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

    85.208.96.199

    AUSTRAC Warns Banks Against Closing Accounts of Crypto Traders

    AUSTRIC

    AUSTRAC shows full support for the Australian crypto industry and is issuing warnings to banks against closing accounts of virtual assets providers.

    Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), the country’s AML regulatory body, has recently stood in favor of the country’s crypto industry by issuing a stern warning to local banks against large-scale de-banking of crypto dealers.

    Crypto dealers in Australia have been raising concerns about de-banking from the banking systems because of having involvement in crypto businesses. De-banking, where the financial institutions stop providing services to customers, has become common practice targeting virtual assets providers in Australia.

    AUSTRAC has made it clear that the Australian AML and CTF regulations do not mandate banks to evict customers from the country’s banking system just because they are associated with businesses dealing in cryptocurrencies.

    “The effect of de-banking of legitimate and lawful financial services businesses can increase the risks of money laundering and terrorism financing and negatively impacts Australia’s economy,” AUSTRAC said in its statement.

    AUSTRAC’s Chief Executive, Paul Jevtovic, highlighted that the regulatory bodies do not support the de-banking of crypto operators or terminating business relationships. This practice could soar the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.

    “Although the decision to close an account may remain a necessary risk control, Austrac considers with appropriate systems and processes in place, banks should be able to manage high-risk customers, including those operating remittance services, digital currency exchanges, not-for-profit organizations (NPO), and financial technology (FinTech) businesses,” the regulator said.

    Australian banks have become conscious as aftermaths of money laundering or terrorist financing cases pours reputational damages that are unbearable. The Westpac Banking Group became part of headlines back in 2013 when $6 billion funds were laundered through their accounts. While the bank was not found guilty in this case, it portrayed that banks facilitating virtual assets providers can lead to reputational fallout. 

    Westpac case was instrumental in making Australian banks oppose crypto services. Currently, when banks identify clients as high risk, they de-bank them, considering the cost of incorporating Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) to be high.

    A spokesman for The Australian Bankers Association said, “A core obligation is for banks to be able to trace and report where the money comes from and where it flows to. Given the level of anonymity in some digital assets and trading platforms, this means it is often not possible for banks to provide a service in compliance with their AML and sanctions obligations.”

    The large-scale de-banking has put the Australian cryptocurrency exchanges in danger, 17 bitcoin exchanges closed. Bitcoin businesses are moving out of Australian territory because of concerns regarding virtual assets regulations and tax treatments. The Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association (ADCCA) has also made it clear that the Australian crypto industry may completely disappear if de-banking practices continue.

    “AUSTRAC expects banks and all regulated businesses to adopt a case-by-case approach to managing ML/TF (money laundering/terrorism financing) risks. This expectation extends to the importance of continuing to assess the particular risks relating to their business customers in line with the risk-based approach,” AUSTRAC representative said.

    Suggested read: AUSTRAC Denounces De-banking Practices To Prevent Financial Crimes

    Related Posts

    News

    Germany to Establish New Regulatory Body to Combat Money Laundering

    It has been reported that the German government will create a new regulatory body to combat money...

    Germany to Establish New Regulatory Body to Combat Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    Austria- The Growing Hub of Cryptocurrency Approves 18 Operating License

    Financial Supervisory Authority like FMA of Austria received requests from forty digital asset pr...

    Austria- The Growing Hub of Cryptocurrency Approves 18 Operating License Explore More

    News

    Atomic Wallet Hack Results in $35 Million Loss as Investigation Continues

    Atomic Wallet users have reported losing millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. It was anno...

    Atomic Wallet Hack Results in $35 Million Loss as Investigation Continues Explore More

    News

    FinCEN Hires First-Ever Chief Digital Currency Advisor to Curb Crypto Crime

    To eliminate the misuse of cryptocurrencies, Michele Korver has been appointed by FinCEN as the C...

    FinCEN Hires First-Ever Chief Digital Currency Advisor to Curb Crypto Crime Explore More

    News

    German Watchdog Extends N26 Measures to Prevent Money Laundering

    BaFin, the German financial regulator, stated on July 17th, that it was extending its measures to...

