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

    52.54.157.23

    Cyprus to Test UBO Registration System for AML Compliance

    The government of Cyprus has indicated it will test a system for registering ultimate beneficial owners by September, and eventually link it to an EU-wide electronic platform.

    Cyprus has ensured compliance with the anti-money laundering regulation, the ultimate beneficial owner of companies will be tested in September, and by year end, it will be linked to an electronic platform in the EU. National UBO registers should be linked to the EU-wide platform by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023.

    According to the Registrar of Companies, Mylona-Chrysostomou, “the Registrar of Companies here is very close to completing the electronic register. The Registrar of Companies has contacted hundreds of companies requesting them to provide their respective UBOs. To date, Chrysostomou said, the compliance rate has reached 98%.”

    Upon completion of the final software test, the software will be given to a private IT company for any required adjustments to ensure interoperability. As soon as the online register has gone live, the public will have access to it. The European Union had previously warned Nicosia that it may initiate infringement proceedings against the country if the electronic UBO register was not in place by the deadline.

    Chrysostomou commented, “The Registrar of Companies will certainly not let the Republic of Cyprus pay fines for breach of EU directives. The electronic register with the real beneficial owners will be incorporated into the respective European one within the timeframe set by the EU, that is, before the end of this year, and this will be done in practice.”

    A further statement by the official indicated that the online platform is financed through the Recovery and Resilience Fund, and failure to complete this action would result in the loss of these funds. All member states are required to maintain a centrally located register of ultimate beneficial owners as part of the relevant EU anti-money laundering (AML) directive. As of 2018, Cyprus has transposed the directive into its legal system.

    A UBO registry serves as a source of information about beneficial owners for all companies incorporated in Cyprus, as well as for other legal entities. Generally, UBOs are individuals with ultimate control over businesses. More than 25% of a company’s shares are owned or controlled, individuals who own 25% plus one share, or owning more than 25% of a company.

    Registries will be accessible to regulatory and supervisory agencies, most notably the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, the Cyprus Central Bank, and the Cyprus Bar Association. Aside from the police, customs, tax, and the Mokas Unit for combating terrorist financing and money laundering have access to the register.

    The Registrar of Companies can grant legitimate interest persons or organisations access to names, dates of birth, nationalities, countries of residence, and types of rights. Upon approval, the UBO will be able to obtain the information.

    Suggested Reads:

    THE US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IDENTIFIES AML FAILURES OF US BROKERAGE FIRMS

    CYPRUS MAKES PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING AML MEASURES

    CYPRUS MAKES STRIDES IN RESTORING ITS REPUTATION BY DEALING WITH AML CONCERNS

    Related Posts

    News

    Swiss Watchdog FINMA Mandates AML Policies on Crypto

    The new legislation is trying to combat money-laundering following a series of major scandals in ...

    Swiss Watchdog FINMA Mandates AML Policies on Crypto Explore More

    News

    Singapore’s Regulatory Authority Fines US$1.7M to Resorts World Sentosa for Due Diligence Failure

    The gambling operator, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), was fined by Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory ...

    Singapore’s Regulatory Authority Fines US$1.7M to Resorts World Sentosa for Due Diligence Failure Explore More

    News

    Canadian financial watchdog geared up for FATF compliance

    The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) plans on closely regul...

    Canadian financial watchdog geared up for FATF compliance Explore More

    News

    Canada Faces 400% Increase in the Cryptocurrency Fraud

    The Canadian police department is warning people to protect their personal information and perfor...

    Canada Faces 400% Increase in the Cryptocurrency Fraud Explore More

    News

    Brace for Home Visits, FCA Warns Remote Traders and Bankers

    UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has issued a warning for all hybrid-working financial institutio...

    Brace for Home Visits, FCA Warns Remote Traders and Bankers Explore More

    News

    US Federal Reserve Fines Deutsche Bank $186 Million for Anti-Money Laundering Failures

    The Federal Reserve announced on July 20th that it had fined Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and some of...

