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Microsoft warns of new “Payroll Pirate” scam stealing employees’ direct deposits. Microsoft is warning of an active scam that diverts employees’ paycheck payments to attacker-controlled accounts after first taking over their profiles on Workday or other cloud-based HR services. Ars
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is propping up Venezuela, Russia’s economy as a shocking $250M money laundering operation NYP
Latest U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil deal blow to China’s Sinopec Reuters
China ‘not afraid of trade war,’ accuses U.S. of ‘double standard’ for rare earths retaliation CNBC
China is hacking America’s critical infrastructure CBS
Western parts in Russian drones: Are sanctions working? DW
Corpses of 250 animals found with surviving animals eating the dead in “breeding ground of horror” in Spain CBS
FBI takedown banner appears on BreachForums site as Scattered Spider promotes leak Record
📘 Featured Report: Brazil’s Federal Police Dismantle $540M Crypto Laundering Network in “Operation Lusocoin” TRM Labs
U.S. threatens visa restrictions, sanctions against UN members that back IMO emissions plan Reuters
China, U.S. and Thailand seize record meth haul near disputed South China Sea reef SCMP
Inside Starmer’s network of advisers and their links to China Telegraph
First-cousin marriage linked to terrorist financing, money laundering and people trafficking Daily Mail
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Time to Stir the AML Pot FinCrime Unfiltered
Human Intelligence in Conflict Zones Coercive Capital
WISE and Monzo Penalties, and FinCEN Special Measures FinCrime Unfiltered
Tehran’s Tightrope: The Cost of Confrontation Coercive Capital
U.S. sanctions Serbia’s main oil supplier, which is controlled by Russia AP
Russia may have been behind Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack Telegraph
UK, France and Germany unite to turn Russian assets into Ukraine aid Times
China’s Wingtech says Dutch court freezes control of Nexperia amid ‘national security’ dispute SCMP
Trump proposes barring Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on US flights Reuters
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Dangerous funders fill Zohran Mamdani’s coffers — multiplied by taxpayer $$ NYP
Peru president removed from office after string of scandals and allegations CNN
Trump critic and former national security adviser John Bolton to be charged soon NBC
SEC says India yet to serve summons to Adani executives in bribery indictment Reuters
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Hackers leak Qantas data containing 5 million customer records after ransom deadline passes Guardian
Russia Acknowledges Crypto’s Popularity With Its Citizens as Central Bank Weighs Bank Involvement CoinDesk
$21M Crypto Theft on Hyperliquid Tied to Private Key Leak CoinDesk
How hackers forced brewing giant Asahi back to pen and paper BBC
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30 children rescued amid trafficking operation in major US city Fox
Navy ship stops boat carrying £35m of illegal drugs BBC
Reviving this African game reserve meant catching, transporting hundreds of animals AP
Sarah Beth Felix / Elaine Dezenski / Yaya J. Fanusie / Himamauli Das / Jim Richards / John Byrne / Tom Keatinge / Ari Redbord / Brian Krebs / Hagar Chemali / Joe Robinson / Christina Rea / Andy Greenberg / Moyara Ruehsen / Richard Weber / Erin West / Casey Michel / Varun Vira / Amit Sharma / Ken Rijock / Andrew King / Shlomit Wagman / Archana Bae / Crystal Noe / Jonathan Schanzer / Howard Spieler
Financial Action Task Force /
Egmont Group /
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project /
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists /
Money Laundering Watch/
C4ADS /
Combating Terrorism Center /
Royal United Services Institute /
How China Pays for Iranian Oil While Avoiding U.S. Sanctions. Hidden arrangement secured by prominent Chinese insurer connects Tehran with its biggest customer. WSJ
Richest US real estate baron disowns son in savage 12-word statement over alleged ‘ultimate man cave’ scam NYP
How victim of self-styled ‘British Kardashian’ lost tens of thousands on non-existent designer handbags Sky
Why Insurers Are Taking Your Money to the Cayman Islands WSJ
Why Russia-Linked Stablecoin Issuer A7A5 Could Exhibit at Token2049 Despite Singapore Sanctions CoinDesk
US Treasury sanctions Mexican companies for aiding Sinaloa cartel’s fentanyl production AP
Britain is ‘Leading the World’ Against Money Laundering Times
US Supreme Court Rejects Challenge by Turkey’s Halkbank to Prosecution Reuters