    German Watchdog Extends N26 Measures to Prevent Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    US DOJ Arrests Two in Alleged NFT Money Laundering, Rug Pull Scheme

    The US Department of Justice has arrested two in a $1.1 million non-fungible token fraud and mone...

    US DOJ Arrests Two in Alleged NFT Money Laundering, Rug Pull Scheme Explore More

    News

    UK Treasury Committee Launches Inquiry into the Role of Crypto Assets and the Associated Risks

    The Treasury Committee of the UK’s House of Commons has urged the public to submit their take and...

    UK Treasury Committee Launches Inquiry into the Role of Crypto Assets and the Associated Risks Explore More

    News

    Credit Union Identity Theft Investigation Handed Over to Federal Prosecutors

    NY Police have handed over the investigation of a $100,000 ID theft ring allegedly involving a fo...

    Credit Union Identity Theft Investigation Handed Over to Federal Prosecutors Explore More

    News

    ICO Warns Public Bodies Over Failure to Respond FOI Requests

    ICO warned public bodies regarding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests failure. Different depar...

    ICO Warns Public Bodies Over Failure to Respond FOI Requests Explore More

    News

    Money Laundering Becomes Another Cause of Poverty, Says UN

    According to the latest UN’s report, over 10% of the world’s wealth could be hidden in overseas b...

    Money Laundering Becomes Another Cause of Poverty, Says UN Explore More

    News

    UK Approves New Age Verification Laws to Protect Children

    The UK government approved the “Online Safety Bill,” which contains measures to protect children ...

    UK Approves New Age Verification Laws to Protect Children Explore More

    News

    Facebook’s New AI Can Help You Circumvent Facial Recognition

    Facial recognition technology is primarily used to detect and identify people but in a turn of ev...

    Facebook’s New AI Can Help You Circumvent Facial Recognition Explore More

    News

    Coincheck customers fall victim to a data breach

    In 2018, Coincheck, the Japanese firm, fell victim to probably the largest cryptocurrency hack in...

    Coincheck customers fall victim to a data breach Explore More

    News

    Saudi Arabia Takes New Measures to Tackle Financial Crime

    Saudi Authorities have approved a new legislative measure designed to enhance their efforts in fi...

    Saudi Arabia Takes New Measures to Tackle Financial Crime Explore More

    News

    EUR 27 Million Worth Crypto Assets Seized by the NCA in Money Laundering Crackdown

    NCA seizes crypto assets worth £27m last year in a major money laundering crackdown Although inst...

    EUR 27 Million Worth Crypto Assets Seized by the NCA in Money Laundering Crackdown Explore More

    News

    New York Financial Department Releases Guidelines On Dollar-Backed Stable Coins

    The New York Financial Department has released “Guidance on the Issuance of U.S. Dollar-Backed St...

    New York Financial Department Releases Guidelines On Dollar-Backed Stable Coins Explore More

    News

    NSW Make Reforms to Counter Money Laundering and Gambling

    The New South Wales government embraces new reforms to counter the issue of money laundering and ...

    NSW Make Reforms to Counter Money Laundering and Gambling Explore More

    News

    FATF Member, Saudi Arabia, Winning the World Money Laundering Race

    During a virtual meeting on Monday, the FATF supported Saudi Arabia to combat money laundering an...

    FATF Member, Saudi Arabia, Winning the World Money Laundering Race Explore More

    News

    AMLC Reports Steady Rise in Phishing and Hacking Attacks in the Philippines

    The Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has reported a steady rise in phishing and hacking attac...

    AMLC Reports Steady Rise in Phishing and Hacking Attacks in the Philippines Explore More

    News

    Shufti will provide 10 million free ID and face verifications

    Shufti has launched one of a kind charity program for the non-profit and healthcare organizat...

    Shufti will provide 10 million free ID and face verifications Explore More

    News

    Investment Scams Rising Through Fake Celebrity Endorsements

    Financial fraud through celebrity endorsement is becoming a primary concern as one in six firms o...

    Investment Scams Rising Through Fake Celebrity Endorsements Explore More

    News

    Clearview AI will be facing the legal claims after critical NYT report

    Clearview AI is an artificial intelligence firm providing facial recognition technology to US law...

