Article: Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement

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Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement

Caitlin Reilly, 13 April 2021

The sale last month of a digital piece of art for a near-record price raises new questions about a technology that the financial sector sees as offering great opportunity.

Christie’s auctioned the artwork for $69 million and recorded the transaction on a public blockchain as a “non-fungible token,” or NFT. The digital collage incorporating 5,000 separate digital images was created by Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, and can be seen on the auction house website. Continue reading “Article: Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement”

Article: VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge

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VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge

Charlotte McLeod , 13 April 2021

The silver squeeze first started making headlines more than two months ago, but the movement continues today, led by retail investors who continue to snap up physical metal.

Ed Steer of Ed Steer’s Gold and Silver Digest said that while he commends those who have been buying physical silver, there’s a reason their efforts haven’t led to a sustained silver price increase.

“They’re certainly having an impact … as far as the physical market is concerned, but as far as the short position that exists in the COMEX futures market, it doesn’t make any difference at all,” he said. Continue reading “Article: VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge”

Article: The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors

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The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors

Annabel Smith, 13 April 2021

The Reddit revolution in the US has drawn attention to the potential power that a growing force of retail investors can wield in stock markets when equipped by social media.

Amateur investors have increasingly engaged with retail platforms in the last year, partly due to the pandemic leaving them idol at home, but also due to the newfound onslaught of information through social media and access to the market through retail brokerages and platforms such as Robinhood. Continue reading “Article: The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors”

Article: Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?

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Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?

Jonah E. Bromwich, 13 April 2021

Even had she not raised more money than her rivals, Tali Farhadian Weinstein would be a formidable candidate in the nine-way race to become the Manhattan district attorney, perhaps the most high-profile local prosecutor’s office in the country.

She was a Rhodes scholar, has an elite legal résumé and is the only candidate who has worked for both the Justice Department and a city prosecutor’s office. And while most of the candidates are campaigning as reformers intent on reducing incarceration, Ms. Farhadian Weinstein, 45, has staked out a slightly more conservative position, expressing concerns about guns and gangs. Continue reading “Article: Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?”

Article: BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill

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BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill

TYLER DURDEN, 13 April 2021

For British PM Boris Johnson, the fallout from the collapse of Greensill has been akin to being gifted a golden saucer filled with excrement. At the time, BoJo apparently didn’t see anything wrong with facilitating the lobbying objectives of one of his predecessors, former PM David Cameron. But now that the British tabloid press has sicced the hounds on the PM, he has apparently realized it’s time for some damage control.

To wit, the FT reports that Downing Street and the Cabinet Office have launched a wide-ranging investigation after acknowledging that there was “significant interest in this matter.” Continue reading “Article: BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill”

Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

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The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

PYMNTS, 13 April 2021

Cyberattacks are the greatest threat to the world’s financial system, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in an interview with CBS News this week. Speaking to “60 Minutes” on Sunday (April 11), Powell said the risks posed by cybercriminals are greater than the lending and liquidity troubles that triggered the 2008 financial crisis.

“There are scenarios in which a large financial institution would lose the ability to track the payments that it’s making, where you would have a part of the financial system come to a halt, or perhaps even a broad part,” he said. “And so, we spend so much time and energy and money guarding against these things. There are cyberattacks every day on all major institutions now. That’s a big part of the threat picture in today’s world.” Continue reading “Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks”

Article: Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?

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Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?

Thomas Cattee, 13 April 2021

News broke on Tuesday 16 March 2021 that the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) has started criminal proceedings against NatWest Bank (“NatWest”) for alleged offences relating to the adequacy of procedures in place to prevent money laundering.

These proceedings are in respect of offences under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (the “2007 Regulations”). It is alleged that between 11 November 2011 and 19 October 2016 NatWest failed to adhere to the requirements of regulations 8(1), 8(3) and 14(1) of the 2007 Regulations. Continue reading “Article: Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?”

Article: How the pandemic became an EU goldmine for crime

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How the pandemic became an EU goldmine for crime

ANDREW RETTMAN, 13 April 2021

The recession set to hit Europe after the pandemic will help organised crime penetrate legitimate business and recruit out-of-work specialists, the EU’s joint police agency, Europol, has warned.

“Businesses operating in sectors suffering particularly negative economic pressures, such as the hospitality, catering and tourism sectors, are becoming more vulnerable to criminal infiltration,” it said in a report out on Monday (12 April). Continue reading “Article: How the pandemic became an EU goldmine for crime”

Article: Online Vendor Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Postage Fraud Scheme

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Online Vendor Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Postage Fraud Scheme

Daniel C. Silva, 13 April 2021

SAN DIEGO ­– Cuong H. Nguyen pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to engage in a wide-ranging postage counterfeiting, forging, and tampering scheme that, over the course of multiple years and more than 160,000 packages, deprived the U.S. Postal Service of approximately $5 million of postage due and owing.

