Claim OwnershipFinancial Crime Weekly Podcast
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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.
235 Episodes
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Welcome to episode 217 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with the US Treasury sanctioning 21 entities and individuals involved in Houthi oil smuggling and weapons procurement, while the EU marks a historic structural shift as the European Banking Authority transfers all AML/CFT mandates to the new AMLA. We examine the SFO’s conviction of three directors in a £70 million "ethical forestry" fraud and the FCA’s £309,843 fine against a consultant for repeated insider dealing. Furthermore, we discuss South Africa’s legislative push to close FATF gaps via its updated 2025 Amendment Bill, and a stern warning from a UK Treasury Select Committee that regulators are moving too slowly to address the systemic risks posed by the rapid integration of AI. Finally, we consider the industrialisation of cybercrime, the NCSC’s warning regarding escalating pro-Russian DDoS attacks on UK infrastructure, and new research into how youth cybercrime often begins with everyday online risk-taking.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 216 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with significant sanctions updates as the UK and EU lower the oil price cap on Russian crude to $44.10 per barrel, and the US Treasury targets Iranian shadow-banking networks and security officials linked to illicit financing. We also analyse major domestic and international enforcement, including the UK SFO’s £300 million bribery and fraud probe into Home REIT, Spain’s record €30 million AML penalty against CaixaBank, and the sentencing of a Massachusetts man to 15 years for international money laundering. Furthermore, we look at Transparency International’s warning regarding the erosion of US anti-corruption leadership and the EU's decision to remove South Africa from its list of high-risk jurisdictions. Finally, we cover MONEYVAL’s latest progress reports on a number of nations and a new transnational coalition of financial intelligence units meeting in Washington to disrupt global organised crime.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 215 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with significant global sanctions updates, including a multilateral warning regarding North Korean cyber-enabled sanctions evasion and the US designation of several Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organisations. We also look at major legal developments, such as the five-year money laundering sentence handed to Georgia’s former Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, and a landmark UK High Court ruling affirming the continued enforceability of the Guralp Systems DPA. Furthermore, we consider federal charges against a former New York City official for bribery and PPP fraud, as well as the US government’s civil forfeiture action against cryptocurrency tied to a "pig-butchering" scam. Finally, we cover MONEYVAL’s assessment of Poland’s crypto-asset safeguards, a significant guilty plea in a multimillion-dollar insider trading scheme, and the FCA’s successful confiscation order against the fraudster behind the collapsed platform Collateral (UK) Ltd.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 214 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we cover significant federal movements in the US, including the White House’s launch of a new DOJ division for national fraud enforcement and a former TD Bank employee pleading guilty to a $2 million money laundering scheme. In the UK, the SFO has repatriated £400,000 to fraud victims, the FCA has fined former Carillion directors for misleading market announcements, and an ex-Jefferies banker has denied insider dealing charges. We also consider GRECO’s warning to Belgium regarding stalled anti-corruption reforms and the arrest of 34 suspected "Black Axe" members in Spain for large-scale fraud and human trafficking. Finally, we look at the ICO’s new memorandum of understanding with the UK government, and the latest Russia-related sanctions adjustments by OFAC. A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 213 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I’m Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the dramatic escalation in global sanctions enforcement, including the US targeting four entities linked to Venezuela’s oil sector and a high-stakes naval engagement over a sanctioned tanker in the North Atlantic. We also analyse the UKFIU’s 2024-25 annual report, while in the US, FinCEN has officially delayed its AML compliance deadline for investment advisers to 2028. Furthermore, we examine Nigeria’s bold anti-corruption showcase at the UNCAC COSP11 conference and the UK’s newly launched £210 million Cyber Action Plan aimed at hardening public-sector defences against evolving digital threats.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
This Financial Crime Weekly Special Episode examines the seismic regulatory and enforcement shifts that reshaped the crypto landscape in 2025. From the EU’s “Fortress Europe” under MiCA and the UK’s aggressive Financial Promotions regime, to U.S. legislative clarity on stablecoins and digital commodities, the episode highlights how the era of regulatory liminality has ended. With case studies ranging from prosecutions tied to human trafficking and elder abuse to the technical blind spots of chain‑hopping and DeFi “mathematical mixers,” the discussion captures both the moral and operational stakes. Looking ahead, it explores how automation and AI‑driven compliance will define survival in 2026.
This Financial Crime Weekly Special Episode looks ahead to 2026, a year defined by localisation and divergence in global financial crime regulation. From the EU’s AMLA rollout and the US Corporate Transparency Act compliance cliff, to the UK’s aggressive enforcement of the new “Failure to Prevent Fraud” offence, the episode explores how jurisdictions are reshaping rules to meet domestic priorities. With insights into sanctions reform, fraud liability shifts, capital markets changes, and the operational resilience demands of DORA, the UK’s Critical Third Parties regime, and the EU AI Act, this horizon scan highlights the strategic risks and compliance imperatives that will shape the year ahead.
