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.
223 Episodes
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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.
Hello and welcome to episode 201 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers key sanctions updates, including the UN Security Council's Resolution 2799 (2025) delisting Syrian officials and the US suspending some Caesar Act sanctions to aid Syria's recovery, as well as the UN General Assembly criticising US sanctions on ICC officials. Enforcement highlights feature fraud charges against six ex-Glencore executives, the UK's National Crime Agency recovering over £20 million in assets via an Unexplained Wealth Order, and sentencing in a record-setting £5 billion Bitcoin seizure. Also discussed are federal charges against MLB pitchers for betting and money laundering, Europol's takedown of phishing-as-a-service networks like LabHost, and FCA alerts about clone scams targeting Northern Trust firms.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 200 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode summarises significant global enforcement actions and regulatory updates. Highlights include HMRC's £1.16m settlement with a UK exporter over Russia sanctions violations, asset freezes related to suspected terrorism, and US measures against Hizballah funding activities. The episode covers notable anti-money laundering penalties: €45m by BaFin to JPMorgan’s Frankfurt branch, and £650,000 by the UK Gambling Commission to NetBet. Policy updates feature HM Treasury consulting on FCA supervision of professional services for AML/CTF and findings from the UK's Economic Crime Survey 2024, showing that 27% of UK businesses faced fraud last year.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 199 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers the UK government consolidating sanctions into the UK Sanctions List by January 2026, new guidance for the freight sector on Russian sanctions, and a centralised enforcement page. It also covers US Treasury sanctions against a North Korean cybercrime network, Chelsea FC’s £150 million penalty buffer, a major intra-EU VAT fraud scheme ("Goliath"), and a €600 million cryptocurrency laundering ring. The SRA’s 2024/25 AML report highlights increased legal sector enforcement and ongoing compliance gaps, and Napier's new AI tool to fight money laundering and Russian exploitation.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello and welcome to episode 198 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the UK has lifted its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan, shifting to Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The US Treasury has sanctioned the Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organisation, and OFSI designated Aliakbar Ansari for supporting hostile activity under the Iran sanctions. The FCA secured its first Data Protection Act conviction against a former Virgin Media O2 employee involved in a crypto scam. Also featured are global anti-financial crime efforts, such as EBA guidance shaping the future EU AMLA and an OSCE workshop in Uzbekistan focused on virtual asset money laundering. The episode concludes with a summary of the 2025 cyberattack on Marks & Spencer and its impact on competitor profits.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 197 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers the U.S. imposing sanctions on Colombia's President Petro over alleged cartel links and updates to the UK's OFSI humanitarian license for Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. The UK reported £629.3 million lost to fraud in early 2025, while Starling Bank introduced an AI tool to combat online purchase scams and Europol highlighted €850 million in annual losses from caller ID spoofing. The FATF Plenary advanced efforts on asset recovery and AI risk scanning, removing four African nations from its monitoring list. ESMA announced cyber resilience and ESG as top priorities for 2026. The episode also features Tom Hayes suing UBS after his conviction was overturned, and the UN Convention against Cybercrime launching in Hanoi with 72 countries signing the first global treaty on digital threats.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Welcome to episode 196 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I'm Chris Kirkbride. This episode highlights major sanctions, including US actions against Rosneft and Lukoil for war financing, and new UK sanctions on Balkan crime networks involved in people smuggling. We discuss regulatory changes in the form of the UK's Interim Necessities General Licence for listed Iranian entities, significant enforcement actions with FINTRAC's record fine on Cryptomus, and the UK Gambling Commission’s penalty for Platinum Gaming. Also covered are the £1.9 billion Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack, the FCA’s call to integrate finance into UK security strategy, EU AML oversight changes, and a large-scale subsidy fraud case in Greece.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 195 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. This episode covers notable sanctions actions, including US and UK asset freezes targeting Haitian gang leaders and others under migration and trafficking regulations, as well as an OFSI licence allowing business with subsidiaries of Rosneft. We cover the takedown of a $30 million fraud ring targeting American timeshare owners, Switzerland’s proposed beneficial ownership register, and the UK’s move to centralise AML/CTF supervision under the FCA. Also featured are OECD’s review of Latvia’s anti-bribery efforts, a major cross-border corruption case, FCA warnings on weak financial crime controls, Pacific nations teaming up against crypto abuse, plus key cyber security updates such as Europol dismantling SIMCARTEL, the global impact of an AWS outage, and NCSC’s call for board-level cyber resilience.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 194 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the UK’s most forceful sanctions package to date, which targets major Russian oil producers, shadow fleet tankers, and 90 entities linked to Kremlin energy revenues. Separately, OFSI has reported of a record £37 billion in frozen assets, and the extension of a General Trade Licence covering sectoral software and technology under Russia sanctions. On fraud, the FCA urges banks to strengthen defences against romance scams, and the Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Capita following a 2023 cyberattack. Additionally, we explore international coordination efforts, including Transparency France spotlighting the Anti-Money Laundering Contact Board, and Eurojust addressing challenges in asset recovery, the rise of crypto-assets, and the use of professional laundering services.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 193 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, starting with sanctions, the UK Government is set to consolidate its designation framework, retiring the OFSI Consolidated List in January 2026, making the UK Sanctions List the sole official source for all designations. We also look at increasing threats, as risk advisory experts warn that banks are underprepared for the surge in AI-driven fraud and must rethink resilience with enterprise-wide assessments, while the UK’s NCSC reports a dramatic rise in national cyber threats, prompting the government to urge business leaders to prioritise cyber resilience at the board level. Additionally, we look at global law enforcement efforts, covering the historic US and UK crackdown on the Cambodia-based Prince Group cybercrime network, and the case of "Bitcoin Jesus" Roger Ver, who admitted tax fraud and concealing offshore assets in a deal requiring him to pay $48 million in restitution.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 192 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, on sanctions news, the United States has launched a sweeping campaign targeting Iranian energy and militia proxies. On money laundering, the European Banking Authority has reported that EU regulators have significantly improved supervision of banks ahead of the transition to the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority, as well as urging national supervisors to strengthen AML/CFT oversight of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) due to financial crime risks. Meanwhile, the US Treasury’s FinCEN issued updated guidance to streamline Suspicious Activity Reports. There is anti-corruption news from Sri Lanka, which has launched a digital Case-File Tracking System to modernise investigations, and in Somalia, the UNODC has trained officials in Corruption Risk Management. Finally, on Cybercrime, a global survey identifies increased cybersecurity spending.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 191 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the EU has extended sanctions on those responsible for Russian hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and disinformation. In the UK, Daniel Pugh has been sentenced for operating a £1.3 million Ponzi scheme and the Metropolitan Police has secured convictions against the launderers of over £5.5 billion in Bitcoin. On financial integrity, anti-corruption training in Guinea-Bissau’s health sector, and new UK guidance enabling anti-money laundering regulated firms to share customer data under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Finally, the expiration of the US Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act amid a government shutdown, and Europol’s urgent call for lawful data access to counteract evolving criminal threats.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
Hello, and welcome to episode 190 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, significant coordinated sanctions action by the United States government against Iranian targets. In Australia, AUSTRAC has launched a nationwide awareness campaign to prepare Australian industry for sweeping Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing reforms. In Malaysia, a move to Deferred Prosecution Agreements to modernise enforcement and enhance asset recovery, while a study suggests D/NPAs, while offering economic safeguards, may increase the likelihood of companies reoffending. Finally, we cover the Council of Europe’s project to strengthen AML and anti-corruption frameworks across 17 European states, and further discuss the recent cybercrime incident where hackers targeted the UK nursery chain Kido Schools.A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.
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