DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How the Cartels Launder Their Drug Money, According to a Former Agent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Kyle Desiderio | Ju Shardlow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Robert Mazur tells the full story of his time as a government agent investigating drug-money laundering. Mazur went undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service intelligence division, and the Customs Service. In Operation C-Chase, Mazur successfully infiltrated the Medellín cartel by posing as a wealthy, mob-connected businessman named Robert Musella. At its peak, the Cali cartel is estimated to have produced 80% of the world's cocaine supply. It was controlled by Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Pacho Herrera, and José Santacruz Londoño.

Persons: Robert Mazur, Mazur, Robert Musella, Pablo Escobar's, Gonzalo Mora, Roberto Alcaino, Robert Baldasare, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Pacho Herrera, Londoño, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, B095BKWD8L Read Organizations: US Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Customs Service, New York Times, KYC Locations: Italian American, Cali

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said conspiracy charges against KuCoin and two executives should warn other crypto exchanges that they cannot serve U.S. customers without following U.S. laws. An indictment in Manhattan federal court said the company and its founders tried to conceal the existence of its U.S. customer base. KuCoin was also required to cease New York operations after falsely representing itself as a crypto exchange without registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer, James said. “KuCoin grew to service over 30 million customers, despite its alleged failure to follow laws necessary to ensuring the security and stability of our world’s digital banking infrastructure,” McCormack said. Three companies doing business as KuCoin were incorporated in the Cayman Islands, the Republic of Seychelles and Singapore.

Persons: Damian Williams, KuCoin, Letitia James, James, Williams, “, ”, Darren McCormack, “ KuCoin, ” McCormack, Johnny, Chun Gan, Ke Tang Organizations: New York, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: U.S, Manhattan, York, New York, China, Cayman Islands, Republic of Seychelles, Singapore

☆ Woman drops lawsuit against Leon Black alleging rape at Jeffrey Epstein mansion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

FILE: Leon Black, chairman and chief executive officer of Apollo Global Management LLC, at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. A woman who had accused Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black of raping her at the New York mansion of the late sex predator Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to drop her civil lawsuit against Black. Black, in a statement provided to CNBC on Monday, said, "I have never met Ms. Pierson. Black left Apollo in March 2021, months earlier than he previously had said he would. The Wigdor law firm is continuing to pursue a separate lawsuit against Black that its attorneys filed in July, alleging that he raped a then-16-year-old girl with autism at Epstein's Manhattan home in 2002.

Persons: Leon Black, Jeffrey Epstein, Cheri Pierson, Pierson, Black, Danya Perry, Wigdor, Epstein, Wigdor . Black, Jane Doe Organizations: Apollo Global Management, Milken Institute Global Conference, Black, Manhattan Supreme, Epstein's, CNBC, Wigdor LLP, U.S . Virgin, Wigdor, Manhattan Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, York, Florida, Manhattan, Wigdor .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is stepping up efforts to stop dirty money from flowing through the U.S. financial system with a slew of new rules aimed at increasing corporate transparency and regulating occupations that are exploited for money laundering. “We are undertaking a concerted effort to address the systemic deficiencies in the United States’ anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism framework," Nelson said. The international community is expecting the U.S. to improve its corporate transparency rules in order to maintain its status as a safe haven for investment. “We have identified numerous cases involving criminals and U.S. adversaries seeking to operate with anonymity using opaque corporate structures,” Nelson said. Anonymous companies are a favorite tool for bad actors seeking to conceal their activities and their funds,” Nelson said.

Persons: —, Biden, Brian Nelson, Nelson, ” Nelson, “, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, Hamas, Force, Atlantic Council, Treasury Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, U.S, Russia, Iran, Paris, United States

☆ Bitcoin money launderer Ian Freeman ordered to pay $3.5 million to romance scam victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ian Freeman outside of the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, in April 2023. Prosecutors said that he laundered proceeds of scams by exchanging dollars for the popular cryptocurrency, charging "exorbitant fees" in the process. Freeman earned more than $1 million through his business, which he had not registered as legally required with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, prosecutors said. "Freeman instructed bitcoin customers, who were often victims of scams, to lie to the financial institutions and describe their deposits as church donations. From 2016 to 2019, he paid no taxes, and concealed his income from the Internal Revenue Service," the office said.