Feds say ranking Latin King offered $10K for Bovino’s murder CST
What SWIFT’s Blockchain Means for Stablecoins and Global Banks CoinDesk
‘Do You Believe I’m a Scam? Haha’ NY Mag
Women in Gaza promised food, money or work in exchange for sexual interactions. After weeks of scraping by to feed her six children in Gaza, the 38-year-old woman thought she’d found a lifeline. AP
🚀 Illicit Edge Original: Uncovering Pig Butchering with Erin West DESIGNATED with Yaya J. Fanusie
Top Trump Aides Push for Ousting Maduro From Power in Venezuela NYT
Scam kingpins who ran billion-dollar criminal empire sentenced to death in China CNN
Tapas and Toxins: Family of Spanish Restaurateurs Investigated for Selling Sanctioned Dual-Use Chemicals to Russia OCCRP
Treasury Targets Iranian Weapons Procurement Networks Supporting Ballistic Missile Programs U.S. Treasury
The Wall Street Firms That Kept Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Until the End WSJ
Drug task force seizes record-breaking 1 million pounds of cocaine Fox
EU seeks to deploy Russia’s frozen billions to boost European arms sales Politico
Map Shows US Allies Watching North Korea’s Sanctions Busting Newsweek
Chinese woman convicted in UK after record £5.5bn bitcoin seizure Independent
Brazil Has a New Digital Spending Habit. Now It’s a Trump Target NYT
France Probes ‘Shadow Fleet’ Ships Suspected of Moving Russian Oil Illegally Reuters
Germany’s Merz Delays Decision on Possible Sanctions Against Israel Politico
FinCEN Announces Postponement of Residential Real Estate Reporting Until March 1, 2026 FinCEN
U.S. preparing options for military strikes on drug targets inside Venezuela. Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in Trump’s military campaign against drug targets and its stance toward Maduro government. NBC
Canada Fines KuCoin $14M over Registration & AML Controls CoinDesk
Hackers contact Harrods after 430,000 customer records hit by IT breach BBC
Regulators Push Banks To Examine Past Account Closures for Wrongful ‘Debanking’ WSJ
Iran inks deal with Russia to build $25 billion nuclear energy “megaproject” The Insider
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Iran faces reimposition of sanctions unless it negotiates on nuclear program. CNN
Trump weighs sanctions on officials implementing EU tech law. Reuters
Oil rises as Ukraine strikes and new Russia-sanctions talk tighten supply. Reuters
Banco do Brasil urges legal action over social media posts on U.S. sanctions. Reuters
Publication of Final Rule to Remove the Syria Sanctions Regulations. U.S. Treasury
British parts found in Russian drones BBC
Chinese Gov’t Fronts Trick the West to Obtain Cyber Tech Dark Reading
Russia’s blacklisted tankers keep dumping oil in Europe’s seas Politico
How China waged an infowar against U.S. interests in the Philippines Reuters
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How fraudsters are using crypto ATMs to launder millions from Canadian scam victims CBC
Smuggling Tycoon’s Son Laundered Millions Through London Mosque Purchase OCCRP
Saudi Watchdog Detains Executives Tied to Diriyah Megaproject in Corruption Probe Semafor
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on a Former Paraguayan Official Reuters
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Hackers targeted a global conglomerate. A local community is counting the costs. CNN
FBI and UK Warn Companies to Fix Major Software Bug Exploited by Hackers Record
Jaguar Land Rover Restarts Production After Cyberattack Guardian
Asahi Resumes Beer Production After Cyberattack BBC
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Ghislaine Maxwell Loses Appeal Over Sex-Trafficking Conviction Hill
North Korea’s wildlife is vanishing, hunted to the brink of extinction SCMP
Balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes over Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport for hours CNN
Federal officials target Twin Cities in immigration fraud investigation CBS
Delayed U.S. Report on Global Human Trafficking Finally Released Guardian
Human trafficking investigation at Dallas strip club leads to 41 arrests Fox
Ohio Police Arrest 135 People in Sex-Trafficking Sting CBS
Do Export Controls Erode the United States’ Lead—Or Protect It? CSIS
Three Years of War in Ukraine: Are Sanctions Against Russia Making a Difference? CFR
Why does the U.S. use secondary sanctions, and do they work? DW
Teaching the Business and Art of Sanctions Circumvention RUSI
Understanding the Libra Case: Identifying Red Flags in The Crypto Assets Industry GFI
The next generation: Russia’s future rulers Atlantic Council
How overly aggressive bans on AI chip exports to China can backfire Brookings