    US Federal Reserve Fines Deutsche Bank $186 Million for Anti-Money Laundering Failures Explore More

    News

    Better Business Bureau of North America Warns of Increased Scams & Fraud

    On April 11, Marilyn Mott, director of the Better Business Bureau’s Prescott office, addressed a ...

    Better Business Bureau of North America Warns of Increased Scams & Fraud Explore More

    News

    Financial Regulators in Uganda Demands Government to Set Crypto Regulations

    Uganda’s financia regulators, Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), want the government to take...

    Financial Regulators in Uganda Demands Government to Set Crypto Regulations Explore More

    News

    US Launches National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team

    The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team will aid the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in disma...

    US Launches National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team Explore More

    News

    Equifax Survey shows Britain Prefers Biometric Verification

    Credit reporting agency, Equifax, reports that Brits are much more open to adopting biometric aut...

    Equifax Survey shows Britain Prefers Biometric Verification Explore More

    News

    Bank of Queensland Commits to Anti Money Laundering Laws and Risk Management

    Bank of Queensland Ltd (BOQ.AX) disclosed that separate agreements had been reached with the coun...

    Bank of Queensland Commits to Anti Money Laundering Laws and Risk Management Explore More

    News

    SARB Issues Guidance to Discourage the Termination of Crypto Transactions in Banks

    The South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB)’s Prudential Authority has issued a guidance note to banks f...

    SARB Issues Guidance to Discourage the Termination of Crypto Transactions in Banks Explore More

    News

    Australian Law Council Reports Reveals Risks in Legal Attorney’s AML Measures

    The Australian Law Council revealed a report that shows loopholes in attorneys’ compliance ...

    Australian Law Council Reports Reveals Risks in Legal Attorney’s AML Measures Explore More

    News

    Personal Privacy Concerns Raised over FinCEN’s Proposed Crypto Rules

    The advocacy group in their latest comment has disregarded the proposed regulatory requirements b...

    Personal Privacy Concerns Raised over FinCEN’s Proposed Crypto Rules Explore More

    News

    EU, UK and US Blame Russia for Cyberattacks on Internet Service Providers

    Accusations were imposed on Russia due to the recent disastrous cyberattacks on the European sate...

    EU, UK and US Blame Russia for Cyberattacks on Internet Service Providers Explore More

    News

    UK and UAE Take Steps in Joint Efforts to Combat Money Laundering

    In the UAE-UK Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows, the two countries are in talks about...

    UK and UAE Take Steps in Joint Efforts to Combat Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    Major US Twitter accounts hacked in Bitcoin scam

    Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Gates are among the many US ...

    Major US Twitter accounts hacked in Bitcoin scam Explore More

    News

    Crypto Bank Anchorage Has Inadequate AML Measures, Says US Federal Regulator

    A US federal regulator has said that the first federally-chartered digital asset bank Anchorage D...

    Crypto Bank Anchorage Has Inadequate AML Measures, Says US Federal Regulator Explore More

    News

    US Authorities Accuse Russian Oligarch of Money Laundering and Bank Fraud

    US authorities have accused Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg of conspiring to launder money and...

    US Authorities Accuse Russian Oligarch of Money Laundering and Bank Fraud Explore More

    News

    MGA to Introduce Detailed Player Protection Guidelines for Responsible Gambling

    Malta Gaming Authority is set to introduce player protection guidelines after being placed on the...

    MGA to Introduce Detailed Player Protection Guidelines for Responsible Gambling Explore More

    News

    Malta Faces 200% Spike in Money Laundering Cases

    Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU), Malta’s financial regulator, received a 200% increas...

    Malta Faces 200% Spike in Money Laundering Cases Explore More

    News

    AUSTRAC: Loan Fraud is the Main AML/CFT threat to Non-banks

    AUSTRAC report states loan scams and identity fraud as the main threat to AML/CFT compliance when...

    AUSTRAC: Loan Fraud is the Main AML/CFT threat to Non-banks Explore More

    News

    More than HK$8 Billion has been Laundered through Hong Kong Banks in 2020

    Victims of online, phone and investment scams have been conned out of more than HK$8 billion (1.0...