Persons: Ian Freeman, Freeman, laundered, Ian, Jane Young, Joseph Laplante Organizations: cryptocurrency, U.S ., Prosecutors, Financial, Network, New Hampshire U.S, U.S, District, Shire Free Church, of, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, New Hampshire, U.S, Shire, of New Hampshire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is rolling out new recordkeeping rules for U.S. investment advisers in its continued effort to clamp down on money laundering, illicit finance and fraud in the American financial system. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — known as FinCEN — proposed a regulation on Tuesday that would require investment advisers to develop anti-money laundering programs and file reports with the government when suspicious activity is detected by clients, among other things. Treasury last week proposed a rule that would require real estate professionals to report information to the agency about non-financed sales of residential real estate to legal entities, trusts and shell companies. All-cash purchases of residential real estate are considered at high risk for money laundering. The risk assessment also identified cases of Chinese and Russian individuals using investment advisers to access sensitive information and emerging technology, Treasury said.

Persons: —, Biden, ”, Andrea Gacki, Janet Yellen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury, House Locations: U.S, United States

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An elderly man has died from Alaskapox, the first known fatality from the recently discovered virus, state health officials said. The man, who lived in the remote Kenai Peninsula, was hospitalized last November and died in late January, according to a bulletin last week from Alaska public health officials. Alaskapox, also known as AKPV, is related to smallpox, cowpox and mpox, health officials said. Only six other cases of the virus have been reported to Alaska health officials since the first one in 2015. All involved people were living in the Fairbanks area, more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) from the Kenai Peninsula, health officials said.

Persons: “, hasn't, Alaskapox, Alaskans Organizations: Health, U.S . Centers for Disease Control Locations: ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Alaskapox, Kenai, Fairbanks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration wants to make residential real estate transactions more transparent by unmasking the owners of certain all-cash purchases. It's part of an ongoing effort to combat money laundering and the movement of dirty money through the American financial system. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a regulation on Wednesday that would require real estate professionals to report information to the agency about non-financed sales of residential real estate to legal entities, trusts and shell companies. All-cash purchases of residential real estate are considered at high risk for money laundering. One study on the impact of money laundering on home values in Canada, conducted by a group of Canadian academics, found that money laundering investment in real estate pushed up housing prices in the range of 3.7% to 7.5%.

Persons: —, Biden, ”, Andrea Gacki, Ian Gary, Janet Yellen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury, Network, House, FACT Coalition, Small Business Association Locations: Canada, U.S

“It is necessary to conduct this operation unilaterally and without notifying Venezuelan officials,” reads the 15-page 2018 memo expanding “Operation Money Badger,” an investigation that authorities say targeted dozens of people, including Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Within weeks, senior DEA officials plotted to deploy at least three undercover informants to surreptitiously record top officials suspected of converting Venezuela into a narco state. And “to limit or mitigate the exposure of the unilateral activities,” the document advised DEA officials to protect their informants and curtail in-person meetings with targets. I think they figured they had nothing to lose.”RELEASED BY ACCIDENTThe Operation Money Badger memo was never intended to be made public. The DEA memo authorized three informants to secretly record undercover meetings with the targets.

Persons: –, ”, Nicolás Maduro, Maduro’s, Alex Saab, Wes Tabor, “ We’re, Maduro, “, Biden, ” Maduro, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden, ” —, Evan Criddle, William & Mary, there’s, Mike Vigil, Manny Recio, John Costanzo Jr, Costanzo, ” Michael Nadler, Washington –, launderer, Jose Vielma, Hugo Chávez, Vielma’s, Luis Motta, Vielma, Motta, Motta’s, Zach Margulis, Hugo Carvajal, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: MIAMI, The Associated Press, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, Justice, AP, CIA, State, Justice Department, U.S, Attorney’s, Democratic, Supreme, William &, Saab, Miami Field Division’s, IRS Locations: Venezuela, United States, U.S, America, Venezuelan, Miami, Manhattan, Russia, China, OPEC, Mexico, Virginia, “, Colombian, New York, Houston, Washington, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Arms Dealer Linked to Myanmar Junta Acquitted in Thai Money Laundering Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Richard C. Paddock | Muktita Suhartono | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A wealthy Myanmar arms broker with close ties to the leader of Myanmar’s brutal military regime was acquitted on Tuesday by a Bangkok court on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, raising fears that he will be free to resume his activities aiding the junta. U Tun Min Latt, who was placed under sanctions by the United States last year for supplying the Myanmar regime with weapons, had spent 16 months in a Thai jail awaiting trial. The Thai authorities had accused Mr. Tun Min Latt and three associates of engaging in a scheme to launder drug money by using it to buy electricity in Thailand and sending it across the border to Myanmar. But the Thai criminal court found that the record of bank transactions presented by prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the charges. With the ruling, about two dozen family members and supporters of the accused burst into applause in the courtroom.

