The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

Download Report

    n-img-roi-cross

    Before You Go, Schedule Your Free Demo Today

    Valid Invalid number


    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.

    n-exit-img-roi-cross

    Thank you for your demo request

    We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing how our solution can meet your needs. Expect to hear from us shortly with scheduling details.

    Close

    us

    216.73.216.113

    HKMA’s Risk Assessment Guidelines for AML/CFT Compliance in the Banking Sector

    image-22

    In the past few years, global regulatory authorities have been laying new grounds for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The primary goal of these authorities is to make use of the latest technological advancements in data analytics for developing solutions to counter crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing.

    The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is one of the regulatory bodies making prominent efforts to improve AML/CFT technologies for preventing monetary fraud. In November 2021, HKMA plans to initiate sessions with the aim to use technological innovations to strengthen AML/CFT policies and practices. Along with real-world AML/CFT use cases, the first experiment of HKMA is set to work on Natural Language Processing (NLP).

    After the FATF issued a report this June pertaining to the application of machine learning and NLP to enhance AML/CFT solutions, the HKMA said, “In line with global efforts, the HKMA plans to take further steps to support AML/CFT innovation and help strengthen [banks’] implementation of the risk-based approach to AML/CFT”.

    image copy

    Risk Assessment Guidelines for the Banking Sector

    The HKMA’s anti-money laundering webinar of September 16th sheds light on risk assessment guidelines for the banking sector and also highlighted the advantages of partnerships between public and private institutions. Among the significant aspects that came to light in the webinar were ways to understand the risks in financial institutions and risk-based approaches to eliminate money laundering and terrorist financing.

    A money-laundering syndicate was arrested by Hong Kong police in August for moving HK$30 million in a period of 10 months, which indicates the urgency that calls for HKMA’s recent updates in policies. As things stand, the HKMA justifiably labels the banking sector as being vulnerable to financial crimes. Considering international trends, there is a clear indication of increased difficulty in detecting and tracking money laundering with the mass adoption of online banking services and fund transfers.

    Suggested read: AML Non-Compliance Penalties Soaring Sky High in the First Half of 2021

    Risk-based Approach 

    Money laundering and terrorist financing are often seen to shake things up in banks and stain their reputation. The HKMA’s guideline encourages banks operating through digital platforms to implement AML solutions in order to formulate risk-based strategies. These measures include customer due diligence as well as ongoing monitoring of existing customers to report suspicious transactions for investigation. 

    According to the HKMA’s guidelines, the use of AI-based AML solutions can significantly assist banks and other financial institutions by analyzing different types of financial data and activities. That being said, there is a certain amount of autonomy provided to the banking sector when it comes to choosing and implementing AML compliance solutions according to their systems. Shufti’s AML Screening solution allows financial institutions to balance between risk-based strategies and efficiency while effectively analyzing the maximum number of datasets to eliminate money laundering.

    Collaboration Between Financial Institutions

    Another key aspect of the HKMA’s policy is the collaboration between banks and other financial institutions to improve the effectiveness of reporting suspicious activities. Banks working async enable improved tracking of money laundering and terrorist financing, as indicated by the interception of HK$3 billion by the ADCC in 2020. Furthermore, the recent COVID pandemic situation and the new risks it generated for the financial sector indicate the significance of collaboration and knowledge sharing when it comes to fraud prevention.

    The HKMA report shows examples of financial institutions effectively collaborating with the stakeholders within their system. One of these institutions is the FMLIT (Fraud and Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce), which provides feedback to external organizations to implement new techniques for the investigation of financial crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing.

    Technological Innovations

    The HKMA’s Fintech 2025 strategy has accounted for considerable progress in terms of AML RegTech adoption. For instance, the HKMA’s guidelines require banks to incorporate new, non-traditional datasets as well as digital footprints to keep track of transactions. Additionally, network analysis techniques are suggested to improve transaction monitoring and also assist in determining hidden linkages. Virtual banks are seen to work with the support of the HKMA by sharing their gathered information and assisting in calculating the upcoming risks.

    The targeted mitigation of money laundering and terrorist financing risks is only possible with the unification of financial records and information from internal and external sources. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that financial institutions that use advanced technological solutions to gather external information show greater strength when identifying high-risk customers, collaborations, and transactions. The points put forth in HKMA’s guidance not only suggest the implementation of these strategies but also encourage steps to measure and analyze their effectiveness.

