime scandals, often with the UK at the center of them.
Isabella Chase, your host from Season 1, talks to CFCS director, Tom Keatinge about the thinking behind this season’s ‘high risk’ concept and what listeners can expect – from the people, places, commodities and structures in world of financial crime that will be discussed.
In this episode, host Isabella Chase is joined by guests to discuss the most recent money laundering leaks, UK-linked financial crime cases, and the impact that Brexit will have on the financial crime landscape. To discuss the latest news and headlines, Isabella is joined by Gemma Rogers from FINTRAIL and Nick Parfitt from Acuris Risk Intelligence. In the deep dive, Isabella discusses the UK’s Economic Crime Plan with CFCS Associate Fellow, Helena Wood.
In this episode, host Isabella Chase is joined by guests to discuss the challenges that will face financial institutions in 2020. To discuss the recent financial crime news, Isabella is joined by Trish Sullivan, the Global Co-head of Financial Crime Compliance at Standard Chartered and by Nick van Benschoten, the Principle for Economic Crime Policy at UK Finance. In the deep dive, Isabella is joined by Samantha Sheen to delve into the UK’s transposition of the EU’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
In the final episode of the Suspicion Transaction Report for 2019 the CFCS team come together to discuss the biggest financial crime news stories of the year. Host Isabella Chase is joined by Tom Keatinge, Helena Wood and Anton Moiseienko to dissect the policies, developments and scandals that defined the financial crime landscape in 2019 and the team look to the future to predict what will shape financial crime in 2020.
In this episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, host Isabella Chase and guests consider the missing links in various financial crime problems. Isabella is joined by Becky Marriott from Tide to analyse the latest financial crime news, including the money laundering scandal at, what’s next for OneCoin and the link between Chinese money laundering and money mules. In the deep dive, Isabella is joined by RUSI colleagues Emil Dall and Darya Dolzikova to discuss a proper approach to countering proliferation financing.
In Episode 6 of the Suspicious Transaction Report, host Isabella Chase and guests attempt to understand the changing nature of risk in the ever-evolving financial crime landscape. ‘In the news’ guests Jackie Harvey and Sam Tate discuss new supervision initiatives at FATF, SFO guidance on corporate cooperation, and concerns with trusts. In the deep dive, Isabella is joined by CFCS’s own Anton Moiseienko and Kayla Izenman to discuss the Financial Crime 2.0 research programme, specifically focusing on money-laundering risks faced by online businesses in a variety of sectors.
In Episode 5 of the Suspicious Transaction Report host Isabella Chase and guests critique a number of new solutions to old financial crime problems. In the news guests Livia Benisty and Alexon Bell review a new investigation on gold-based money laundering, updates on EU and US regulations and a new mechanism for sanctions relief for humanitarian agencies. In the deep dive, Isabella is joined by CFCS director Tom Keatinge to discuss his upcoming research on rethinking counter-terrorist financing.
To discuss the latest in financial crime news, host Isabella Chase is joined this week by Ava Lee and Koos Couvée. The guests weigh in on the updates coming out of last week’s FATF Plenary and discuss the Cayman Islands’ public UBO register, the EU’s new methodology for listing countries at risk of money laundering, and the recent Reuter’s investigation on drug trafficking.
On this International Fraud Awareness Week, Isabella is joined in the deep dive by Mia Campbell from the Fraud Advisory Panel and Alan Bryce of the Charity Commission, to learn more about the fraud threats facing the charity sector, how the system can be improved, and resources available to charities to combat these risks.
Host Isabella Chase looks at how innovation could be used to solve a number of problems in the AML/CFT regime. To discuss the latest financial crime news she is joined by Denisse Rudich and Nick Parfitt where they dissect a case brought against BNP Paribas, UK companies being exploited for crime and the latest sanctions update. In the deep dive, Isabella is joined by Juan Zarate from the Financial Integrity Network to look at how innovation will be essential to overcome policy tensions that prevent progress in combating financial crimes.
In this episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, Isabella Chase is joined by Jo Jenkins and David Carlisle to discuss Wilson’s crypto auction, Swedbank’s latest press release, the Dutch banks joined up transaction monitoring solution and the priorities for the current FATF presidency. In the deep dive, Isabella talks to Florence Keen about her recent report on social media and terrorist financing.
Isabella discusses the latest financial crime news with Samantha Sheen and Misha Glenny. They cover the latest developments with the impounded Iranian oil tanker the Adrian Darya-1, HMRC’s largest ever money laundering fine and the trailer of the Laundromat film.
In the deep dive, Matthew Redhead tells us about his upcoming paper on the effectiveness of the AML regime and what can be done to make it more effective.
Isabella Chase talks to Tom Keatinge and Nick Parfitt about the EU’s second attempt at a money laundering blacklist, the NCA’s increasing use of Unexplained Wealth Orders and the benefits and drawbacks of transparency in ultimate beneficial ownership registries.
The STR is a new fortnightly podcast from the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at RUSI. It offers “behind-the-scenes” insights and practical advice on how to implement the latest financial crime research in the real world.