In this Financial Crime Weekly Review episode, we take stock of the key developments which shaped 2025 across enforcement, regulation, and corporate accountability. From landmark legislative changes and headline cases to evolving trends in cryptoassets, ESG‑related financial crime, and sanctions, the episode distills a year of complex activity into clear insights. With a focus on practical impact and strategic foresight, it offers listeners a concise yet comprehensive overview of the themes that will define compliance and risk management moving into 2026.
This special edition of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast unpacks the landmark “Failure to Prevent Fraud” offence introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Effective from 1 September 2025, the law reshapes corporate accountability by imposing strict liability on large organisations when associated parties commit fraud intended to benefit them. The episode explores why the reform was needed, the elements of the offence, its jurisdictional reach, penalties, and the statutory defence of “reasonable prevention procedures.” With practical insights into compliance expectations and cultural change, it’s an essential listen for anyone navigating the new era of corporate fraud prevention.
Welcome to episode 212 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast with Chris Kirkbride. This week, we cover key global sanctions, including U.S. penalties for Iran violations and actions against fuel theft cartels and terrorist groups. In the UK, new Russia and Syria sanctions are announced, with Roman Abramovich given a final deadline over Chelsea sale funds. On fraud and money laundering, the response to the Tricolor Auto Group collapse, Bendigo Bank faces regulatory action, and Axiom's David Kennedy receives a confiscation order. Integrity issues include insider trading convictions and the OECD urging Colombia to reform its foreign bribery laws.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 211 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the US seizes a crude oil tanker linked to an oil shipping network supporting Hizballah and Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force, while the EU Council sanctioned nine shadow fleet enablers and twelve individuals and two entities involved in hybrid threats, cyberattacks, and foreign information manipulation against Ukraine and NATO allies. We also reflect on geopolitical shifts, as the US Treasury lifted Global Magnitsky sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following political negotiations, and the UK designated four Sudanese RSF commanders for grave humanitarian law violations in Darfur. On other financial crime threats, the conviction of three City fund managers in a £11.4 million fraud targeting Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, the FATF flagging serious effectiveness weaknesses in Belgium’s fight against money laundering, and the US Treasury warning consumers about a surge in AI-enabled cyber scams during the holiday season. Finally, we look at regulatory action, as the UK's FCA launched a consultation to bring a market abuse regime and disclosure requirements to cryptoassets, and the ICO fined LastPass £1.2 million for a 2022 data breach impacting 1.6 million UK users.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 210 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions, the UK has sanctioned two China-based technology companies for conducting reckless cyberattacks, while the US Treasury imposed sanctions on shipping firms and insiders linked to the Maduro regime. We also cover critical anti-money laundering failures, highlighted by the FCA fining Nationwide Building Society £44.1m for pervasive weaknesses in its anti-financial crime controls between 2016 and 2021, and the FATF finding Malaysia weak on converting money laundering investigations into prosecutions. Furthermore, there are warnings from the UNODC that organised crime is heavily exploiting the mining sector across Latin America and the Caribbean, and look ahead to the global anti-corruption push at the UN's COSP11 conference.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 209 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the UK has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia's GRU following the conclusion of the Salisbury poisoning inquiry, and implements dual sanctions targeting both malicious cyber actors and entities destabilising Ukraine. Australia has launched a world-first autonomous sanctions framework against key Taliban leaders, while the US Treasury sanctioned a transnational network primarily composed of Colombian nationals for recruiting fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. On corruption, in the UK, the government unveiled its comprehensive Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025, and world anti-corruption day has been marked by a range of global agencies. Fraud concerns were highlighted by the US recovering nearly $1.7 million in cryptocurrency stolen through a sophisticated investment scam, and a UK report reveals that taxpayers lost £10.9 billion to Covid support scheme fraud and error. Finally, regulatory enforcement targeted the financial sector, as FinCEN imposed a $3.5 million penalty on Paxful for wilfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 208 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we begin with significant global enforcement actions, including the landmark agreement by the EU to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, and the UK’s expansion of sanctions with 12 new designations targeting individuals and entities under its Cyber and Russia regimes, alongside new counter-terrorism designations. In the US, the Treasury’s OFAC imposed a substantial $7.1m penalty on Gracetown Inc for violating Russia-related sanctions involving an entity owned by sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and sanctioned a Venezuelan entertainer and associates for supporting the terrorist cartel Tren de Aragua. We also look at major crime fighting successes, such as Europol and Eurojust dismantling a massive cryptocurrency fraud network responsible for laundering over €700 million, and the EU formally designating Russia as a high-risk jurisdiction for money laundering and terrorist financing. Finally, on domestic issues, the UK Gambling Commission fining Done Brothers £825,000 for serious anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings, and the launch of the new Report Fraud service by the City of London Police to replace Action Fraud.