Persons: Latt, Min Aung, Tun Min Latt Organizations: United Locations: Myanmar, Bangkok, United States, Thailand

☆ Ecuador: As terror grips the streets, even the armed forces live in fear
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( David Culver | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Suddenly, residents, including Camille and Diego, found themselves seeking a safe place for themselves and their loved ones. Ecuadorean Police/Handout via ReutersHours after terror broke out in Guayaquil, President Daniel Noboa took an unprecedented step. Noboa, who had only been inaugurated two months earlier, declared an “internal armed conflict” in the country and ordered Ecuador’s armed forces to “neutralize” the members of more than 20 gangs, which he labeled as terror groups. Since then, Ecuador’s national police and armed forces have been carrying out raids of homes of those with suspected ties to terror groups. Experts warn that Ecuador’s terror groups are aligned with a wider criminal network, including the notorious Sinaloa Cartel out of Mexico, complicating Noboa’s attempts to “neutralize” criminal groups operating within his borders.

Persons: Ecuador CNN — Camille Gamarra, Diego Gallardo, Camille, Diego, “, ’ ” Camille, ” Camille, – José Adolfo Macías, ” –, Jose Adolfo Macias, Daniel Noboa, they’ve, ”, Jaime Vela Erazo, Fito, Sean Walker, Noboa, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, It’s, Carlos Jimenez, ” Jimenez, Jimenez, he’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, “ I’m, Noboa’s, Cesar Suarez Organizations: Ecuador CNN, Ecuadorean Police, Handout, Reuters, CNN, Joint Command, Ecuador’s Armed Forces, Colombian, RCN, Residents, TC Television Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Sinaloa, Mexico, Aire, Golfo

☆ Opinion: Teen obsession with skin care products isn’t a trend, it’s a warning sign
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The closer you look at the teen (and even tween) skin care craze, the more blemishes appear. The modern rebranding of “beauty products” to “skin care” - reminiscent of that of “diets” to “lifestyles”- implies that simply leaving your skin alone is tantamount to negligence. In 2020, clinical skin care brand Murad enlisted high-school influencers to promote its rejuvenating serums on Instagram. Considering how many such products tend to feature in the average online skin care routine, the potential cost overall is breathtaking. The most worrying thing about today’s skin care craze isn’t just that the financial and emotional buy-in are completely out of proportion to the “need” being addressed.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, mascara, Holly Thomas Holly Thomas, don’t, tweens, “, ”, Murad, Nil Sani, Gen Z Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN Locations: London, TikTok

☆ Cesar Suarez: Ecuadorean prosecutor investigating TV station attack has been assassinated, attorney general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Tara John | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An Ecuadorean prosecutor, who was reportedly leading an investigation into an attack on a local TV network, was assassinated on Wednesday in Guayaquil, according to Ecuador’s Attorney General Diana Salazar. Cesar Suarez was killed in the northern part of the city, known for being one of the most violent cities in the country. The TV station attack led Noboa to declare an “internal armed conflict” in the country, ordering security forces to “neutralize” several criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence in the Latin American nation. Since then, Ecuadorian military and police have spread throughout the city of Guayaquil, a CNN team on the ground witnessed. This comes as rival criminal organizations fuel Ecuador’s worsening security situation in their battle to control drug trafficking routes.