    Clearview AI will be facing the legal claims after critical NYT report Explore More

    News

    US Treasury Launches New Financial Force to Combat Illegal Fentanyl Trade

    The US Treasury Department has announced the launch of the Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force to comba...

    US Treasury Launches New Financial Force to Combat Illegal Fentanyl Trade Explore More

    News

    International CBI Sharpen Focus on Due Diligence Procedures in Light of Global Risks

    Discussion by renowned experts of major due diligence agencies in the PWM virtual panel highlight...

    International CBI Sharpen Focus on Due Diligence Procedures in Light of Global Risks Explore More

    News

    MFSA Tightens Financial Regulations for Lawyers, Auditors, and Accountants

    Professionals in Malta, lawyers, accountants, and auditors, etc. are resisting the new rules that...

    MFSA Tightens Financial Regulations for Lawyers, Auditors, and Accountants Explore More

    News

    Binance revokes Upbit hackers’ attempt to launder stolen funds

    At just after 16:00 UTC Wednesday, bot Twitter account Whale Alert notified Binance – which has e...

    Binance revokes Upbit hackers’ attempt to launder stolen funds Explore More

    News

    MAS Rejects License Applications of 100 Crypto Exchanges for Ineffective CDD Protocols

    Over 100 companies were either turned down or had to withdraw their applications for a license to...

    MAS Rejects License Applications of 100 Crypto Exchanges for Ineffective CDD Protocols Explore More

    News

    Coincheck customers fall victim to a data breach

    In 2018, Coincheck, the Japanese firm, fell victim to probably the largest cryptocurrency hack in...

    Coincheck customers fall victim to a data breach Explore More

    News

    Facebook’s Calibra rebrands to Novi wallet

    Facebook subsidiary and Libra wallet provider Calibra, has recently been rebranded to Novi. The n...

    Facebook’s Calibra rebrands to Novi wallet Explore More

    News

    Bank of Ghana to Introduce Digital Currency in ‘Near Future’

    The Governor of the West African nation’s central bank, Ernest Addison, announced the news of Gha...

    Bank of Ghana to Introduce Digital Currency in ‘Near Future’ Explore More

    News

    FinCEN Proposes the Designation of Eligible Customers as Exempt Person

    As a part of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN...

    FinCEN Proposes the Designation of Eligible Customers as Exempt Person Explore More

    News

    FCA Fines ADM Investors for Violating Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

    The UK regulatory department Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined $7.9 million to the commodit...

    FCA Fines ADM Investors for Violating Anti-Money Laundering Regulations Explore More

    News

    Poloniex Agrees to Pay $7.6M in Settlement of Sanctions Violations

    In a settlement with the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), Poloniex LLC, a former subsidiar...

    Poloniex Agrees to Pay $7.6M in Settlement of Sanctions Violations Explore More

    News

    The Chinese central bank confirms digital Yuan mobile app trials

    According to a statement, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) conducts internal tests for the natio...

    The Chinese central bank confirms digital Yuan mobile app trials Explore More

    News

    A Three-fold Rise in AML Penalties in China in 2020

    China’s banks and financial institutions have faced an increase in penalties in the year 2020 due...

    A Three-fold Rise in AML Penalties in China in 2020 Explore More

    News

    Two foreign nationals charged with Cryptocurrency laundering

    The United States Department of Justice has charged two Chinese nationals with laundering $100 mi...

    Two foreign nationals charged with Cryptocurrency laundering Explore More

    News

    Turkey Remains on the FATF Gray List for AML Regulations Failures

    Turkey’s government has failed to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Financing T...

    Turkey Remains on the FATF Gray List for AML Regulations Failures Explore More

    News

    CCPA in effect – Mozilla firefox will let users delete their collected data

    The California Consumer Privacy Act came into effect on Wednesday, Jan 1. Being obliged by the ne...

    CCPA in effect – Mozilla firefox will let users delete their collected data Explore More

    News

    FCA Fines Ghana International Bank Over £5 million for Money Laundering Failings

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has imposed a £5,829,900 financial penalty on Ghana Interna...