    The Significance of On-going Monitoring

    Where a majority of the Authorized Institutions (AIs) that come under the AMLO are seen to adhere to the AML regulations put forward by the HKMA, there are a number of institutions that have not integrated measures to monitor and analyze the effectiveness of the results. Consequently, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has prompted financial institutions to instantly begin work on the development of systems to measure the performance of AML/CFT systems through the number of STRs (Suspicious Transaction Reports) as well as the impact on the banks’ reputation and customers. The HKMA AML guideline also highlights ongoing monitoring of the existing customers and employees of institutions. 

    According to HKMA AML guidelines, the ongoing monitoring of transactions as well as resource allocation and business relationships are a significant factor in the AML/CFT solutions. While carrying out customer due diligence during account opening, financial institutions are encouraged to implement automated AML solutions for processing customer data and examine all the sources where the money was processed through. Shufti’s AML services allow financial institutions to perform enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers in order to eliminate criminal entities from the monetary system. 

    In a Nutshell…

    The HKMA is a renowned international financial hub and the central stream of monetary processes. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority supervises the integrity and security of the financial system through AML/CFT regulations in compliance with international standards. 

    Targeting mainly the banking sector, the HKMA laid the foundations for AML processes that are now followed globally, including customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, transaction monitoring to overcome money laundering, and terrorist financing.

    Want to know how your business can comply with AML/CFT regulations?

    Related Posts

    Blog

    Vendor due diligence – Why it’s important and how it’s done?

    In today’s ever-changing corporate landscape, businesses are always looking for ways to make thei...

    Vendor due diligence – Why it’s important and how it’s done? Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Which KYC Documents are Required for Customer Verification?

    Name, Rank, Brigade, and Serial Number. That’s the only information military organizations across...

    Which KYC Documents are Required for Customer Verification? Explore More

    Blog

    KYC Verification – The Need for Customer Due Diligence in Co-Working Spaces

    The development of coworking platforms has led to a business transformation that brings security ...

    KYC Verification – The Need for Customer Due Diligence in Co-Working Spaces Explore More

    Blog

    Identity Verification vs Authentication: The Key Differences

    Organisations today face significant concerns regarding data breaches and identity theft. Nearly ...

    Identity Verification vs Authentication: The Key Differences Explore More

    Blog

    Facial Recognition Kiosks: A Modern Innovation in the Food Industry?

    Background of Technological Advancement Technology is regarded as a new way of thinking or doing ...

    Facial Recognition Kiosks: A Modern Innovation in the Food Industry? Explore More

    Blog

    UAE’s Crypto Landscape – Eliminating Financial Crime to Ensure Regulatory Compliance

    The UAE is the Middle East’s rapidly growing cryptocurrency hub that is experiencing a heated-up ...

    UAE’s Crypto Landscape – Eliminating Financial Crime to Ensure Regulatory Compliance Explore More

    Blog

    Online ID Verification – A Solution to Tax Refund Fraud

    An increase in identity theft and tax fraud have become a major concern these days. Criminals are...

    Online ID Verification – A Solution to Tax Refund Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    The Trade-off Between Fraud Losses and Compliance Costs in the Banking Sector

    The modern era’s demand for digital-first services in sectors ranging from e-commerce, online dat...

    The Trade-off Between Fraud Losses and Compliance Costs in the Banking Sector Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC: A Complete Overview

    The digitisation of KYC was inevitable, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated what would have oth...

    Video KYC: A Complete Overview Explore More

    Blog

    KYC ID Verification – A Critical Component for Securing Online Dating Activities

    Social manipulation in online dating platforms targets numerous users and their personal informat...

    KYC ID Verification – A Critical Component for Securing Online Dating Activities Explore More

    Blog

    New KYC Regime for the UK, US, and Australia – What’s in it for Financial Institutions?

    Financial institutions are known for getting their reputation maligned due to crimes like identit...

    New KYC Regime for the UK, US, and Australia – What’s in it for Financial Institutions? Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Cybercrimes Rise 5 times in 4 years and Continue to Soar!

     A rapid stride in the tech world over the years has increased cybercrimes immensely. According t...

    Cybercrimes Rise 5 times in 4 years and Continue to Soar! Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti’s Address Verification Service – A Key Step in Digital Identity Verification

    The rapidly developing technology of today is altering how consumers browse for things online. Th...

    Shufti’s Address Verification Service – A Key Step in Digital Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    KYC & AML Regulations in the UK: An Ultimate Guide

    Financial crimes have been around since the invention of money. Some argue that their origins are...

    KYC & AML Regulations in the UK: An Ultimate Guide Explore More

    Blog

    Top Cryptocurrency Trends to Look Out for in 2022

    2021 has been a remarkable year for cryptocurrency as because of COVID-19 outbreak crypto industr...