    More than HK$8 Billion has been Laundered through Hong Kong Banks in 2020 Explore More

    News

    AUSTRAC Denounces De-banking Practices To Prevent Financial Crimes

    AUSTRAC stated that de-banking is a complex global problem as it multiplies the risks faced by fi...

    AUSTRAC Denounces De-banking Practices To Prevent Financial Crimes Explore More

    News

    EMLCU Reviews Egypts Efforts to Fight Financial Crime

    Chairman of EMLCU (Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit) Ahmed Saeed ...

    EMLCU Reviews Egypts Efforts to Fight Financial Crime Explore More

    News

    FEMA Confirms Seizure of 288 Crore Funds of Chinese-owned NBFC

    The FEMA has confirmed the seizure of 288 crores worth of funds of a “Chinese-owned” ...

    FEMA Confirms Seizure of 288 Crore Funds of Chinese-owned NBFC 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

    MAS Imposes Capital Requirements on OCBC for Inadequate Scam Response

    Additional capital requirements have been imposed on the OCBC bank by the Monetary Authority of S...

    MAS Imposes Capital Requirements on OCBC for Inadequate Scam Response Explore More

    News

    Another COVID-related lure: Phishing Scam Targeting Email Users

    Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, email users are constantly warned against fraudulent emails and scams...

    Another COVID-related lure: Phishing Scam Targeting Email Users Explore More

    News

    UAE Central Bank Fines Firm $490,000 for Violating AML/CFT laws

    The UAE’s Central Bank has charged a financial firm Dh1.8 million ($490,000) over breaching the c...

    UAE Central Bank Fines Firm $490,000 for Violating AML/CFT laws Explore More

    News

    Lithuanian Government Approves Amendment to Strengthen Digital Currency Regulations

    Lithuania is on the verge of becoming the first country in Europe to pass strict laws on digital ...

    Lithuanian Government Approves Amendment to Strengthen Digital Currency Regulations Explore More

    News

    UAE central bank alerts about fraud attempts related to Coronavirus epidemic

    Bank customers are warned of potential fraud by the UAE Central Bank. According to the bank, “Fra...

    UAE central bank alerts about fraud attempts related to Coronavirus epidemic Explore More

    News

    New South Wales (NSW) Government to Make Poker Machine Reforms after Victoria Introduces Strict Anti-Money Laundering Restrictions

    The New South Wales (NSW) government of Australia continues to pressure gambling companies to str...

    New South Wales (NSW) Government to Make Poker Machine Reforms after Victoria Introduces Strict Anti-Money Laundering Restrictions 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

    Govt assists Struggling Swiss Crypto Valley

    Switzerland’s “Crypto Valley” is in talks with the federal government for fixing a 100 million Sw...

    Govt assists Struggling Swiss Crypto Valley Explore More

    News

    Iranian Banks in Bahrain to be Prosecuted for Breaching AML Sanctions

    Bahrain’s public prosecutor declared that the 13 Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Ira...

    Iranian Banks in Bahrain to be Prosecuted for Breaching AML Sanctions Explore More

    News

    Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Jail for Laundering $2.6M Through BTC ATMs

    UK law enforcement authorities recently sentenced a 22-year-old man named Bazyli Rymarz to 5 year...

    Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Jail for Laundering $2.6M Through BTC ATMs Explore More

    News

    FCA Dismisses Temporary Permissions of 4 EU Firms Operating in the UK

    UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called out EU firms operating in the UK to meet their ...

    FCA Dismisses Temporary Permissions of 4 EU Firms Operating in the UK Explore More

    News

    Kinahan Cartel Under Pressure as European Union Places UAE on ‘Blacklist’

    The Kinahan Cartel is under great pressure after the European Union (EU) places the UAE on the ‘b...