    FCA Fines Ghana International Bank Over £5 million for Money Laundering Failings Explore More

    News

    Ransomware Attack Exposes 5.8 Million Pharmaceutical Records of PharMerica Corporation

    A breach notification was filed with the Maine Attorney General’s Office for the first time, reve...

    Ransomware Attack Exposes 5.8 Million Pharmaceutical Records of PharMerica Corporation Explore More

    News

    West Midlands Lose Approximately £8 Million to Employee Fraud in 2022

    Business advisors RSM UK has revealed West Midlands as a hotspot for employee fraud. The region h...

    West Midlands Lose Approximately £8 Million to Employee Fraud in 2022 Explore More

    News

    UK Gambling Commission Charges Kindred Brand $8.7M over AML Shortcomings

    The UK Gambling Commission has charged the Kindred Group with a hefty £4.19-million (US$5.15 mill...

    UK Gambling Commission Charges Kindred Brand $8.7M over AML Shortcomings Explore More

    News

    $2 Shell company laundered hundreds of millions at Crown Casino Perth

    International organizations are believed to be using Crown Perth to launder hundreds through $2 s...

    $2 Shell company laundered hundreds of millions at Crown Casino Perth Explore More

    News

    Chinese Firms to Test Crypto Opportunities in Hong Kong

    Chinese Security companies and banks are attracted by Hong Kong’s retail trading in Bitcoin and E...

    Chinese Firms to Test Crypto Opportunities in Hong Kong Explore More

    News

    EBA Issues Guidance on the Roles of AML/CFT Compliance Officers

    The European Banking Authority has published guidelines that state the roles of Anti-money launde...

    EBA Issues Guidance on the Roles of AML/CFT Compliance Officers Explore More

    News

    Vietnam Enhances Anti-Money Laundering Laws to Prevent Financial Crimes

    Vietnam regulatory departments are redefining their AML compliance measures to supervise cryptocu...

    Vietnam Enhances Anti-Money Laundering Laws to Prevent Financial Crimes Explore More

    News

    Cabinet Pressurizing BVI to Improve its Financial Laws

    Many international financial regulatory bodies have pointed fingers at BVI’s financial service in...

    Cabinet Pressurizing BVI to Improve its Financial Laws Explore More

    News

    Australian Police Launch Avarus, a Multi-task Force to fight Money Laundering

    Australian Federal Police has set up a new multi-agency task force to fight prevailing financial ...

    Australian Police Launch Avarus, a Multi-task Force to fight Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    Australia introduces new rules to tackle mobile identity theft

    Acma (Australian Communications and Media Authority) has introduced a new regulation to fight ide...

    Australia introduces new rules to tackle mobile identity theft Explore More

    News

    UAE Strengthens AML Measures to Bolster Virtual Asset Framework

    The UAE’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing department stated it continues bo...

    UAE Strengthens AML Measures to Bolster Virtual Asset Framework Explore More

    News

    Shufti Unveils New Product NFC Verification for NFC Based Identity Verification

    Shufti has launched a new product, NFC Verification, that uses Near Field Communication techn...

    Shufti Unveils New Product NFC Verification for NFC Based Identity Verification Explore More

    News

    EU Endorses New Crypto Tax Data Sharing Rules

    Strict obligations are set to be implemented in the EU’s digital assets industry. Tax authorities...

    EU Endorses New Crypto Tax Data Sharing Rules Explore More

    News

    Turkish Regulatory Authorities Launch Investigation on Social Media Influencers for Money Laundering

    Turkey’s Minister of Social and Labour Security Department stated they are conducting an in-depth...

    Turkish Regulatory Authorities Launch Investigation on Social Media Influencers for Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    The UK’s largest mobile operator EE has announced its Digital Identity platform

    EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator has announced its new Digital Identity platform to protect c...

    The UK’s largest mobile operator EE has announced its Digital Identity platform Explore More

    News

    China Announces New Office To Combat Money Laundering

    An office devoted to combating money laundering and ensuring financial institutes comply with Ant...

