ReleaseWire Connect

AML Compliance and AML Compliance Software have come under the spotlight in recent months thanks to a number of high profile money laundering cases that have unsettled the Nordic region. This includes the 2018 €200 million money laundering scheme connected to the Eastern European and Russian branches of Denmark's Danske Bank. The response to various scandals in the region came from Nordic banks, which requested that the IMF conduct an independent review of the region's money laundering and terrorism financing risks. This has given various regulators many more tools to help strengthen protection in the area, which is what you need to know about the measures in place in Nordic banking today.

It's no secret that there has been something of a lull in 2022 where Nordic IPOs are concerned. However, a recent report from Deutsche Bank indicates that this isn't likely to continue. In fact, it said that Nordic IPOs are likely to fare a lot better before the first half of 2023 comes to a close. The Nordic region was a hive of activity in terms of new listings in 2021 - Sweden was the leader of continental European IPOs that year - but has seen this slow down considerably in 2022. Some of the reasons for this shift in the market have included the rising interest rates and recession fears that have been a theme all over the world. The tech-focused start-up market in the Nordic region has gone through a lot of turbulence this year, and there has been a significant drop in equity valuations according to Bloomberg. However, experts for the region don't expect the current downturn to be long-term or the negative impact on fundraising to last that much longer.

in a Series B funding round. With an AML software platform that promises to effectively address the global issue of financial crime, Lucinity has received a lot of international exposure which has led to the backing of some major partners who made the latest funding round possible. These include Keen Venture Partners who said they "jumped on a plane" when they heard about the Series B funding round and Venturing, as well as a number of existing investors such as Crowberry Capital and Karma Ventures. Experian was also part of the $17 million Series B funding round - the global credit reporting company has been in partnership with Lucinity developing next-generation ongoing Know Your Business (KYB) and risk assessments. This is just one of the recent partnerships entered into by Lucinity - another includes Seon, which is centered around joint anti-money laundering and fraud prevention solutions.

In recent years, it has become clear that there will always be those who seek to exploit crisis situations, whether that's a global pandemic or a terrorist incident. When it comes to compliance risk, it is increasingly vital to factor in the way that emergency situations present fraudsters with a prime opportunity to make money, especially as ongoing climate change is likely to fuel many more emergencies going forward. This is not the first time that there has been evidence of criminal activity increasing during a disaster - after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricanes Irma and Harvey in 2017, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network highlighted the fraud risk inherent in these crises in areas such as cybercrime, benefits, and charities. During the pandemic, there has been a wave of exploitative activity, from insurance fraud to counterfeit vaccine cards, which indicates just how much potential every crisis has for the fraudster. As a result, compliance risk going forward must necessarily focus on understanding the crisis at hand.

According to a report released in July 2022, the Anti Money Laundering software market is expanding fast. In fact, by 2027, it looks set to reach a value of US$4 billion, which represents a CAGR of 13%. This expansion is being fuelled by factors such as the increasing demand for financial tools, as well as the significant rise in online transaction processing in recent years, driven by influences like the global pandemic. This increase in the demand for online payment opportunities has created a wide range of different illegal routes for money laundering activity and made it even more challenging for organizations and regulatory bodies to defend against criminal activities. Widespread use of e-commerce service and the ease with which it's possible to register online as a merchant have also facilitated an international growth in illegal activity. As a result, Anti Money Laundering software is increasingly in demand to help stem the flow of criminal funds and combat money laundering worldwide.

The anti-money laundering solution market is growing at a healthy pace all over the world, with North America one of the main locations where the market is expanding. AML solutions represent a lifeline for many organizations in terms of providing an effective way to reduce exposure to financial crime. Forecasts indicate that the market for AML solutions - valued at $1.15 billion in 2019 - is likely to reach $3.15 billion by 2029. This represents a CAGR of 18.5% over the 10 year forecast period. Major players, such as Honeywell International Inc, Google, Hitachi Ltd and Qualcomm Technologies continue to provide AML solutions globally as demand increases. The market is also expanding to make space for businesses like Lucinity, which offer targeted AML solutions that are specifically designed for ease of use and maximum impact.

A robust transaction monitoring system is becoming increasingly vital to enterprises that are serious about reducing exposure to money laundering. As this becomes more of a priority to businesses large and small, the transaction monitoring system market is growing significantly every year. In fact, between now and 2030, growth is going to be exponential. The market is currently made up of a number of different players sharing a tranche of sales, including Lucinity, which is dedicated to making it simple for businesses to access an effective transaction monitoring system that comes as part of an efficient and useful platform. Growth in the market for transaction monitoring software is expected across a number of key regions, including Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific.

In June this year, the UK Government published its consultation on amendments to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs). The incoming changes are designed to update existing regulations and also help to fill in the gaps that have emerged with respect to evolving areas, such as crypto assets. The review suggested that the existing regime has been working effectively on the whole but that further incremental AML solutions could help to improve the impact that this has when it comes to combating money laundering. Ongoing improvements are being focused on areas where there are individual weaknesses, and the AML solutions that can be used to bring these up to scratch.

Transaction Monitoring is increasingly being recommended to organizations as a tool to help avoid both financial and reputational damage as a result of money laundering. The basis of Transaction Monitoring is a system that enables the detection of - and response to - abnormal activity and behavior in online transactions. According to the UK government, the use of Transaction Monitoring adds a layer of trust to a system, not only for banks and financial institutions but any online business. It is recommended that any online service where there is an exchange of something of value have some degree of Transaction Monitoring in place. As a result, more and more online services now use Transaction Monitoring to help minimize the potential impact of malicious transactions. This could be anything, from small or large financial loss through to compromised data and damage to a business's reputation.

Leaders in Finance has announced an international AML Europe event that is intended to help improve the way that anti-money laundering is handled in the region. The event is due to take place in September in Brussels and follows on from a former event in the Netherlands last year. Leaders in Finance has repeatedly emphasised how anti-money laundering provisions don't stop at the border and expanding these events into new countries is a key part of reinforcing this message. Where there is a robust anti-money laundering regime in place there is far more protection for the businesses and individuals in that country - and it is much more likely that the proceeds of criminal transactions will be channeled overseas instead of undermining domestic society.