Article: China threatens money launderers with higher fines

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China threatens money launderers with higher fines

PENG QINQIN and LIAO ZHAOLONG, 03 June 2021

China is planning to beef up its law against money laundering with higher fines and a broader scope, according to a draft revision that would be the first update to the law in more than 14 years.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on Tuesday released a draft of the revised Anti-Money Laundering Law that aims to adapt to changing financial practices and growing money laundering risks at home and abroad.

The revision would extend the scope of the law, which came into effect in 2007, to improve enforcement against terrorist financing and stipulate nonfinancial parties’ obligations in preventing money laundering. It would also increase fines for violating the law and failing to comply with preventive measures. Continue reading “Article: China threatens money launderers with higher fines”

Article: Hong Kong justice department says use of US crowdfunding site typical of money laundering

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Hong Kong justice department says use of US crowdfunding site typical of money laundering

Appledaily, 03 June 2021

Ben Chung, one of the 47 democracy advocates charged with subversion, was denied bail for crowdfunding on an American platform, which the prosecution described as a typical pattern for money laundering.

Chung, the convenor of the Neo Democrats and a district councilor, was charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion” under the national security law for participating in an unofficial primary election for the Legislative Council last summer.

According to the written ruling released on Thursday, High Court judge Esther Toh refused his bail application as the 32-year-old set out the link for the public poll’s fundraising campaign on the American site GoGetFunding and was one of three signatories to operate the bank account for Power for Democracy, the organizer of the opposition primaries. Continue reading “Article: Hong Kong justice department says use of US crowdfunding site typical of money laundering”

Article: Banking Attacks Surge Along with Post-COVID Economy

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Banking Attacks Surge Along with Post-COVID Economy

Becky Bracken, 02 June 2021

FinTech fraud spikes 159 percent in Q1 2021 along with stimulus spending.

For many, COVID-19 has been a crushing catastrophe. But for bank scammers, it’s shaped up to be a nice little money-making opportunity.

As the post-pandemic economy roars back to life, cybercriminals are using a new whirlwind of transactions as cover to launch an extraordinary number of bank fraud attacks. In just the past quarter, the number of attacks on banks ballooned by 159 percent. Continue reading “Article: Banking Attacks Surge Along with Post-COVID Economy”

Article: Ensuring a Fair Cattle Market

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Ensuring a Fair Cattle Market

Viewpoints / The Zipline, 02 June 2021

For every $1 Americans spend on food, just 14.3 cents go to farmers. As the first link in our food supply chain, farmers and ranchers don’t get to set the price of their products and assume incredible risk with every planting and each herd of animals.

We take great pride in caring for our animals and spend countless hours making sure they are healthy and safe. Our livelihoods depend on it, so when it comes time to sell them, farmers and ranchers deserve a fair deal. Many farmers and ranchers can recall years when they fell short of breaking even because of low prices for their products, but we do our best to push forward hoping the next year is better. However, after years of feeling like the market squeezes small and medium-sized farms out of operation, some cattle producers aren’t optimistic the future will be better unless action is taken. Continue reading “Article: Ensuring a Fair Cattle Market”

Article: Banker first to be jailed in German tax fraud scandal

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Banker first to be jailed in German tax fraud scandal

Reuters, 02 June 2021

A former executive at private bank M.M. Warburg on Tuesday became the first banker to be jailed over a multi-year scam to bilk the German state of billions of euros by filing bogus claims for tax rebates on stock dividends.

A court in Bonn handed down a sentence of five years and six months for tax evasion against the banker, a spokeswoman said. Two months were docked from the sentence of the banker, who was not named, due to the length of the trial. Continue reading “Article: Banker first to be jailed in German tax fraud scandal”

Article: Operation HAECHI-I intercepts $83M in online financial crimes

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Operation HAECHI-I intercepts $83M in online financial crimes

Help Net Security, 02 June 2021

Amid an exponential increase in online fraud, an INTERPOL-coordinated operation codenamed HAECHI-I mobilized more than 40 specialized law enforcement officers across the Asia Pacific region. Over six months of coordinated intelligence collection and joint operations, police were able to intercept a total of $83 million in illicit funds transferred from victims to the perpetrators of cyber-enabled financial crime.

Officially concluding last week, Operation HAECHI-I focused particularly on five types of online financial crime: investment fraud, romance scams, money laundering associated with illegal online gambling, online sextortion and voice phishing. Continue reading “Article: Operation HAECHI-I intercepts $83M in online financial crimes”

Article: AMC and GameStop Frenzy Goes Beyond Casino Mentality

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AMC and GameStop Frenzy Goes Beyond Casino Mentality

Mohamed A. El-Erian, 02 June 2021

It has only been a few months since Reddit-enabled retail investors, or what some unflatteringly refer to as the “retail mob,” embraced GameStop Corp. and drove its valuation to the moon only to be frustrated by a sudden change against them in the rules of the game. Today, it’s all about AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., whose skyrocketing value this week has already overcome what would normally curtail investor enthusiasm. The similarities are notable, as is the broader message about what is happening to the investment landscape.

Both phenomena involve an investment thesis, effective amplifiers and lots of cash to invest and borrow on margin. Continue reading “Article: AMC and GameStop Frenzy Goes Beyond Casino Mentality”

Article: Free market illusions: What is the US’ endgame in China?

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Free market illusions: What is the US’ endgame in China?

Ramzy Baroud, 02 June 2021

Why does the US advocate a free market while stifling it too? The current US-China economic war is a perfect example of this perplexing question. The legacy of Milton Friedman, the founder of America’s modern political economy, was a representation of this very dichotomy: the use and manipulation of the concept of the free market.

