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Insight : Jake Plenderleith
Jake Plenderleith
[E-Book] ESG Survey: Social Risks, Blind Spots and Barriers
Environment, social and governance (ESG) considerations are moving ever further up the risk agenda. However, the ‘S’ in ESG represents a broadening range of issues and, as the findings of this survey suggest, firms’ level of understanding of these diverse risks – and their resulting approach to managing them – may vary considerably.....More
CPI 2022: the key findings
Delving into the key findings from Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
How to prevent AML failures
Analysing past AML failures can help firms shore up their own money laundering controls, writes Jake Plenderleith....More
[E-book] The Future of KYC
Know your customer (KYC) controls, including customer due diligence (CDD), remain fundamental steps in identifying a customer’s identity, and assessing their inherent level of risk
6 reasons why you should invest in a professional qualification
Studying for a professional qualification is a significant commitment – but it’s also a tried and tested way of advancing your career....More
Russia sanctions – so far
A revealing look at the impact of sanctions imposed upon Russian entities 6 months into the war in Ukraine.
Fraud risks grow as cost-of-living soars
The cost of living has rocketed – which means firms must prepare for a rise in fraud....More
Your questions, answered: Russia sanctions FAQs.
As governments continue to issue sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many firms are looking to limit their sanctions exposure. Our Russia sanctions FAQs consider the ways in which this can be achieved, as well as addressing some of the more complex demands placed on firms with Russian exposure.
CPI 2021: Looking beyond a high score
The release of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is always a significant event in the financial crime compliance calendar, compiling as it does a ranking of perceived corruption across countries around the globe. This year's index will make interesting, if dispiriting, reading for compliance professionals, and this piece argues of the need to look beyond the CPI to inform their own judgements based on curiosity and looking beyond the obvious.....More
Nord Stream 2: A study in sanctions complexity
The political fallout has been described as ‘the biggest diplomatic crisis in transatlantic relations since the Iraq War
5 tips to help you file more effective SARs
What could you be doing to file more effective suspicious activity reports (SARs)?....More
Roundtable highlights: best practice in risk assessment
A recent roundtable on best practice for risk assessment, sponsored by OneTrust and organised by ICA, uncovered some fascinating insight from those on the front line of compliance.
Is human trafficking financial services’ blind spot?
It is generally acknowledged that great strides forward have been made over the last decade in the fight against money laundering and financial crime. Few, however, would claim that there remains little to be done. But a remarkable new report by BAE Systems demonstrates just how far we have to go.....More
Twitter cyberattack should be a wake-up call for firms
The hack of around 130 high-profile Twitter accounts reveals that nobody is immune from cybercrime. Here’s what you can do to protect your firm’s cyber defences.
Commerzbank’s FCA fine demonstrates danger of AML lapses
A comment on the fine imposed by the FCA on Commerzbank, and a discussion of the wider implications.....More
AI is here and compliance needs to respond
Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to pose a unique challenge to the future workplace, including the compliance profession. How should compliance respond to such innovation?
Emerging TBML risks and how to manage them
COVID-19 represents a special challenge for all organisations. As well as exacerbating existing concerns, it has ushered in a slew of new ones. If these issues are to be successfully addressed, firms need to understand new and existing risks that pose a threat to business.....More
4 ways to enhance your fraud risk management programme in a changing landscape
Crises rarely announce themselves in advance, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Criminals, always unscrupulous, have seized the opportunity presented to them by the pandemic to exploit new technologies and existing products and services to carry out their illicit activities.
3 weaknesses that led to Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal
1MDB, the financial scandal linked to prominent figures in Malaysia, is under investigation in a number of countries, and those alleged to have committed crimes are slowly being brought to justice.....More
CDD challenges all in compliance will recognise
Individuals working in compliance may know what they are required to do in respect of CDD – and know how to do it – but may be unsure or confused as to why. Here are four questions that those working in compliance and conducting CDD might be asking themselves on a regular basis.