Special Agents from U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Financial Investigations and Border Crimes Task Force (the “FIBC” – a multiagency Task Force based in San Diego and Imperial Counties, and funded by the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture) led the investigation. Continue reading “Article: Online Vendor Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Postage Fraud Scheme”

Article: Can the US Economy Withstand a $3 Trillion Cash Injection?

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Can the US Economy Withstand a $3 Trillion Cash Injection?

Tim Fries, 12 April 2021

It is not often noted that the U.S. Treasury too injects the economy with cash flow, on top of various stimulus packages. With a precarious economic balance such as it is, excess liquidity may yet be another trigger to make inflation worse.

Controlled Demolition of the Economy
At this point, it’s safe to say this decade began with a string of anomalies colossal in scope. Novel, harsh lockdowns were introduced for a fast-spreading, largely unknown virus. This led to historic wealth transfer from workers to corporate conglomerates close to $4 trillion, not to be confused with the other historic wealth transfer from boomers to millennials. Continue reading “Article: Can the US Economy Withstand a $3 Trillion Cash Injection?”

Article: The war against money-laundering is being lost

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The war against money-laundering is being lost

The Economist, 12 April 2021

The global system for financial crime is hugely expensive and largely ineffective.

YET ANOTHER bank is preparing to face the music over alleged failings in its efforts to curb flows of dirty money. In the coming weeks NatWest, one of Britain’s largest lenders, is set to appear in court in London to respond to charges that it failed to properly scrutinise a gold-dealing client that deposited £365m ($502m) with the bank—£264m of it in cash. Continue reading “Article: The war against money-laundering is being lost”

Article: Alibaba shares jump after record $2.8bn anti-monopoly fine

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Alibaba shares jump after record $2.8bn anti-monopoly fine

Mark Sweney, 12 April 2021

Shares in Alibaba surged on Monday after the e-commerce company said that a record $2.8bn (£2bn) fine handed down by Chinese regulators marked the end of an investigation into anti-competitive practices at the company.

Top executives at the company, founded by the billionaire Jack Ma, told investors that while Chinese regulators continued a wider investigation into the sprawling conglomerates in the country’s tech industry, they believed the multibillion dollar fine announced at the weekend marked the end of the focus on Alibaba. The company is listed in Hong Kong and its shares climbed as much as 9% on the management’s comments. Continue reading “Article: Alibaba shares jump after record $2.8bn anti-monopoly fine”

Article: Greensill scandal: government orders inquiry into Cameron lobbying

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Greensill scandal: government orders inquiry into Cameron lobbying

Jessica Elgot, 12 April 2021

No 10 is to a launch an independent investigation into former prime minister David Cameron’s lobbying for the now-collapsed Greensill and the role of the scandal-hit financier Lex Greensill in government.

The independent review, commissioned by Boris Johnson, will be led by the legal expert Nigel Boardman, a non-executive board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Continue reading “Article: Greensill scandal: government orders inquiry into Cameron lobbying”

Article: GameStop Slips as Skeptic Warns That Reddit Rally Will Fade

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GameStop Slips as Skeptic Warns That Reddit Rally Will Fade

Bailey Lipschultz, 12 April 2021

(Bloomberg) — GameStop Corp.’s Reddit-fueled trading surge is likely going to fade as threats from digital game downloads sink in, according to one skeptical Wall Street analyst.

The stock slumped after Ascendiant Capital Markets analyst Edward Woo downgraded the retailer to sell from hold, saying increasing digital sales for video-game publishers is a looming risk given GameStop’s minimal market share. He warned clients in a note about the long-term prospects for the company as the market for new gaming systems matures after new launches from Microsoft Corp. and Sony Group Corp. Continue reading “Article: GameStop Slips as Skeptic Warns That Reddit Rally Will Fade”

Article: FICO Survey Finds UK Banks Struggled With Covid-19 Financial Crime Surge

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FICO Survey Finds UK Banks Struggled With Covid-19 Financial Crime Surge

Polly Jean Harrison, 10 April 2021

As cases of fraud and money laundering rose during the pandemic last year, banks in the UK faced unforeseen challenges. In a new study by global analytics software provider FICO and independent research firm OMDIA, 79 per cent of respondents from UK banks said that working from home had a high or major impact on the effectiveness of their financial crime prevention.

“Just as the pandemic put huge stresses on the health care system, it put huge stresses on fraud and financial crime management teams,” explained Toby Carlin, senior director for fraud consulting at FICO. “Teams that collaborate in person and work with large software systems that have restricted access found that working from home hurt their productivity. This was compounded as the volume of fraud attacks rose.” Continue reading “Article: FICO Survey Finds UK Banks Struggled With Covid-19 Financial Crime Surge”

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