Persons: Diana Salazar, Cesar Suarez, Salazar, Suarez, “, ” Salazar, ”, Daniel Noboa, Adolfo “ Fito ” Macias, Oliver, Noboa, “ Leo Organizations: CNN, Ecuavisa, TC Television, United, Ecuadorian, Ecuador’s Armed Forces Locations: Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Fito, Mexico, United States, Sinaloa, Colombia, Los Tiguerones, Victoria del, “, Peru, Europe

☆ North Korean Hackers, Criminals Share Money Laundering Networks in Southeast Asia - UN
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tom WilsonLONDON (Reuters) - North Korean hackers are sharing money-laundering and underground banking networks with fraudsters and drug traffickers in Southeast Asia, according to a United Nations report published on Monday, with casinos and crypto exchanges emerging as key venues for organised crime. Funds stolen by North Korean hackers are a key source of funding for Pyongyang and its weapons programmes. The junket sector has been infiltrated by organised crime for "industrial-scale money laundering and underground banking operations," with links to drug trafficking and cyberfraud, the report said. The proliferation of casinos and crypto have "supercharged" organised crime groups in Southeast Asia, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas told Reuters. "It's no surprise sophisticated threat actors would look to leverage the same underground banking systems and service providers," he said.

Persons: Tom Wilson LONDON, Lazarus, Pacific Jeremy Douglas, Tom Wilson, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Angus MacSwan Organizations: United, United Nations Office, Drugs, Korea's, United Nations, North, Casinos, Bangladesh's Central Bank, Lazarus, UNODC Regional Representative, Southeast, Pacific, Reuters Locations: Southeast Asia, United Nations, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, North, Geneva, United States, Pyongyang, Philippines

☆ Spanish museum may keep Pissarro painting looted by Nazis, US court rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —A US appeals court said on Tuesday that Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza museum may keep a painting by the French impressionist Camille Pissarro that the Nazis looted from a Jewish woman, rejecting an ownership claim that her heirs have pursued for more than two decades. The 3-0 decision by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, came in one of the oldest Nazi art theft cases, which began in 2005 and reached the US Supreme Court two years ago. After learning where the painting was, Neubauer’s grandson, Claude Cassirer, petitioned for its return in 2001, and sued four years later. The painting (far right) on display at Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, which acquired the work in 1993. The decision came two years after the Supreme Court threw out an earlier 9th Circuit decision because it misapplied choice-of-law rules.

Persons: Madrid’s Thyssen, Camille Pissarro, “, “ Rue Saint Honore, pluie, Rue, Rue Saint Honore, Lilly Neubauer, Thyssen, Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, Neubauer’s, Claude Cassirer, David, Madrid's Thyssen, Susana Vera, Judge Carlos Bea, Consuelo Callahan, ”, Spain’s, Thaddeus Stauber Organizations: Reuters, 9th, Supreme Court, “ Rue Saint, Rue Saint, Bornemisza, United Jewish Federation of San Locations: Bornemisza, Pasadena , California, Paris, Nazi Germany, United Jewish Federation of San Diego County, California, Spain, Nazi

☆ Spain Museum Can Keep Nazi-Looted Painting, Judges Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A US court said Spain could keep a priceless painting looted by the Nazis from its Jewish owner. The Spanish-backed nonprofit didn't know the painting was looted when it bought the collection, the judges said, giving it a stronger claim within Spanish law. Advertisement"Under California law the plaintiffs would recover the art, while under Spanish law they would not," they wrote. "Thus, Spanish law must apply." It argued that neither the Spanish state-backed nonprofit nor Thyssen-Bornemisza knew the painting was stolen when he bought it.

Persons: —, Lilly Neubauer, Camille Pissarro's, Neubauer, Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, Bornemisza, Claude Cassirer, Sam Dubbin, Spain's, Consuelo Callahan Organizations: Service, Saint, Business, Madrid's, Nacional Thyssen, Guardian, Madrid's Museo Nacional Thyssen, US, Appeals, Art, Los Angeles Times, Thyssen, Times Locations: Spain, Germany, Paris, Pissarro's, Spanish, California

☆ Opinion: Why crypto was the perfect tool for criminals and kleptocrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Opinion Casey Michel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The news last week of money laundering charges against crypto exchange Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, sent shockwaves through both financial markets and crypto consumers alike. But for those familiar with the history of modern money laundering, they’re hardly surprising. Over and again, everything from Manhattan high-rises to Malibu beachfronts to Midwest manufacturing plants have allegedly housed illicit wealth, easily and anonymously. But crypto was also, in many ways, the perfect tool for kleptocrats and criminals trying to dodge sanctions and duck investigators. Like banks, real estate and more before it, the best days of the crypto industry as a haven for money laundering may yet be behind it.