    Kinahan Cartel Under Pressure as European Union Places UAE on ‘Blacklist’ Explore More

    News

    Panama & the Cayman Islands’ AML Efforts May Lead to Removal From FATF Gray List

    According to the Paris-based watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Panama and the Cayman ...

    Panama & the Cayman Islands’ AML Efforts May Lead to Removal From FATF Gray List Explore More

    News

    Italian Regulators Block Consumers from Investing in Binance

    Italy has joined the list of warnings against Binance, directing citizens to avoid investing in t...

    Italian Regulators Block Consumers from Investing in Binance Explore More

    News

    UAE Issues Guidance to Registered Unlicensed Crypto Firms

    UAE’s regulatory authorities stated all unlicensed Virtual Service Providers (VASPs) companies wi...

    UAE Issues Guidance to Registered Unlicensed Crypto Firms Explore More

    News

    Fraudsters are all set to exploit Black Friday sales. Beware!

    Criminals are aware that at this time of the year, shoppers are looking for discounted deals and ...

    Fraudsters are all set to exploit Black Friday sales. Beware! Explore More

    News

    UAE and UK Initiate Large-Scale Crackdowns Against Money Laundering

    The UAE has set up an AML task force that is currently pursuing hundreds of cases, and Cambridges...

    UAE and UK Initiate Large-Scale Crackdowns Against Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    FCA Reviews UK Small Trade Finance Lenders to Ensure Compliance

    FCA is reviewing UK’s small trade finance lenders to assess their due diligence, risk assessment,...

    FCA Reviews UK Small Trade Finance Lenders to Ensure Compliance Explore More

    News

    Bahrain sentences three money-laundering suspects to prison

    Bahrain fined three suspects of $9 million and sentenced them to prison in the Future Bank case. ...

    Bahrain sentences three money-laundering suspects to prison Explore More

    News

    Myanmar Promises Improvements after FATF’s Blacklisting

    Myanmar’s central bank has made promises of reforms and issued a warning against currency m...

    Myanmar Promises Improvements after FATF’s Blacklisting Explore More

    News

    New Zealand to Update AML/CFT Regulation ​​from 9 July 2021

    Among other changes, reporting entities have been directed to conduct customer due diligence on n...

    New Zealand to Update AML/CFT Regulation ​​from 9 July 2021 Explore More

    News

    FinCEN Pinpoints Bitzlato as “Primary Money Laundering Concern”

    FinCEN recognises Bitzlato Limited, a Hong-kong based virtual crypto exchange network, as a prima...

    FinCEN Pinpoints Bitzlato as “Primary Money Laundering Concern” Explore More

    News

    FinCEN and Federal Reserve Board Reducing the Bar for International Transactions

    The FinCEN and Federal Reserve Board are planning to reduce the threshold for international trans...

    FinCEN and Federal Reserve Board Reducing the Bar for International Transactions Explore More

    News

    Guyana plans Amending Anti-Money Laundering Legislation

    The government of Guyana is looking to amend the AML/CFT legislation in the National Assembly to ...

    Guyana plans Amending Anti-Money Laundering Legislation Explore More

    News

    The UK’s NCA Establishes New Unit to Clamp Down on Corrupt Elites & Money Launderers

    The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) created a new unit with the aim to target and investigate co...

    The UK’s NCA Establishes New Unit to Clamp Down on Corrupt Elites & Money Launderers Explore More

    News

    China’s Central Bank Fines ICBC & Bank of Chongqing for AML Shortcomings

    Chinese banks including industrial and commercial banks of Chongqing have been fined by regulator...

    China’s Central Bank Fines ICBC & Bank of Chongqing for AML Shortcomings Explore More

    News

    New European Legislative Proposals to Transform the Digital Platforms

    A new act is proposed by the European Commission to enhance digital spaces. A new set of rules ha...

    New European Legislative Proposals to Transform the Digital Platforms Explore More

    News

    Mongolia Stays Committed to the Fight Against Money Laundering

    Mongolia is the first Asia-Pacific and fifth global nation to implement all 40 FATF recommendatio...

