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

    18.97.14.84

    FATF to Decide Grey Listing of South Africa

    n-img-fatf

    FATF will announce its decision regarding the greylisting of South Africa on 24th February 2023. If listed, the country will face potentially damaging consequences for the financial and business sectors.  

    South Africa is widely regarded as the African financial hub. This is why the state and its private institutions must adhere to the global standards of governance and oversight in financial matters, particularly the implementation of AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CFT (Counter Terrorism Financing) measures. 

    According to the FATF’s comprehensive audit concluded in 2019 and subsequent MER (Mutual Evaluation Report) issued in October 2021, South Africa falls short of the global compliance due diligence standards. 

    The MER details failures in due diligence operations and implementation of AML/CFT laws, holes in legislative and executive structures, pervasive corruption, and lack of staffing and training in key areas (including law enforcement).

    The South African government as well as its private sector underestimated the scope even after understanding the risks posed by money laundering. 

    The MER also highlights the understanding of terrorist financing threats is largely absent or at best, inadequate. A major factor is a sustained period of “State Capture” that South Africa has endured, compounded by a notable failure to identify perpetrators or initiate prosecutions. 

    The inadequate risk profiling across various high-risk financial sectors with a high volume intensity of crime, especially financial crime is highlighted in the mutual evaluation report. The situation was worsened by a large informal economy and large quantities of undeclared cash and goods regularly crossing borders outside of regulated frameworks. 

    The S&P Global Ratings, an American credit rating agency, also states that SA’s shortcomings to address the issue of State Capture and government efforts to conceal illicit border transactions are key factors in the FATF’s appraisal of the country’s deficiencies to counter financing of terrorism and money laundering across the region. 

    If greylisted, South Africa will face severe consequences in terms of financial status and as a regional leader. IMF states that nations greylisted by FATF typically suffer a 7.68% average net loss of capital. Foreign investment also deteriorated after greylisting and South Africa stands to face direct investment shrinkage as a consequence. 

    Other African countries already on the FATF greylist include Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, DRC, Senegal, Mali, South Sudan, Burkina Faso and Morocco. 

    Following the FATF MER, South Africa had an 18-month period of grace within which the shortcomings needed to be addressed to prevent greylisting. The president signed two key pieces of legislation in December 2022, including the General laws (AML/CFT) Amendment Act No 22 of 2022, and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Amendment Act No 23 of 2022.

    On 13th January 2023, a high-profile delegation led by Director General, National Treasury, Ismail Momoniat, met FATF’s joint group in Rabat, Morocco to present a summary of progress made by SA in addressing the deficiencies identified in the MER. 

    Suggested Read:

    FATF AND EU DELIST BAHAMAS FROM AML BLACKLIST

    Related Posts

    News

    Star Casino Faces Class Action for Anti-Money Laundering Failures

    The Star casino has been hit with a shareholder class action for its alleged non-compliance with ...

    Star Casino Faces Class Action for Anti-Money Laundering Failures Explore More

    News

    European parliament imposes ban on facial recognition technology

    Following a public outcry after the leak of an internal memorandum discussing the utilization of ...

    European parliament imposes ban on facial recognition technology Explore More

    News

    Philippines Directs Efforts & Demonstrates Progress in Resolving AML Concerns

    The Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) has raised the Philippines’ rating from pa...

    Philippines Directs Efforts & Demonstrates Progress in Resolving AML Concerns Explore More

    News

    GBA to Organize Two-day Training Workshop for Addressing AML and CFT Concerns

    GBA concluded a workshop on AML and terrorist financing concerns to avoid any possible threats of...

    GBA to Organize Two-day Training Workshop for Addressing AML and CFT Concerns Explore More

    News

    Mishcon de Reya fined £232,500 for AML Failures

    London’s leading firm, Mishcon De Reya has been fined EUR 232,500 over failing Anti-Money Launder...