2020 will be uncertain and unpredictable. Here’s what compliance can do
Facebook’s tough few years symbolises the danger of underestimating risk. Compliance professionals can learn from the company’s mistakes to protect their own firms in an unpredictable environment in 2020.....More
How the art market helps fund terrorism
Art and antiquities looting was ISIS’s second highest source of income at the terror group’s height. Unique and rare objects from the world’s oldest civilisations were flogged to Europe and North America to raise funds for its activities. The regulatory response from the EU and the art industry has been swift – but is it enough?
Why collaboration is vital to combat money laundering
Great strides forward have been made in the general awareness....More
South America: can a continent conquer corruption in 2019?
US politics inevitably tends to attract greater scrutiny than anywhere else in the Americas. Regrettably, this often obscures that which is unfolding in the southern half of the continent, where very interesting – often odd, sometimes distressing – events are taking place. Last year was a case in point.
Navigating the bribery risk this Christmas
Christmas – the season of gifts and giving. Nobody needs reminding that we already hurtling our way full speed towards the Big Day, but for businesses it is the time of year when a useful reminder on the dangers of bribery is required.....More
Governance in Japan: Going, going, Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn has his own comic book, The True Story of Carlos Ghosn. It ran as a strip in the manga Big Comic Superior in Japan in 2001, before being published as a book the following year. In a country obsessed with comic books, Ghosn having his own should give you an idea of the reverence in which he is held for reviving the ailing carmaker Nissan after his arrival in 1999.
Guy Fawkes Night: Celebrating counter-terrorism
Guy Fawkes Night celebrates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to kill King James I at the Palace of Westminster on November 5, 1605. There’s something modern, and therefore something we recognise, in the Gunpower Plot: it featured a small group of fanatics, whose plan was wildly ambitious, violent, and spectacular in its execution....More
What I learned during my year as a student
At International Compliance Training we try always to underline the virtues of learning. To show you that we practice what we preach, I want to share my own experience as a student over the last twelve months.
Financial crime prevention: cleaning up the world
Over the last decade the general public has woken up to the environmental issues affecting the planet. Concerted global efforts are now in place to reduce harm caused by pollution and to cut back on waste. The cost of cleaning up the damage already inflicted is now a central focus of national governments. Below, we look at the cost of financial crime and the incredible impact its prevention could have.....More
Given ample opportunities, Canara’s inadequate action led to FCA fine
The £896,100 fine recently imposed on Canara Bank by the FCA is a useful example of the thinking behind penalties issued by the UK regulator.
The World Cup of Corruption: Part 2
The World Cup has got off to an explosive, entertaining start. We follow up our coverage of each team’s first fixture with Part 2 of our World Cup of Corruption, looking at each nation’s ranking on Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index. Teams included in Part 2 include Sweden, Senegal, South Korea, Panama, Poland and Japan.....More
The World Cup of Corruption: Part 1
Football itself – and in particular FIFA – has been beset by corruption problems over the last decade. In light of this we thought we would consider each fixture of the tournament through the lens of corruption.
With a FATF visit looming, Hong Kong steps up AML/CFT efforts
FATF’s mutual evaluation in Hong Kong later this year will be its first evaluation in the territory since 2007.....More
2018: elections, cybercrime, Bitcoin and bribery
Unpredictability is the new normal. What does 2018 hold for our industry?
Everything you need to know about mobile financial services
Over the last decade, mobile financial services (MFS) have been instrumental in increasing financial inclusion in developing markets. What impact does this have on financial services and the telecommunications industry?....More
France gets serious about anti-corruption
Earlier this year the French government enacted Sapin II, an anti-bribery and corruption law that bolstered the country’s transparency and anti-corruption efforts. The legislation was introduced after criticism over the years of France’s anti-bribery and corruption efforts from several quarters (including the OECD). The introduction of Sapin II was the most significant initiative on anti-corruption in the country in decades.
