Financial Crime Weekly Podcast

Hosted by Christopher Kirkbride

Episodes

Language

EN-GB

About the show

Welcome to the Financial Crime UK Weekly podcast. I’m Chris Kirkbride and I lecture law. This is an introductory podcast to give you a guide as to the sort of things which we will be looking at on this podcast in the first week of every month. However, there will be specials and additional podcasts out of this sequence if something happens which is significant and deserves a special episode. So, what are the sort of things we’ll be talking about? Well, we will cover news, events, legal developments, and anything else that relates to financial crime, in the UK – obviously, because that is in the podcast title – but also in other jurisdictions. No man is an island and financial crime certainly does not respect national borders. Broadly, the coverage will be all aspects of: Fraud | Bribery | Market abuse and insider dealing | Money laundering and terrorist financing | Data and information theft | Cybercrime (phishing / smishing) and the challenges generated by fintech in terms of finance crime threats. While these might be financial crimes, strictly speaking, but that is not all. It is necessary to reflect on the responses to financial crime which the state adopts. While this is less about fines and imprisonment, we will focus on confiscation and recovery schemes, sanctions imposed on those who have committed financial crimes, together with arrangements designed to allow the offender to avoid/defer prosecution, namely, deferred prosecution agreements. Consideration will also be given to the regulatory architecture of financial crime, both domestic and international – as stated, financial crime does not respect borders – together with regulatory enforcement and aspects of the compliance industry – the industry which helps commercial entities stay on the right side of the law. Finally, and this is a particular interest of mine, but I am fascinated by the interface between criminal and civil law where the facts of an event could lead to prosecution or civil action. Consequently, while this is a financial crime podcast, we will also consider those situations where the civil law might bring about a robust response to financial wrongdoing. So, that’s it from me for now except to say that the podcast is available from the usual places, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iTunes, and others.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

15 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 295

Welcome to episode 295 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, there’s a joint statement announcing coordinated sanctions against North Korean cyber fraud, overseas labour, and military cooperation with Russia, the Court of Appeal has upheld HM Treasury's general licence amendments governing VTB Bank's UK subsidiary, and the UK FCDO has updated its sanctions listings to reflect UN Security Council amendments on Afghanistan as well as a Russia regime corporate correction. On fraud enforcement, an international law enforcement operation has dismantled a "crime-as-a-service" network, a former marine insurance claims handler is imprisoned for a payment diversion scheme, and US federal prosecutors have announced criminal enforcement actions in New Jersey, California, and Florida. On money laundering and regulatory oversight, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has removed Bulgaria, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Monaco from its grey list, while a US federal court has sentenced a Venezuelan national to 12 years in prison for laundering over $1 billion in illicit proceeds. Finally, in cybercrime, the FBI has attributed a $6 billion virtual asset theft from cryptocurrency exchange Binance to the state-sponsored North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

19 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 294

Welcome to episode 294 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions enforcement, the UK has extended its Lukoil Bulgaria licence, the US has targeted North Korean IT worker fraud networks and sanctioned Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence, and Czech manufacturer Ferrit s.r.o. has secured the country's first corporate non-prosecution settlement in a Russia sanctions evasion probe. On fraud prosecutions, there is a $177m tax scheme indictment, a sentence for COVID-19 relief fraud, charges under "Operation Ghostbusters" targeting a global student financial aid ring, and the release of the US Justice Department's Eighth Annual Elder Justice Report. In regulatory updates and AML oversight, UNODC and Malta’s FIAU partnered to pilot the goSENTINEL supervisory platform, while the UK Legal Services Board has authorised the SRA to issue unlimited fines for economic crime violations. And finally, former US Army and Postal Service officials have pleaded guilty in procurement steering and bribery schemes, and a Syrian national has been sentenced for a state-sponsored cyber intrusion campaign. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