Through the Chicago School of Economics, whose disciples have proved most consequential in the formation of the American approach to foreign policy, especially in South America, Milton constantly championed the virtues of the free market, emphasising a supposed link between freedom and capitalism and insisting that governments should not micromanage markets. Continue reading “Article: Free market illusions: What is the US’ endgame in China?”

Article: Seller’s market tied to lumber shortage

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Seller’s market tied to lumber shortage

News Channel Nebraska, 02 June 2021

NORFOLK — Demand for renovations and new homes is hot. “There’s a lot of people who realize they don’t like their house when they were stuck in it in the pandemic,” Erica Daake, manager at Whitecliff Developments said.

Daake has two new housing developments going on at the same time. Realtors are agreeing; in this market, consumers must be aggressive. “It either has so many offers it’s gone tomorrow, or it’s gone so fast no one sees it,” Steve Osborn, Dover Realtor, said. He’s never seen such a burning market in Norfolk in all the decades he’s worked here. Continue reading “Article: Seller’s market tied to lumber shortage”

Article: Why GameStop, Naked Brand, Rocket Companies, and Other Reddit Stocks Soared Today

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Why GameStop, Naked Brand, Rocket Companies, and Other Reddit Stocks Soared Today

Joe Tenebruso, 02 June 2021

What happened
Reddit’s army of individual investors appears to be growing ever more powerful. After taking some time to regroup and emboldened by their recent success with AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), these traders launched a major counteroffensive on Wednesday — one that helped to drive the prices of multiple stocks sharply higher.

Here’s how some of the most popular stocks on Reddit fared today: Continue reading “Article: Why GameStop, Naked Brand, Rocket Companies, and Other Reddit Stocks Soared Today”

Article: The Mystery of the $113 Millıon Deli

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The Mystery of the $113 Millıon Deli

Jesse Barron, 02 June 2021

In a letter to his investors this April, David Einhorn, founder of the hedge fund Greenlight Capital and a well-known short-seller, complained that the stock market was in a state of “quasi anarchy.” As one piece of evidence, he pointed to Elon Musk, whose commentary on Twitter, Einhorn said, amounted to market manipulation. “The laws don’t apply to him, and he can do whatever he wants,” Einhorn noted. As another example, he cited a restaurant in rural New Jersey called Your Hometown Deli, which despite making $13,976 in revenue last year had somehow attained a value of $113 million on the stock market. Continue reading “Article: The Mystery of the $113 Millıon Deli”

Article: Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering

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Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering

Martin Cheek, 02 June 2021

Money laundering, for the general public, is the stuff of gritty dramas like Ozark or the notorious dealings of Pablo Escobar and El Chapo. In popular culture, it is depicted as an activity to be done in the dark of night with neatly-stacked wads of cash deposited into duffel bags. The reality, however, is much more banal, with most money laundering occurring in the guise of an unremarkable series of transactions designed to obfuscate the trail for any who might be inclined to investigate.

The real estate sector has long been a favorite of money launderers, as the lack of regulation and use of shell companies have enabled them to “wash” a large quantity of cash through the system in one transaction. The truth is that nobody really knows how much money is laundered through real estate—not least because much of it currently goes undetected. This opacity might serve shady operators well, but it can have catastrophic effects on the rest of the economy, as the 2008 housing crisis demonstrated all too devastatingly. Continue reading “Article: Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering”

Article: How factoring fraud takes place

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How factoring fraud takes place

Barry Faudemer, 02 June 2021

Cash-strapped businesses grappling with the cost of the pandemic are increasingly securing loans against the value of unpaid invoices, or ‘factoring’ as it is often referred to.

However, such a trend is also proving irresistible to criminals keen to exploit the opportunities of this growing market. Factoring fraud is a fraud committed against a debt factoring company by one of its customers. Continue reading “Article: How factoring fraud takes place”

Article: ReconAfrica warns against short sellers

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ReconAfrica warns against short sellers

Ed Reed, 02 June 2021

Reconnaissance Energy Africa continues to come under fire from various sources, including short sellers, but it has received public affirmation for its plans from local government in Namibia.

The Canadian company’s activities onshore Namibia have been criticised by environmental activists. Initially, worries focused on fracking, but they have grown to include the potential impact on water and elephants.

A whistleblower reported concerns on ReconAfrica to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, National Geographic reported. According to the report, the company had allegedly failed to provide important information in an attempt to increase its share price. Continue reading “Article: ReconAfrica warns against short sellers”

Article: Feedzai’s Financial Crime Report: Fraud rises by 159% Year on Year

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Feedzai’s Financial Crime Report: Fraud rises by 159% Year on Year

Feedzai Inc, 02 June 2021

SAN MATEO, Calif. and LONDON, June 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Feedzai, the world’s leading cloud-based financial crime management platform, has announced its Quarterly Financial Crime Report , an analysis of over 12 billion global banking transactions from January – March 2021. The report identifies trends in spending and in fraud attempts to show that this past quarter, as consumer activities increased, fraudsters attempted to hide their fraudulent transactions in legitimate banking. In fact, combining all banking fraud – internet, telephone, and branch – attacks grew a whopping 159% in Q1 2021 compared to Q4 2020.

Online banking made up 96% of all banking transactions and it accounted for 93% of all fraud attempts in Q1 2021. This leaves in-branch and telephone banking to make up the remaining 4%. And while the numbers are smaller, in-branch banking did increase by 442% this quarter compared with the last as a result of eased lockdown restrictions as businesses begin to open for trade. In addition, telephone scammers upped their efforts and the report shows a 728% increase in telephone banking fraud. Continue reading “Article: Feedzai’s Financial Crime Report: Fraud rises by 159% Year on Year”

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