Persons: Casey Michel, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, ”, Versha Sharma, Hamas’s Al, they’re, —, kleptocrats Organizations: CNN, Wall Street Journal, Binance, Hamas’s, ISIS, Patriot Locations: Washington, American, Manhattan, Malibu, Midwest

☆ US, European officials crack down on crypto service accused of laundering money for North Korean leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The US Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned a cryptocurrency service accused of helping launder millions of dollars for the North Korean regime. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies have also seized the website of the crypto service, known as Sinbad, according to a notice that appeared on the website Wednesday. Analysts say North Korea has leaned heavily on mixers to move money amid greater scrutiny from law enforcement agencies from the US, South Korea and elsewhere. The North Korean regime has also used thousands of IT workers working overseas, sometimes posing as other foreign nationals, to quietly raise revenue, according to US officials and North Korea experts. “The laundering tactics of North Korean cyber criminals continued to evolve,” Nick Carlsen, who was an FBI intelligence analyst focused on North Korea until 2021, told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sinbad, Nick Carlsen, Carlsen, “, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, US Treasury Department, Wednesday, North, FBI, cyberattacks, White House, US, CNN, US Treasury, Treasury, TRM Locations: launder, Korea, South Korea, cryptocurrency, North Korea, North Korean, North Koreans, Korean, Koreans

☆ US sanctions cryptocurrency mixer Sinbad over alleged North Korea ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on a virtual currency mixer the Treasury Department said has processed millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency from major heists carried out by North Korea-linked hackers. Lazarus, which has been sanctioned by the U.S., has been accused of carrying out some of the largest virtual currency heists to date. In March 2022, for example, it allegedly stole about $620 million in virtual currency from a blockchain project linked to the online game Axie Infinity. A virtual currency mixer is a software tool that pools and scrambles cryptocurrencies from thousands of addresses. Those that engage in certain transactions with the mixer also risk being hit with sanctions.

Persons: Lazarus, Wally Adeyemo, Sinbad, Daphne Psaledakis, Kanishka Singh, Paul Grant, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao Organizations: Treasury Department, North, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, United Nations, Blender, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, North Korea, heists, U.S, Finland, Netherlands

☆ A sales practice at American Express is under scrutiny. Here's what we know about the investigation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It's not clear how much scrutiny the company is under for management's role in developing and training employees to sell the product. Subpoenas are issued to compel parties such as company executives and employees, or former employees, to appear for interviews or turn over documents. In July, the OCC assessed a $15 million civil penalty against American Express National Bank. The IRS is also involvedBrooklyn attorneys are coordinating their criminal investigation alongside the IRS's criminal-investigation unit, the people BI spoke with said. Sinking morale among some sales employeesThe investigations are taking a toll on Amex's results-driven culture, current and former sales employees told BI, because compliance staff have gotten more involved in the sales process.

Persons: Amex, hadn't, salespeople, It's, Adam Isserlis, Isserlis, John Marzulli, Brian Morris, Hiral Mehta, Morris, Boies, Boies Schiller Flexner, Seth DuCharme, Charles Blazer, he's, Mehta, Hiral, Brian Organizations: American Express, Business, Justice, New York State Department of Financial Services, BI, Brooklyn, Eastern, of, OCC, American Express National Bank, Consumer Financial, Justice Department, Department of Financial Services, Department of Justice, IRS, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC's, Government, Costco, Securities, Eastern District, Department of Homeland Security, Boies Schiller, FIFA, Taco Bell Locations: Brooklyn , New York, of New York, Eastern, Brooklyn

☆ ECB chief Lagarde admits her son lost crypto cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde addresses the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, at the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 24 (Reuters) - No one is a prophet in their own land, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who admitted on Friday that her son lost "almost all" of his investments in crypto assets, despite copious warnings. Lagarde has long railed against cryptocurrencies, calling them speculative, worthless and a tool often used by criminals for illicit activity. "It wasn't a lot but he lost it all, he lost about 60% of it," Lagarde added. The ECB chief has two sons in their mid-30s but did not say which one she was referring to.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Johanna Geron, Lagarde, cryptocurrencies, Balazs Koranyi, Susan Fenton Organizations: European Central Bank, Parliament's, Economic, Monetary Affairs, REUTERS, Rights, ECB, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Frankfurt

