Short, high-signal briefs you can act on today.
Regulatory messaging underscored that customer risk assessments are expected to be dynamic, with periodic and event-driven reviews treated as a core AML control.
Supervisory communications underscored rising expectations around governance, explainability, and oversight of AI-enabled fraud and AML models.
Regulatory messaging reinforced that reliance on beneficial ownership registries does not replace independent verification and ongoing ownership risk assessment.
Supervisory messaging indicates that AML transaction monitoring models are increasingly assessed through formal model risk and governance standards, not as standalone compliance tools.
Regulatory messaging reinforced that deficiencies in data quality are increasingly treated as fundamental financial crime control weaknesses rather than technical issues.
Recent supervisory communications underscored that persistent AML control weaknesses are increasingly being framed as governance and accountability failures.
Regulatory communications reinforced that sanctions screening is expected to be dynamic and continuously updated, not a static onboarding control.
Regulatory messaging highlighted continued supervisory concern over trade finance weaknesses being exploited for sanctions evasion and illicit trade.
Regulatory messaging emphasised that the quality and timeliness of suspicious activity reports are increasingly viewed as indicators of overall AML control effectiveness.
Supervisory communications reinforced that periodic and event-driven customer risk reviews are a core AML control, not a formal refresh exercise.
Regulatory communications underscored that poor data quality is increasingly viewed as a root cause of AML and sanctions control failures.
Supervisory messaging highlighted growing concern over indirect and downstream sanctions exposure beyond name-based screening.
Supervisors signalled closer scrutiny of transaction monitoring model governance, tuning, and validation practices.
Regulators reiterated expectations around accurate, timely beneficial ownership identification as a core AML control.
Regulators signalled growing concern over the intersection of crypto-enabled fraud and sanctions exposure.
US and UK authorities reiterated expectations on controls to detect Russia-related sanctions evasion through third countries and complex trade structures.
Multiple regulators signalled increased scrutiny of the effectiveness, not just existence, of financial crime controls.
Fines for AML, KYC and sanctions breaches declined globally in 2025 but surged sharply in EMEA and Asia-Pacific, underscoring regional divergence in enforcement priorities.
Swiss authorities freeze assets linked to Venezuelan PEP and Singapore sees sharp rise in AML/CFT fines.