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 207 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers a range of critical global financial crime developments, beginning with sanctions, where the UK government published statutory guidance detailing when trade licences under Russia sanctions may be granted, such as for humanitarian assistance or critical energy supply, while the US Treasury settled an $11.5 million sanctions case with IPI Partners for maintaining investments with sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. We also cover significant fraud and money laundering cases, including the European Public Prosecutor’s Office uncovering a €40 million EU subsidy fraud scheme in Italy involving fictitious training courses, and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office securing a conviction against the director of AOG Technics for selling aircraft engine parts with forged documentation. Additionally, we analyse integrity reforms, as the Council of Europe's GRECO confirmed the UK has made substantial progress in anti-corruption reforms within government and law enforcement, but still needs fully to implement sanctions for post-employment breaches and enhance lobbying transparency. We conclude with cybercrime, highlighting the NCSC’s launch of its free Cyber Action Toolkit to help small businesses combat rising threats.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 206 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode examines global financial crime, starting with sanctions evasion challenges: a report highlights 113 Russian 'shadow' vessels moving €4.7 billion in oil using false flags, then to a UK OFSI General Licence for Lukoil International Entities, while the EU considers using frozen Russian sovereign assets for Ukraine. UK enforcement updates include the FCA charging a former banker and associate in a £70,000 insider dealing case and arresting another for suspected market manipulation. HMRC also announced higher Economic Crime Levy rates from April 2026. Finally, we cover global efforts: the Council of Europe launched an anti-corruption/money laundering initiative, and INTERPOL adopted a Strategic Framework targeting transnational scam centres, though Transparency International warns UK Overseas Territories are lagging on corporate transparency reforms.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 205 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers significant global enforcement actions, including the UK updating its Cyber Sanctions List to subject Russian national Andrei Valerevich Kozlov to an asset freeze for involvement in the cybercrime ecosystem, and the US Treasury’s OFAC levying a statutory maximum $4.7 million penalty against a real estate investor for illegally dealing in property owned by a sanctioned Russian individual. We look at AML and governance failings, noting the £650,000 fine imposed on Videoslots Limited by the UK Gambling Commission for serious anti-money laundering and safer gambling deficiencies, while an IMF report highlights persistent governance weaknesses and widespread corruption vulnerabilities in Pakistan. Finally, we turn to broader crime fighting, covering the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's urgent call for funding to combat organised crime operating from "front" shops on UK high streets, and analysing Security Minister Dan Jarvis’s warning about escalating cyber threats and the need for proactive societal resilience.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 204 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers major global enforcement actions, including how the UK's NCA exposed a billion-dollar Russian money laundering network linked to a Kyrgyz bank purchase for the war effort. Concurrently, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Iran's shadow fleet financing its military and proxies, while Europol coordinated against sophisticated Russian sanctions evasion. Domestically, the UK's PSR highlighted the success of CoP and the mandatory APP reimbursement policy. The SFO also launched its first major crypto fraud probe into the $28 million Basis Markets collapse. Finally, we look at transnational crime fighting, including a Europol operation which dismantled a Balkan art trafficking network, seizing over 3,000 antiquities valued at more than €100 million.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 203 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers major enforcement actions and global regulatory updates. Key topics include significant fraud cases, such as a former Qualcomm executive sentenced to four years for a $180m fraud and money laundering scheme, and a Miami influencer's conviction for fraudulently obtaining over $600,000 in COVID relief loans. We examine UK integrity challenges, with GRECO criticising the government over sanctions for post-employment rule breaches and lack of transparency regarding lobbyists' contact with special advisers, alongside the JMLSG's AML guidance consultation. Global market abuse is in focus, with charges against eight foreign nationals in a multi-million-dollar global insider trading network. Finally, we analyse devastating cybercrime events: Jaguar Land Rover's reported £485 million loss following a major cyber-attack which halted production, Europol tracing €47 million in crypto to disrupt digital piracy, and allegations of Chinese state-sponsored hackers using Anthropic’s AI chatbot for cyber espionage.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 202 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers significant sanctions news including the US Treasury targeting the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for operating cyber scam centres in Burma, and the sanctioning of a global network supporting Iran’s missile and UAV programmes across Iran, China, the UAE, and several other countries. The episode also covers transnational crime fighting efforts, such as FinCEN’s proposed rule identifying Mexico-based gambling establishments as a primary concern due to their ties to Sinaloa Cartel money laundering, and the UK’s alert exposing how global shadow fleets enable sanctions evasion. Additionally, the episode addresses major cyber developments, including Europol’s Operation Endgame which dismantled significant cybercrime infrastructure, and the UK’s announcement of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aimed at protecting critical services and regulating managed service providers.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
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