    China Announces New Office To Combat Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    ePayments Systems Ltd to Permanently Close its Operations Due to Insufficient AML Protocols

    FCA accused ePayments Systems Ltd of AML compliance failure. The financial money institution has ...

    ePayments Systems Ltd to Permanently Close its Operations Due to Insufficient AML Protocols Explore More

    News

    UK’s National Audit Claims FCA Takes Slow Crypto Enforcement Actions

    The UK’s National Audit stated that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has all the rights to c...

    UK’s National Audit Claims FCA Takes Slow Crypto Enforcement Actions Explore More

    News

    UK Gambling Commission Fines 888 with £9.4m for AML Failings

    Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has issued 888 with a fine of £9.4 million over a series of s...

    UK Gambling Commission Fines 888 with £9.4m for AML Failings Explore More

    News

    Westpac CEO Brian Hertzer Resigns Amid Money-Laundering Scandal

    The chief executive of Westpac Banking Corporation, Brian Hartzer, has resigned and the chairman ...

    Westpac CEO Brian Hertzer Resigns Amid Money-Laundering Scandal Explore More

    News

    Monetary Authority of Singapore to Support G20 TechSprint Initiative

    The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the nation’s central bank and financial regulator, rec...

    Monetary Authority of Singapore to Support G20 TechSprint Initiative Explore More

    News

    Australian Regulators Seeking to Implement Travel Rules for Cryptocurrency

    Australia is looking at the laws that would require cryptocurrency providers to record the inform...

    Australian Regulators Seeking to Implement Travel Rules for Cryptocurrency Explore More

    News

    NAB Updating KYC Data of 9M Customers

    Project Apollo has been initiated by NAB in an attempt to meet AML obligations.  In August 2021, ...

    NAB Updating KYC Data of 9M Customers Explore More

    News

    Australian Bank, Westpac, Accused of 23 Million Money Laundering Breaches

    Australia’s financial intelligence agency, The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre...

    Australian Bank, Westpac, Accused of 23 Million Money Laundering Breaches Explore More

    News

    Japan Considers Facial Recognition to Trace Contact at Large Scale Events

    According to the Japan Times report, the country is planning to introduce facial recognition at l...

    Japan Considers Facial Recognition to Trace Contact at Large Scale Events Explore More

    News

    Non-compliant Crypto Accounts will Face Immediate Closure from Banks – Says CBN

    Nigerian banks are ordered to track and freeze non-compliant crypto accounts, while banks that fa...

    Non-compliant Crypto Accounts will Face Immediate Closure from Banks – Says CBN Explore More

    News

    Qatar to Develop National Strategies for Combating Financial Crimes

    Qatar has developed vigorous strategies to combat expected financial crimes during the FIFA World...

    Qatar to Develop National Strategies for Combating Financial Crimes Explore More

    News

    BSA-AML Compliance Group Disclose Names of Annual Gaming Conference Speakers

    The BSA-AML Compliance group has revealed the names of the speakers attending the annual gaming c...

    BSA-AML Compliance Group Disclose Names of Annual Gaming Conference Speakers Explore More

    News

    Cyprus Updates Money Laundering Measures to Supervise Crypto Platforms

    Cyprus reshaped its anti-money laundering measures by amending the “Prevention and Suppression of...

    Cyprus Updates Money Laundering Measures to Supervise Crypto Platforms Explore More

    News

    Feds Bust Columbian Drug Cartel’s Scheme to Launder “Millions” Through US Banks

    A Columbian drug cartel’s scheme was busted by the federal prosecutors who moved millions through...

    Feds Bust Columbian Drug Cartel’s Scheme to Launder “Millions” Through US Banks Explore More

    News

    South Korea Extends AML Compliance Deadline for Crypto Sector

    The deadline has been extended to ensure regulators are able to process all the applications subm...

    South Korea Extends AML Compliance Deadline for Crypto Sector Explore More

    News

    US Treasury Department Issues AML Study for the Art Market

    The US Treasury Department Issues anti-money laundering (AML) study for the art market, aiming to...

    US Treasury Department Issues AML Study for the Art Market Explore More

    News

    Austrian Gamblers Struggle to Recoup Money from Illegal Betting Sites

    Austrian gamblers struggle to recoup money from illegal betting sites after gambling groups face ...

    Austrian Gamblers Struggle to Recoup Money from Illegal Betting Sites 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