    Mishcon de Reya fined £232,500  for AML Failures Explore More

    News

    AUSTRAC to Audit Three Bell Financial Group Entities to Evaluate AML/CFT Compliance

    AUSTRAC has called for the audit of three entities under the Bell Financial Group, including Bell...

    AUSTRAC to Audit Three Bell Financial Group Entities to Evaluate AML/CFT Compliance Explore More

    News

    Shufti Nominated for Yalla Fintech 2020 Award

    Shufti, an identity verification service provider offering KYC verification and AML screening...

    Shufti Nominated for Yalla Fintech 2020 Award Explore More

    News

    US Government Announces Reward for Identifying Sanctioned Russian Assets

    The US government has announced financial rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to ...

    US Government Announces Reward for Identifying Sanctioned Russian Assets Explore More

    News

    Namibia Enhances its National Crypto Strategy with New Legislation

    Namibia raises the bar with new legislation in the National Crypto Strategy to combat crypto scam...

    Namibia Enhances its National Crypto Strategy with New Legislation Explore More

    News

    ACMA Introduces New Policies to Combat SIM-Swapping Scams at Telcos

    New policies have been introduced by ACMA to prevent SIM-Swapping attack for Telcos to protect us...

    ACMA Introduces New Policies to Combat SIM-Swapping Scams at Telcos Explore More

    News

    Nigeria: Senate Bans Establishment and Operations of Shell Banks

    The Senate is banning the establishment and operations of shell banks in Nigeria as an attempt to...

    Nigeria: Senate Bans Establishment and Operations of Shell Banks Explore More

    News

    Hackers Steal $625 Million from Ronin Network in Largest-Ever Crypto Theft

    Hackers stole approximately $625 million in crypto from the Ronin blockchain and the video game n...

    Hackers Steal $625 Million from Ronin Network in Largest-Ever Crypto Theft 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

    Natwest Caps Transfer Limit to Binance Over Fraud Concerns

    Natwest bank is scrutinizing cryptocurrency transactions, including Binance transactions, due to ...

    Natwest Caps Transfer Limit to Binance Over Fraud Concerns Explore More

    News

    Department of Finance Announces Commencement of South Africa’s New AML/CTF Laws

    Department of Finance has announced the start date for South Africa’s new Anti Money Laundering a...

    Department of Finance Announces Commencement of South Africa’s New AML/CTF Laws Explore More

    News

    Oman’s OCCI Says ‘Money Laundering in Real Estate Needs Monitoring’

    Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) has called for a review of the legislation that gove...

    Oman’s OCCI Says ‘Money Laundering in Real Estate Needs Monitoring’ Explore More

    News

    SRA Fines Scarborough Law Firm for Long-term AML Compliance Failures

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined Scarborough law firm Pinkney Grunwells Lawyer...

    SRA Fines Scarborough Law Firm for Long-term AML Compliance Failures Explore More

    News

    Failure to Join FATF Will Increase Economic Pressure

    According to a top diplomat, Iran’s refusal to comply with the requirements of the Financial Acti...

    Failure to Join FATF Will Increase Economic Pressure Explore More

    News

    PBOC Issues New Financial Rules to Curb Money Laundering Risks

    The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, a...

    PBOC Issues New Financial Rules to Curb Money Laundering Risks Explore More

    News

    IMF Urges Philippines to Enhance AML Measures to be Removed from Grey List

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that the Philippines government should adopt an enha...

    IMF Urges Philippines to Enhance AML Measures to be Removed from Grey List Explore More

    News

    Online Gambling Operator Penalized Over Failure to Meet Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

    Boylesports, an online gambling operation is facing £ 2.8 million in fines for violating the regu...

    Online Gambling Operator Penalized Over Failure to Meet Anti-Money Laundering Regulations Explore More

    News

    Nonprofit Guam Shrine Club Under Fire for Alleged Illegal Gambling and Money Laundering

    Seven people, three GSC officers and four other individuals from Guam Shrine Club, a nonprofit or...