    Mongolia Stays Committed to the Fight Against Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    SEC Orders Finance, Lending Companies to Submit AML Plans by 21 June

    Philippine’s SEC has ordered all financing and lending companies to submit their plans for the im...

    SEC Orders Finance, Lending Companies to Submit AML Plans by 21 June Explore More

    News

    Canada’s Real Estate a Safe Haven for Money Laundering, Confirms Intel

    Intel has confirmed the findings of CISC’s report saying that Canadian real estate is a safe have...

    Canada’s Real Estate a Safe Haven for Money Laundering, Confirms Intel Explore More

    News

    CSIR Reports Surge in Cybercrimes Pertaining to Work-from-home Culture

    The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has reported that cyberattacks have inc...

    CSIR Reports Surge in Cybercrimes Pertaining to Work-from-home Culture Explore More

    News

    South Korea’s Largest Crypto Exchange Upbit Registers with KoFIU for AML

    Upbit is reportedly the first South Korean crypto exchange to register the Korean Financial Intel...

    South Korea’s Largest Crypto Exchange Upbit Registers with KoFIU for AML Explore More

    News

    Financial Watchdogs Flags Crypto Mixer Stoking as a Potential Risk For Money Laundering

    Cryptocurrencies are highly criticized by financial watchdogs and governments for potential risk ...

    Financial Watchdogs Flags Crypto Mixer Stoking as a Potential Risk For Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    One Million Student Records Compromised by E-Learning Sites

    About one million online student records that contain personal information of students have been ...

    One Million Student Records Compromised by E-Learning Sites Explore More

    News

    Small Business Group Sues Treasury Department Over ‘Money Laundering Transparency Initiative’

    A small business lobbying group has sued the Treasury Department over asking more than 30 million...

    Small Business Group Sues Treasury Department Over ‘Money Laundering Transparency Initiative’ Explore More

    News

    FATF Issues New BO Requirements to Address Pandora Papers

    While addressing the Pandora Papers, the Paris-based global financial watchdog, FATF, has issued ...

    FATF Issues New BO Requirements to Address Pandora Papers Explore More

    News

    AUSTRAC Warns Banks Against Closing Accounts of Crypto Traders

    AUSTRAC shows full support for the Australian crypto industry and is issuing warnings to banks ag...

    AUSTRAC Warns Banks Against  Closing Accounts of Crypto Traders Explore More

    News

    FATF Examines Technology use in Making AML/CFT More Effective

    FATF has recognized the importance of combining human input and manual review with automation for...

    FATF Examines Technology use in Making AML/CFT More Effective Explore More

    News

    Turkish President Announces New Crypto Bill to Legalize Virtual Assets

    Turkey’s Parliament to announce the cryptocurrency bill in the coming weeks. Legal framework will...

    Turkish President Announces New Crypto Bill to Legalize Virtual Assets 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

    SEC Strengthens the Scrutiny on Money Laundering Activities in Malaya

    SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) said financial institutions and lenders are now obligate...

    SEC Strengthens the Scrutiny on Money Laundering Activities in Malaya Explore More

    News

    Cybercriminals Targeting Bitcoin ATMs to Launder Money – Says FBI

    The Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) revealed gaps in financial regulations as money laundering...

    Cybercriminals Targeting Bitcoin ATMs to Launder Money – Says FBI Explore More

    News

    The Corporate Transparency Act is Set to be Implemented in January 2024 Across the Country

    The Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021 is going into enforcement in a few days and will im...

    The Corporate Transparency Act is Set to be Implemented in January 2024 Across the Country Explore More

    News

    Banks in the UK Face Customer Frustration for Digital Identity Checks

    The global analytics software service provider FICO has reported that the banks in the United Kin...

    Banks in the UK Face Customer Frustration for Digital Identity Checks Explore More

    News

    Belgian Banks to Establish a Platform to Reveal Anti-Money Laundering data

    Belgium’s one of the leading bank chain has now suggested developing a platform that will allow p...

    Belgian Banks to Establish a Platform to Reveal Anti-Money Laundering data 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