    Top Cryptocurrency Trends to Look Out for in 2022 Explore More

    Blog

    The Trade-off Between Fraud Losses and Compliance Costs in the Banking Sector

    The modern era’s demand for digital-first services in sectors ranging from e-commerce, online dat...

    The Trade-off Between Fraud Losses and Compliance Costs in the Banking Sector Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    KYC Compliance – Strengthening Fraud Prevention Across the Globe

    Know Your Customer (KYC)  The widespread availability of the internet has made our world more con...

    KYC Compliance – Strengthening Fraud Prevention Across the Globe Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    How Car Rentals can safeguard their interest with Digital KYC?

    Car rentals stand to benefit a great deal from Digital KYC as it will enable them to verify the c...

    How Car Rentals can safeguard their interest with Digital KYC? Explore More

    Blog

    5 Effective Ways Shufti Combats First-party Fraud

    After analysing fraud incidents of the previous year and the current one, we observed an interest...

    5 Effective Ways Shufti Combats First-party Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    Identity Verification with Liveness Detection: The Key to Preventing Spoofing Attacks

    Spoofing attacks are not limited to just emails and fake websites. Hackers and cybercriminals hav...

    Identity Verification with Liveness Detection: The Key to Preventing Spoofing Attacks Explore More

    Blog

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Facial Recognition Technology

    Although the digital revolution has brought us unprecedented levels of connectivity and comfort, ...

    Securing Identities in the Age of AI with Facial Recognition Technology Explore More

    Blog

    E-KYC – The Next Step in the Evolution of KYC Verification

    As the world shifts to digital applications, financial operations are being automated for added c...

    E-KYC – The Next Step in the Evolution of KYC Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Risk Assessment: Building Trust Among Travellers

    The travel and tourism industry is among the largest in the world. Many countries, such as the UA...

    Risk Assessment: Building Trust Among Travellers Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    Account Takeover Frauds – Impact, Causes, and Prevention

    Living in the era of technology, the world is rapidly moving towards digitization. From banking i...

    Account Takeover Frauds –  Impact, Causes, and Prevention Explore More

    Blog

    Identity verification in freelancing- no more smoke and mirrors

    Freelancing platforms are rapidly growing. In 2017, around 57 million Americans were freelancing ...

    Identity verification in freelancing- no more smoke and mirrors Explore More

    Blog

    Identification, Verification and Authentication – Cut from the same cloth

    The modern era of technology has brought so many frauds to light. The digitized world has urged b...

    Identification, Verification and Authentication – Cut from the same cloth Explore More

    Blog

    The 10 Biggest DeFi Hacks of 2022 and How Can KYC/AML Compliance Help

    The crypto industry witnessed a challenging year in 2022, marked by numerous hacks and scams, hig...

    The 10 Biggest DeFi Hacks of 2022 and How Can KYC/AML Compliance Help Explore More

    Blog

    Facial Recognition Kiosks: A Modern Innovation in the Food Industry?

    Background of Technological Advancement Technology is regarded as a new way of thinking or doing ...

    Facial Recognition Kiosks: A Modern Innovation in the Food Industry? Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Patient | Secure Patient Onboarding and Preventing Healthcare Fraud

    Technology advancement, automation, and digitisation have paved the way for unprecedented growth ...

    Know Your Patient | Secure Patient Onboarding and Preventing Healthcare Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    Crypto Regulations in the US and UK | A Comprehensive Overview

    Financial regulators struggle to understand how to categorise and regulate cryptocurrency that do...

    Crypto Regulations in the US and UK | A Comprehensive Overview Explore More

    Blog

    Transaction Screening: The Benefits and Challenges

    Financial crimes are rising, wreaking havoc on organisations and individuals. The fraud rate has ...

    Transaction Screening: The Benefits and Challenges Explore More

    Blog

    The Mesh of Human Behavior and Technology: CX Expert Saroni Kundu on Building Customer-Centric Businesses

    No matter the industry, customer experience (CX) is key to building trust and loyalty. If you’re ...

    The Mesh of Human Behavior and Technology: CX Expert Saroni Kundu on Building Customer-Centric Businesses Explore More

    Blog, Financial Crime / AML, Reg Tech

    AMLD5 – Regulations catching up with Technology

    In this era of technology, it is a common saying that “Innovation leads and regulation follows.” ...

    AMLD5 – Regulations catching up with Technology Explore More

    Blog

    EDD in Banking: Going Beyond CDD to Establish Trust in the Digital Age

    With technological advancement, hackers are also becoming smarter to bypass verification processe...