25 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 293

Welcome to episode 293 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, o n sanctions and export controls, the UK government has designated 15 Sudanese military commanders, proposed updates to strategic technology export control frameworks, refreshed OFSI's legal services general licence, and updated ISIL/Al-Qaida designations, while in the US, Extreme Networks has resolved enforcement actions over Russian defence exports, and the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has attracted criticism over a proposal to use cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions. Major fraud and corruption enforcement features federal indictments in a $135 million Medicare fraud, a $9.1 million licensing fraud, pandemic loan fraud prosecutions in the US and UK, and a guilty plea in a $3 million NCAA point-shaving ring. In regulatory and legal developments, the UK FCA has imposed restrictions on six Annex 1 lenders over anti-money laundering deficiencies, while a coalition of 21 state attorneys general sued FinCEN over its rollback of Corporate Transparency Act beneficial ownership reporting rules. Finally, in cybercrime, INTERPOL's Operation Serengeti III netted 1,462 arrests and recovered over $105 million across Africa, a former UK minister has indicated state involvement in the Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack, and a Ukrainian ransomware affiliate has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

14 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 292

Welcome to episode 292 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on enforcement and fraud actions there is a £307,690 confiscation order against a Birmingham accountant for pandemic support scheme fraud, the European Commission’s formal Digital Services Act proceedings against Booking.com regarding fraudulent property listings and ad transparency, and a guilty plea by New Jersey influencer Cesar Humberto Pina involving investment fraud, drug money laundering, and municipal bribery. On money laundering, the UKFIU SARs Annual Report 2025–2026 revealed a record £422.3 million in denied criminal assets alongside 896,414 SAR submissions, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued updated guidance on firm-wide AML controls. Meanwhile, the UK FCA has banned and fined former Vector Wealth executives over £4 million in high-risk investment losses. Regulatory developments saw the FCA publish good practice guidance on AI adoption and FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi call for system-wide collaboration against digital market risks, alongside a UK Government consultation on whistleblowing framework reforms and a proposed SFO financial rewards scheme. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

22 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 291

Welcome to episode 291 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, UN Security Council and UK Government listing updates for Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, new US sanctions targeting five Chinese entities over technology trade secret theft, and the European Commission responds to US Russia sanctions waivers. On enforcement, FinCEN identifies a $270 million federal student aid fraud, there are guilty pleas in multi-state deed fraud and an extensive NCAA/NBA sports game-fixing ring, alongside federal sentencings for a $30 million drug money laundering operation and a California prison contraband bribery scheme. On the regulatory side, MONEYVAL has initiated Lithuania’s 6th round mutual evaluation, ESMA has finalised updated Market Abuse Regulation delay guidelines, the UK FCA has revoked four trader prohibition orders, and UK agencies have issued their 2026 Economic Crime System Priorities. Finally, the UK ICO has issued reprimands to two Welsh organisations following a ransomware breach which exposed children's data. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

13 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 290

Welcome to episode 290 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the UK has updated designation details for former Bank Otkritie board member Nadia Cherkasova, while Bosnian arms dealer Sasa Micev received a 60-month US federal prison sentence for conspiring to broker illicit surface-to-air missile sales. On fraud, the NCA has led a joint operation across 15 countries which targeted West African scam networks; the IMF and World Bank Group have released the "Bangkok Blueprint" framework to combat cyber-enabled fraud in digital finance; and US federal courts saw guilty pleas in a $2.1 million credit card fraud scheme and a $440,000 COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud. Finally, on cybercrime, G7 finance leaders agreed during IMF annual meetings in Bangkok to launch simulated tabletop exercises to test global financial sector resilience against frontier AI-enabled cyber-attacks. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