    Nonprofit Guam Shrine Club Under Fire for Alleged Illegal Gambling and Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    US Crypto Industry Faces Pushback on Implementation of Crypto-Friendly Legislation

    The US crypto firms visited Capitol Hill to push their industry-friendly regulations however, thi...

    US Crypto Industry Faces Pushback on Implementation of Crypto-Friendly Legislation Explore More

    News

    World economic forum considers using blockchain to solve supply chain crisis

    The World Economic Forum (WEF) stated on Monday that blockchain and digitization can help supply ...

    World economic forum considers using blockchain to solve supply chain crisis Explore More

    News

    Nigeria Remains on FATF Gray List Due to Compliance Failures

    Nigeria failed to pass a full-scale AML system review conducted by the global regulatory authorit...

    Nigeria Remains on FATF Gray List Due to Compliance Failures Explore More

    News

    Taiwan FSC to Ease Authentication Rules through Biometric Verification

    According to new rules, banks will be using biometric authentication methods to fulfil ID authent...

    Taiwan FSC to Ease Authentication Rules through Biometric Verification Explore More

    News

    Tether Executives to Face DOJ Bank Fraud Probe

    Since its inception in 2014, Tether has become the third-largest cryptocurrency platform in the w...

    Tether Executives to Face DOJ Bank Fraud Probe 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

    Vietnam Collaborates with UK to Enhance AML Law Enforcement

    The Vietnam Ministry of Public Security delegation, led by Deputy Minister Lieutenant General, Le...

    Vietnam Collaborates with UK to Enhance AML Law Enforcement Explore More

    News

    Cybercrimes in UK have ‘doubled’ in past five years

    Large businesses remain most at target but SMBs have seen the steepest rise in successful cyber a...

    Cybercrimes in UK have ‘doubled’ in past five years Explore More

    News

    Artist Sues AI Generators for Alleged Industrial-Level Identity Theft

    Artist, Karla Ortiz, has sued two artificial intelligence firms for generating images that mimic ...

    Artist Sues AI Generators for Alleged Industrial-Level Identity Theft Explore More

    News

    North Korean bankers charged in $2.5 billion money-laundering scheme

    The US Department of Justice recently revealed criminal charges against about twenty-four North K...

    North Korean bankers charged in $2.5 billion money-laundering scheme Explore More

    News

    EU Removes Iraq From List of High-Risk Money Laundering Countries

    Iraq has been de-listed from the EU’s list of high-risk countries for money laundering and terror...

    EU Removes Iraq From List of High-Risk Money Laundering Countries Explore More

    News

    China Strengthens Anti-Money Laundering Rules for Financial Institutions

    China has taken steps to improve financial institutions’ measures to combat money laundering by p...

    China Strengthens Anti-Money Laundering Rules for Financial Institutions Explore More

    News

    Crypto Adoption on the Rise, PayPal will Offer Crypto Payments in 2021

    In the digital era, companies are shifting toward digital means of communication. Banks have plan...

    Crypto Adoption on the Rise, PayPal will Offer Crypto Payments in 2021 Explore More

    News

    EU Lawmakers Propose New Bill to Combat Money Laundering through NFTs

    Members of the European Parliament have proposed a new bill to increase scrutiny of the NFT and D...

    EU Lawmakers Propose New Bill to Combat Money Laundering through NFTs Explore More

    News

    China Postpones New AML Rules Amid Privacy Concerns and Pushbacks

    China has delayed the introduction of new rules for due diligence as financial institutions requi...

    China Postpones New AML Rules Amid Privacy Concerns and Pushbacks Explore More

    News

    UAE Central Bank to Take Action Against Unregistered Hawala Operators

    From 2nd December 2020, the Central Bank in UAE will begin taking action against the unregistered...

    UAE Central Bank to Take Action Against Unregistered Hawala Operators Explore More

    News

    Dubai Court Sentences Gang of 18 for Charges of Money Laundering

    The Dubai Criminal Court has convicted a gang of 18 individuals belonging to different countries ...