    EDD in Banking: Going Beyond CDD to Establish Trust in the Digital Age Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Digital Document Verification Giving Wing to Recruitment Sites

    Document Verification: In an industry that’s all about people, it’s critical that you know that a...

    Digital Document Verification Giving Wing to Recruitment Sites Explore More

    Blog

    A Brief Overview of the RegTech Industry [2022 Update]

    The rising financial crimes have raised concerns of global regulatory watchdogs giving rise to Re...

    A Brief Overview of the RegTech Industry [2022 Update] Explore More

    Blog

    Brazil to Launch CBDC: Its Impact on Financial Firms and How KYC/AML Can Help

    Where does the cash come from? The country’s central bank authorises the printing of paper ...

    Brazil to Launch CBDC: Its Impact on Financial Firms and How KYC/AML Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    FATF’s Travel Rule: A New Dawn of Regulations for Virtual Asset Services

    Here at the start of 2021, there is much uncertainty regarding the coronavirus situation, whether...

    FATF’s Travel Rule: A New Dawn of Regulations for Virtual Asset Services Explore More

    Blog

    An Insight into the US Regulations for the Art Art & Antiquities Sector

    Billions of dollars worth of art and antiquities are traded throughout the world without checks t...

    An Insight into the US Regulations for the Art  Art & Antiquities Sector Explore More

    Blog

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Roadblock for Money Mules and Illicit Fund Transfers

    Cybercrimes are becoming increasingly complex and diverse in the era of digitization, with frauds...

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Roadblock for Money Mules and Illicit Fund Transfers Explore More

    Blog

    Jobs in the frame for money laundering

    How banks can detect money mules? Remote jobs are trending but not every job is legitimate. Some ...

    Jobs in the frame for money laundering Explore More

    Blog

    The Path to CX Leadership – An Interview with Saroni Kundu

    From Code to Customer: How Saroni Kundu Found Her Passion in CX In our latest Beyond Borders podc...

    The Path to CX Leadership – An Interview with Saroni Kundu Explore More

    Blog

    China’s Data Protection and Privacy Laws | 2023 Update

    China has witnessed massive growth in the last few decades. However, the rise of the digital econ...

    China’s Data Protection and Privacy Laws | 2023 Update Explore More

    Blog

    5 Tech Upgrades That Can Revamp Your Customer Onboarding Process

    When businesses brainstorm ways to scale, they generally think about focusing more on sales. Howe...

    5 Tech Upgrades That Can Revamp Your Customer Onboarding Process Explore More

    Blog

    Latest Regulatory Updates on KYC Verification for Crypto Exchanges

    Even by the standards of cryptocurrency, the volatility exhibited in 2021 has been astounding. In...

    Latest Regulatory Updates on KYC Verification for Crypto Exchanges Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC Onboarding: Fintechs meeting KYC compliance with video identifications

    The Financial industry is introducing a digital revolution globally. The term Fintech corresponds...

    Video KYC Onboarding: Fintechs meeting KYC compliance with video identifications Explore More

    Blog

    From Crypto to Fiat Currency – Secure Exchanges with Transaction Monitoring Solutions

    Transaction processes today are launching innovative possibilities for users across the economic ...

    From Crypto to Fiat Currency – Secure Exchanges with Transaction Monitoring Solutions Explore More

    Blog

    Top Five FinTech Industry Trends to Look For in 2021

    Continuous advancements in technology have shifted the world toward digital means of communicatio...

    Top Five FinTech Industry Trends to Look For in 2021 Explore More

    Blog

    UK’s On-Demand Culture – Building Trust & Security with Digital ID Verification

    People across the world are spending more time on the internet ever since the pandemic struck the...

    UK’s On-Demand Culture – Building Trust & Security with Digital ID Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Eradicating Financial Crimes in Online Gambling using NFC Verification

    Emerging technologies have altogether revolutionized the online gambling industry and instead of ...

    Eradicating Financial Crimes in Online Gambling using NFC Verification Explore More

    Blog

    What is KYC and Why is it Important for Crypto Exchanges?

     Cryptocurrencies are causing significant disruptions in the financial world. Cryptograp...

    What is KYC and Why is it Important for Crypto Exchanges? Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance – Putting an End to Money Laundering in Crypto Firms

    In the past few years, cryptocurrencies were widely adopted as an investment method by not only i...

    AML Compliance – Putting an End to Money Laundering in Crypto Firms Explore More

    Blog

    Five Solutions to tackle business verification challenges

    Know Your Customer (KYC) is critical for verifying the clients before doing business with them, b...