18 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 289

Welcome to episode 289 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, UK OFSI guidance regarding specific financial licences post-delisting, a new UK property lease general licence alongside autonomous sanctions against two Iranian nationals, OFAC designations targeting Cartel del Noreste's commercial and horse racing networks, and the EU's largest-ever sanctions package against Russia. On fraud and money laundering, there is a guilty plea by a former US postal carrier in a $34 million mail theft scheme, over $1.9 billion in combined US regulatory penalties against Bank of America for Bank Secrecy Act, AML, and sanctions violations, and the arrest of Alvaro Pulido Vargas in connection with $1.6 billion in Venezuelan bribery and money laundering schemes. In market abuse and regulatory updates, there are joint FCA and NCA arrests targeting an organised insider dealing ring, the court-ordered winding up of UK firm Ellan NW Ltd for subverting insolvency procedures to evade creditor claims, updated Serious Fraud Office corporate self-reporting guidance, and a major UK government consultation on whistleblowing reform and a proposed SFO economic crime informant reward scheme. Finally, on cybersecurity, cyber incidents impacting Italy's Foreign Ministry, retailer Asos, and Swiss pension fund Publica, alongside a joint international advisory exposing China-based Integrity Technology Group for supporting global cyber-attacks. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

17 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 288

Welcome to episode 288 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, the UK delists a Swiss entity following a UN Security Council decision, extends the Maritime Mutual general licence, and imposes new designations, while the US takes more action under Operation Economic Outcast. On fraud and money laundering prosecutions, the DoJ launches Phase Three of the Western Union victim compensation scheme, and announces the conviction of Jonathan Spalletta. There is also the guilty plea of Oleg Korniev for managing a cybercrime money mule network, and a fine for American Express over BSA/AML deficiencies. On bribery, corruption, and market abuse, GRECO outlines strategic priorities and closes Denmark's fourth-round evaluation, the Court of Appeal quashes more LIBOR and EURIBOR convictions, and BaFin fines Volkswagen AG for market disclosure breaches. Finally, Europol warns of quantum computing risks to cryptocurrency wallets and "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" data threats. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

16 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 287

Welcome to episode 287 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, the UK FCDO makes vessel designations, and revokes restrictions against a former Syrian minister, while the US targets a $2 million France-based Hamas financing network, and delists 125 entities. On US fraud enforcement, there is a $65 million Brooklyn Medicaid kickback plea, a prison sentence in a $37 million fraud, and a Delaware bankruptcy fraud conviction, while in the UK, Report Fraud's national passkey campaign follows £6.3 million in account hacking losses. On money laundering prosecutions, authorities addressed a £30 million bulk cash smuggling ring operating between the UK and the UAE, and a $597,000 government impersonation courier scheme. Finally, a former TD Bank employee pleads guilty to accepting bribes for laundering, and there is the 10-nation "Operation KillSwitch" disruption of the KillSec ransomware network. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.

19 min

Financial Crime Weekly Episode 286

Welcome to episode 286 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US Treasury has targeted the Tren de Aragua cyber-fraud network, Cuban trade restrictions, and the "A7 Network" shadow banking system, while the UK has enacted 31 new Russia-related designations, extended the Sakhalin-2 oil price cap exceptions, authorised LNG maritime transport to Japan and South Korea, and initiated its annual frozen assets reporting review. On fraud, National Trading Standards in the UK has launched an AI Scam Watchlist, while US authorities have prosecuted an $80 million federal procurement set-aside fraud scheme, and a $620,000 gang-related mail theft and bank fraud ring. On bribery and corruption, federal prosecutors indicted a former restaurant supply cooperative executive in an $80 million kickback scheme, and the United States has formally notified the Council of Europe of its withdrawal from the anti-corruption monitoring body, GRECO. Finally, the episode covers SEC insider trading charges against a former pharmaceutical executive, ESMA's proposed regulatory revisions to strengthen the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, and there is a £1.8 million Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation order against a former UK National Crime Agency officer following a dark web Bitcoin theft. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial . The photograph on the podcast cover art is by Sora Shimazaki at Pexels, and the stinger sample between each news section is ‘Ben Logo 1’ by BenKirb from Pixabay.