    Dubai Court Sentences Gang of 18 for Charges of Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    German Authorities Shut Down ChipMixer on Suspicion of Laundering $2.9B Worth of Bitcoins

    Law enforcement authorities bring down German-based server ChipMix alleged of laundering $2.9 bil...

    German Authorities Shut Down ChipMixer on Suspicion of Laundering $2.9B Worth of Bitcoins Explore More

    News

    US Financial Committee to Investigate Crypto to Combat Terrorist Financing

    The US House of Financial Service Committee (FSC)  is set to conduct an in-depth investigation of...

    US Financial Committee to Investigate Crypto to Combat Terrorist Financing Explore More

    News

    Star Entertainment Group Experiences $1.26B Loss after Money Laundering Investigation

    Star Entertainment Group experienced a major loss of $1.26 billion during the first half of 2023,...

    Star Entertainment Group Experiences $1.26B Loss after Money Laundering Investigation Explore More

    News

    FIAU Charges ECCM Bank €310,000 for Weak AML Controls

    FIAU charged Silema-based ECCM Bank €310,000 over failings in money laundering controls, revealin...

    FIAU Charges ECCM Bank €310,000 for Weak AML Controls Explore More

    News

    Taiwan Finalise New Regulations for Offshore Crypto Exchanges

    Taiwan is set to disclose new obligations for offshore crypto exchange companies, with rigid Anti...

    Taiwan Finalise New Regulations for Offshore Crypto Exchanges Explore More

    News

    Bulgaria Must Strengthen its Measures Against Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing – Moneyval

    Moneyval called on Bulgaria to improve the regulatory standards for the domestic framework consis...

    Bulgaria Must Strengthen its Measures Against Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing – Moneyval Explore More

    News

    SataBank is Set to be Formally Liquidated Over Money Laundering Concerns

    The liquidation of Satabank has affected prominent names with a massive due amount. The infirm se...

    SataBank is Set to be Formally Liquidated Over Money Laundering Concerns Explore More

    News

    Creating UBO Registry ‘Biggest Focus’ for US Treasury’s Anti-corruption Push

    As part of the US government’s AML reform plan, an ultimate beneficiary ownership register will b...

    Creating UBO Registry ‘Biggest Focus’ for US Treasury’s Anti-corruption Push Explore More

    News

    FATF to Conduct Checks & ‘Gray List’ Countries to Enforce Crypto AML Regulations

    Global financial watchdog FATF has planned to perform checks and ‘grey list’ countries to ensure ...

    FATF to Conduct Checks & ‘Gray List’ Countries to Enforce Crypto AML Regulations Explore More

    News

    New Zealand to Introduce New Bill for Public Beneficial Ownership Register

    New Zealand has initiated a crackdown against corporate secrecy after the Pandora papers and look...

    New Zealand to Introduce New Bill for Public Beneficial Ownership Register Explore More

    News

    Cryptocurrency Fraud Reports to UK Action Fraud More Than Double in 2021

    The study advises financial regulators to place more pressure on cryptocurrency institutions to c...

    Cryptocurrency Fraud Reports to UK Action Fraud More Than Double in 2021 Explore More

    News

    UK Finance Sector and Police Stopped £32m Fraud in First Half of 2021

    The ‘Banking Protocol’ introduced in 2016 has now helped prevent financial fraud worth £174...

    UK Finance Sector and Police Stopped £32m Fraud in First Half of 2021 Explore More

    News

    FATF Report Highlights Weaknesses in South Africa’s AML Systems

    South Africa has a solid legal framework to combat money laundering and terrorist financing but h...

    FATF Report Highlights Weaknesses in South Africa’s AML Systems Explore More

    News

    Taiwan Finalise New Regulations for Offshore Crypto Exchanges

    Taiwan is set to disclose new obligations for offshore crypto exchange companies, with rigid Anti...

    Taiwan Finalise New Regulations for Offshore Crypto Exchanges Explore More

    News

    Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Reveals Most Banks Lose Correspondent Deals Due to AML Non-compliance

    The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Deputy Governor disclosed that most banks are losing clients d...

    Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Reveals Most Banks Lose Correspondent Deals Due to AML Non-compliance Explore More

    News

    American Gaming Association Updates Best Practices for AML

    The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released updated “Best Practices for Anti-Money Launder...

    American Gaming Association Updates Best Practices for AML Explore More

    News

    FATF encourages Digital ID during Coronavirus epidemic

    The Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) is advocating the use of digital identity technology to se...

    FATF encourages Digital ID during Coronavirus epidemic Explore More

    News

    China Announces Anti-foreign Sanctions Law

    Under the new law, China has introduced countermeasures against senior managers and actual contro...

    China Announces Anti-foreign Sanctions Law 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

    Interpol Seizes $130M Worth of Virtual Assets from Cybercriminals Worldwide

    The International Criminal Police Organization Interpol has seized $130 million worth of virtual ...

    Interpol Seizes $130M Worth of Virtual Assets from Cybercriminals Worldwide Explore More

    News

    UAE Regulatory Authority Enforces Import Invoice Verification to Fight Trade-Based Money Laundering

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented the latest compliance regulations for importing commod...

    UAE Regulatory Authority Enforces Import Invoice Verification to Fight Trade-Based Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    Lebanon Central Bank Denies Money Laundering Allegations and Embezzlement Charges

    The governor of the Lebanese central bank appeared in the first court hearing on the premise of s...

    Lebanon Central Bank Denies Money Laundering Allegations and Embezzlement Charges Explore More

    News

    Over $1 Billion Laundered Through Australia’s Pubs and Clubs Annually

    A joint report by media outlets has shown evidence of over AU$1 billion being laundered throughou...

    Over $1 Billion Laundered Through Australia’s Pubs and Clubs Annually Explore More

    News

    Digital IDs Becoming Useful for Fighting Financial Crimes

    The use of digital IDs has proved to be advantageous for fighting financial crimes. Research has ...

    Digital IDs Becoming Useful for Fighting Financial Crimes Explore More

    News

    A Trust Company Penalised for Opening a Doorway to Money Laundering

    A team of accountants and economists have been fined by a court in Channel Island for neglecting ...

    A Trust Company Penalised for Opening a Doorway to Money Laundering Explore More

    News

    California to Legislate Stronger Children’s Online Safety Bill

    Assembly Bill 2273 for children’s online safety and privacy was approved by lawmakers in Ca...

    California to Legislate Stronger Children’s Online Safety Bill Explore More

    News

    FATF encourages Digital ID during Coronavirus epidemic

    The Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) is advocating the use of digital identity technology to se...

    FATF encourages Digital ID during Coronavirus epidemic Explore More

    News

    IMF Urges Central Bank of Seychelles to Upgrade Transparency and AML Controls

    The Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) has been advised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to...

    IMF Urges Central Bank of Seychelles to Upgrade Transparency and AML Controls Explore More

    News

    Regulatory Authorities to File a New Bill to Secure the Citizens from Cyber Criminal Activities

    Senator Estrada filed a bill to protect senior citizens unfamiliar with modern technology from cy...

    Regulatory Authorities to File a New Bill to Secure the Citizens from Cyber Criminal Activities Explore More

    News

    “Cryptocurrency Could Become Worthless in Future”, Warns Bank of England

    Due to anonymity and the potential risks associated with cryptocurrency, the Bank of England warn...

    “Cryptocurrency Could Become Worthless in Future”, Warns Bank of England Explore More

    News

    Malta Claps Back To Allegations Of “Lax Crypto Oversight”

    A business unit within Malta’s Chamber of Commerce has shut down all accusations that state that ...

    Malta Claps Back To Allegations Of “Lax Crypto Oversight” Explore More

    News

    Hogan and other US Top Official Become the Victim of Identity Theft

    A fraud scheme attacking top government officials of Maryland State has been uncovered. The schem...

    Hogan and other US Top Official Become the Victim of Identity Theft 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

    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