    Five Solutions to tackle business verification challenges Explore More

    Blog

    Prevailing Crimes in Identity Verification – How Shufti’s Forensic Document Verification Can Help

    Identity fraud has become quite prevalent in digital businesses which is not only affecting opera...

    Prevailing Crimes in Identity Verification – How Shufti’s Forensic Document Verification Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Biometrics identity verification system – a masterstroke in verification market

    The biometrics identity verification system determines the resemblance of an individual by compar...

    Biometrics identity verification system – a masterstroke in verification market Explore More

    Blog

    From Crypto to Fiat Currency – Secure Exchanges with Transaction Monitoring Solutions

    Transaction processes today are launching innovative possibilities for users across the economic ...

    From Crypto to Fiat Currency – Secure Exchanges with Transaction Monitoring Solutions Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    Why Millennials don’t care about Conventional Banking Services?

    Millennials are different from the baby boomer generation. They earn less than what the previous ...

    Why Millennials don’t care about Conventional Banking Services? Explore More

    Blog

    The Shufti Difference: Speed, Security, and Fairness Without Compromise

    With over 100 fraud and identity companies operating worldwide, you might assume that something l...

    The Shufti Difference: Speed, Security, and Fairness Without Compromise Explore More

    Blog

    Perpetual KYC – Securing Businesses through Continuous Identity Verification

    With regulatory scrutiny increasing globally, failures or loopholes in security systems pose a si...

    Perpetual KYC – Securing Businesses through Continuous Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Document Verification Checks: Streamlining the Onboarding Process for New Customers

    Verifying documents is critical to regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and many organisations...

    Document Verification Checks: Streamlining the Onboarding Process for New Customers Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Driver – Urgency of Identity Verification for Mobility service Providers

    Scams have been at the forefront whenever a new tool is made available. The same goes for ride-sh...

    Know Your Driver – Urgency of Identity Verification for Mobility service Providers Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance in the FinTech Industry’s Uncertain Regulatory Landscape

    Financial technology (FinTech) exists to improve and automate the delivery of economical services...

    AML Compliance in the FinTech Industry’s Uncertain Regulatory Landscape Explore More

    Blog

    How Deepfakes Deceptions are Affecting Businesses

    The word deep fake comes from the terms “deep learning” and “fake,” and is a type of artificial i...

    How Deepfakes Deceptions are Affecting Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Identifying and Eliminating the Risks of Money Laundering in Businesses

    Eliminating the risks of financial crime in businesses has never been easy and has been identifie...

    AML Screening – Identifying and Eliminating the Risks of Money Laundering in Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    KJM Age Restrictions Breaking New Grounds for Gaming Industry

    Minor protection has become a challenge for everyone these days. Parents are worried about the ty...

    KJM Age Restrictions Breaking New Grounds for Gaming Industry Explore More

    Blog

    6AMLD of EU – A detailed insight

    European union’s another anti-money laundering directive is in the pipeline. And this time the un...

    6AMLD of EU – A detailed insight Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    4 Fraud prevention tips that you must follow this Holiday Season

    The holiday season is around the corner and it is the time of the year when online shopping and m...

    4 Fraud prevention tips that you must follow this Holiday Season Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    New Rules by the UK Gambling Commission and Their Impact

    The UK Gambling Commission announced new gambling rules earlier this year to make gambling safer ...

    New Rules by the UK Gambling Commission and Their Impact Explore More

    Blog

    Perpetual KYC – Securing Businesses through Continuous Identity Verification

    With regulatory scrutiny increasing globally, failures or loopholes in security systems pose a si...

    Perpetual KYC – Securing Businesses through Continuous Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    4 Reasons why KYB is Inevitable for your Business

    When it comes to corporate collaborations, Know Your Business (KYB) is the ultimate source of sec...

    4 Reasons why KYB is Inevitable for your Business Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening | Fighting the War Against Terrorist Financing & Money Laundering

    Money laundering and terrorist financing have become a global concern. In the US alone, approxima...

    AML Screening | Fighting the War Against Terrorist Financing & Money Laundering Explore More

    Blog

    Avoiding Billion-dollar Fraud & Non-Compliance Costs With Shufti

    Businesses deplete millions of dollars each year on outdated technologies, employee training, and...

    Avoiding Billion-dollar Fraud & Non-Compliance Costs With Shufti Explore More

    Take the next steps to better security.

    Contact us

    Get in touch with our experts. We'll help you find the perfect solution for your compliance and security needs.

    Contact us

    Request demo

    Get free access to our platform and try our products today.

    Get started