☆ Mastercard doubles down on effort to detect and tackle crypto fraud with AI tie-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images)Mastercard is doubling down on its efforts to detect and prevent fraud that's routed through cryptocurrency exchanges. The company told CNBC exclusively that it's partnered with Feedzai, a regulatory technology platform that aims to combat money laundering and financial scams online using artificial intelligence. "This will increase fraud detection by protecting unwary consumers, but will also detect potential money laundering activity and mule accounts," Feedzai CEO and co-founder Nuno Sebastio told CNBC. An estimated 40% of scam transactions exit directly from a bank account to a crypto exchange today, according to Feedzai data. Feedzai says its software can identify and block suspicious transactions in a matter of nanoseconds — but also recognize transactions that are legitimate.

Persons: Joan Cros Garcia, Corbis, it's, Feedzai, Mastercard's, Nuno Sebastio, Sebastio Organizations: MasterCard, Mobile, Congress, Getty Images, Mastercard, CNBC, Feedzai Locations: BARCELONA, SPAIN, Barcelona, Spain, Coimbra, Portugal, San Mateo , California, Silicon Valley

☆ Two South Koreans accused of running US ‘high-end’ brothel ring to appear in court Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He is accused of running part of the financial side of the brothels – renting out apartments in his or fake identities and operating numerous businesses to allegedly launder money through. The website advertised “models” – pictured on the sites in underwear in provocative poses – for photographers to hire, the affidavit says. Junmyung, investigators say, was born in Korea and is in the US on a student visa, which started in 2018. The confidential source, working with investigators, contacted James to set up a brothel in Connecticut, the affidavit says. He also mentioned during the call that he worked with a “Hana in Boston,” according to the affidavit.

Persons: Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, James Lee, Zachary Mitlitsky, Han, Junmyung, James, –, James laundered, Massachusetts Joshua Levy, ” Levy Organizations: CNN, Homeland Security, TSA, Hana Locations: Boston, Washington, Worchester , Massachusetts, California, Las Vegas and Virginia, Eastern Virginia, Virginia, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Korea, Tysons , Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts

☆ Nicaragua pardons, returns 21 Hondurans, including MS-13 gang leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mara Salvatrucha leader David Elias Campbell Licona, known as "El Viejo Dan", is escorted by Honduras law enforcement officers before being deported to Nicaragua, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, November 5, 2023. Nicaragua also plans to return prisoners to Costa Rica, the government of its southern neighbor said on Saturday. A similar transfer on Oct. 18 involved 43 Honduran prisoners. Campbell Licona had been wanted by Honduran authorities on money laundering and gang charges since 2016, and was captured in Nicaragua in June 2021. Campbell Licona used businesses the gang owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through U.S. banks, U.S. authorities have said.

Persons: Mara Salvatrucha, David Elias Campbell Licona, El, Campbell Licona, Ismael Lopez, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Kinosian, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Secretaria, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Honduran, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Nicaragua, Tegucigalpa, Seguridad del Gobierno de Honduras, Handout, Rights MANAGUA, Honduran, Costa Rica, Los Angeles, United States, Central America, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese middlemen launder the proceeds of North Korean hackers’ cyber heists while Chinese ships deliver sanctioned North Korean goods to Chinese ports. China views North Korea as a buffer against the U.S., which maintains a significant troop presence in South Korea. The U.S. has accused North Korea of supplying artillery shells and rockets to Russia, while new evidence shows Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel. “China violates North Korea sanctions it voted for and says won’t work because it’s afraid they’ll work. Such “over-the-counter” brokers allow North Korean hackers to bypass know-your-customer rules governing banks and other financial exchanges.

Persons: “, ” Aaron Arnold, Kim Jong Un, ”, Joshua Stanton, cryptocurrency, Anthony Ruggiero, couldn’t, hadn’t, Eric Penton, Dake Kang Organizations: WASHINGTON, North, Associated, United Nations, Royal United Services Institute, U.S, . Security, North Korean, Kremlin, AP, Treasury, government’s Ministry of Commerce, U.N, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, Outrider Foundation, Investigative@ap.org Locations: Beijing, Korea, North Korea, China, Pyongyang, South Korea, Ukraine, The U.S, Russia, Israel, North, U.S, Carnegie Corporation of New York

Search resuls for: "launder"

25 mentions found