UN Democracy Day: Latin America’s growing intolerance of corruption
Since 2008, the UN has held its day in honour and promotion of democracy on 15 September. For a cluster of nations across Latin America, this is a date that holds a special reverence, marking their independence from colonial rule: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica all celebrate their independence day on 15 September (with Mexico’s the following day, and Chile’s three days later).....More
UN Democracy Day: Latin America’s growing intolerance of corruption
Since 2008, the UN has held its day in honour and promotion of democracy on 15 September. For a cluster of nations across Latin America, this is a date that holds a special reverence, marking their independence from colonial rule: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica all celebrate their independence day on 15 September (with Mexico’s the following day, and Chile’s three days later).
How Iran circumvented US sanctions for 20 years through real estate in Manhattan
A decade-long battle between the United States government and the owners of a New York skyscraper was concluded last month when a US jury agreed with the government’s assertion that the Alavi Foundation, the majority owners, were guilty of money laundering and violating sanctions on Iran.....More
Artificial Intelligence in financial services: here to stay?
The successful infiltration of technology into every aspect of our personal lives has led pundits, over the last few years, to try and predict how technology will alter the landscape of our professional lives.
FIFA: The Beautiful Game?
Fifa, football's world governing body responsible for promoting and protecting the sport, has done more damage to the reputation of the game than any other organisation or individual.....More
Corruption: Perception and reality
ICT compares results from the World Economic Forum publishes annual corruption index and Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in this Prezi presentation.
Business malpractice: companies penalised, but what about individuals?
The recent Serious Fraud Office (SFO) case against Rolls-Royce has prompted discussion on whether prosecutors should do more to hold individuals to account for bribery and corruption offences. CorruptionIn a guest blog for Transparency International, Sue Hawley of anti-bribery site Corruption Watch called the SFO’s deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with Rolls-Royce a ‘failure of nerve’.....More
Volkswagen fraud: US issue $4.3 billion fine
We examine the case of automotive giant Volkswagen, the most recent household name to be hit by US authorities for breaching laws and regulations.
Modern Slavery Act: compliance for businesses operating in the UK
Modern slavery is a global issue that takes many guises and has the capacity to impact on businesses across many industry sectors.....More
Top FCA Fines of 2016 Infographic
We break down combined fines of nearly £18 million issued by the Financial Conduct Authority to five top offenders in 2016.
FATF Mutual Evaluation – United States
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released this month their first Mutual Evaluation of the United States since 2006.....More
Brazilian firms receive largest ever foreign bribery fines
Odebrecht and Braskem, two Brazilian companies, have been fined at least US$3.5 billion after pleading guilty to bribing government officials.
Financial regulation in the US: an uncertain future?
The President-elect of the United States is a man on more familiar ground on Wall Street than in Washington DC, and yet Donald Trump will surely be focusing his attention on the banks when he moves into the White House in January.....More
Cyprus’s economic crisis: why effective GRC is essential
Numerous reasons have been cited for Cyprus’s economic collapse, but one of the most enduring has been the charge of weak corporate governance in Cypriot banks. The demise of the now defunct Laiki Bank, previously the second biggest bank on the island, is indicative of the weak Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) framework that existed across Cypriot financial and governmental institutions.
Greece: Could effective GRC have prevented the economic crisis?
Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) have been shown to be interconnected concepts. Applied effectively in a business, they can reduce costs, cut inefficiency and improve communication throughout an organisation; GRC can help ensure a businesses’ goals and objectives are better defined, the company structure improved and regulations properly adhered to. Indeed, strong GRC lays the foundations for potential company growth.....More
Ireland concerned Brexit will damage anti money laundering efforts
Britain’s referendum on withdrawal from the European Union sent convulsions across Europe, and the uncertainty that the decision to leave triggered across the continent is felt nowhere more keenly than in Ireland. The Irish National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) makes this explicitly clear; Brexit makes up a third of the ML/TF risk-enhancing factors for the Irish state.
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