Blockchains and cryptocurrencies, open banking, virtual assets, and artificial intelligence have become the buzzword of this decade. This book focuses on these ‘disruptive’ financial technologies that provide alternatives to the traditional financial services typically offered by regulated financial institutions. Financial technologies are characterized by the innovative ways in which they initiate, support or extend traditional financial services or offer alternative financial pathways and products. However, these financial technologies also pose money laundering and terrorist and proliferation financing as well as cyber security risks that require mitigation. This edited volume addresses a range of regulatory and enforcement challenges related to financial technology and financial crime. The book responds to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, in particular in relation to economic development, employment, national security, law enforcement and social well-being. Fostering responsible financial innovation promotes long-term economic growth, inclusion, and improved living standards. This book explores how to promote financial innovation while mitigating risks in a way that ensures financial prosperity and social inclusion.

This book on the psychology of white collar criminals discusses various cases of financial crime, while also attempting to delve into the minds of the criminals in question. The literature on this topic is growing as it gains momentum in the scientific field, as a result of the extremely negative impact white collar crime has on its victims. Because there is considerable damage and vulnerability from these crimes, it is important to begin to classify them, and to understand the minds of those that commit these offenses. While the current literature is not extensive, this work provides a closer look into the various ethical and legal facets of financial crime, and helps to uncover the social, psychological and neurobiological factors that intersect in the minds of those criminals.

A significant proportion of serious crime is economically motivated. Almost all financial crimes will be either motivated by greed, or the desire to cover up misconduct. This Handbook addresses financial crimes such as fraud, corruption and money laundering, and highlights both the risks presented by these crimes, as well as their impact on the economy. The contributors cover the practical issues on the topic on a transnational level, both in terms of the crimes and the steps taken to control them. They place an emphasis on the prevention, disruption and control of financial crime. They discuss, in eight parts, the nature and characteristics of economic and financial crime, The enterprise of crime, business crime, the financial sector at risk, fraud, corruption, The proceeds of financial and economic crime, and enforcement and control. Academics interested in criminology, law, as well as business and legal studies students will find this book to be an invaluable resource. Practitioners, including lawyers, compliance and risk managements, law enforcement officers, and policy makers will also find the points raised to be of use.

This book deals with the widespread economic and financial crime issues of corruption, the shadow economy and money laundering. It investigates both the theoretical and practical aspects of these crimes, identifying their effects on economic, social and political life. This book presents these causes and effects with a state of the art review and with recent empirical research. It compares the international and transnational aspects of these economic and financial crimes through discussion and critical analysis. This volume will be of interest to researchers and policy makers working to study and prevent economic and financial crime, white collar crime, and organized crime.

In this ambitious collection, Zofia Bednarz and Monika Zalnieriute bring together leading experts to shed light on how artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making (ADM) create new sources of profits and power for financial firms and governments. Chapter authors—which include public and private lawyers, social scientists, and public officials working on various aspects of AI and automation across jurisdictions—identify mechanisms, motivations, and actors behind technology used by Automated Banks and Automated States, and argue for new rules, frameworks, and approaches to prevent harms that result from the increasingly common deployment of AI and ADM tools. Responding to the opacity of financial firms and governments enabled by AI, Money, Power and AI advances the debate on scrutiny of power and accountability of actors who use this technology. This title is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

The role played by legal professionals in the laundering of criminal proceeds generated by others has become a priority concern for authorities at national and international levels. This ground-breaking book presents an in-depth empirical analysis of the nature of lawyers’ involvement in the facilitation of money laundering and its control through criminal justice and regulatory mechanisms. It is based on qualitative research combining analysis of cases of lawyers convicted of money laundering offences with interviews with criminal justice practitioners, members of professional and regulatory bodies and practising solicitors, and analysis of relevant national and international legislative and regulatory frameworks. The book demonstrates the complex and diverse nature of lawyers’ involvement in laundering activity, and shows that their actions and the decisions they take must be understood in relation to the specific situational contexts in which they occur. It provides significant new insights into the criminal justice and regulatory response to professional facilitation of money laundering in the UK, raising questions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of the response and the challenges involved. The book develops a framework for future research and analysis in this area, and proposes a range of potential strategies for controlling the facilitation of money laundering. Lawyers and the Proceeds of Crime is essential reading for those researching money laundering, white-collar crime or organised crime, and for practitioners and policy makers concerned with preventing the facilitation of money laundering.

Outlining the different types of financial crime and their impact, this book is a user-friendly, up-to-date guide to the regulatory processes, systems and legislation which exist in the UK. Each chapter has a similar structure and covers individual financial crimes including money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, insider dealing, market abuse, bribery and corruption and finally tax avoidance and evasion. Offences are summarized and their extent is evaluated using national and international documents. Detailed assessments of financial institutions and regulatory bodies are made and the achievements of these institutions are analysed. Sentencing and policy options for different financial crimes are included and suggestions are made as to how criminal proceeds might be recovered. This second edition has been fully updated and includes a section on cybercrime and a new chapter on tax evasion. Case summaries have also been included in those chapters where a criminal justice route is used by the prosecuting authorities.

So long as there are weaknesses that can be exploited for gain, companies, other organizations and private individuals will be taken advantage of. This theoretically-based but hugely practical book focuses on what is generally seen as financial or economic crime: theft, fraud, manipulation, and corruption. Petter Gottschalk considers how, in some competitive environments, goals can 'legitimise' all kinds of means, and how culture can exert a role in relation to what is seen as acceptable or unacceptable behaviour by individuals. In Investigation and Prevention of Financial Crime he addresses important topics including organized crime, money laundering, cyber crime, corruption in law enforcement agencies, and whistleblowing, and provides expert advice about strategies for the use of intelligence to combat financial crime. The uniqueness of his approach to the subject lies in the way he is able to explain intelligence and intelligence processes in the wider context of knowledge and knowledge management. The numerous case studies throughout the book illustrate the 'policing' of financial crime from an intelligence, knowledge management and systems perspective. Law enforcers, lawyers, security personnel, consultants and investigators, as well as those in auditing and accountancy and with responsibilities for containing risk in banks, other financial institutions and in businesses generally, will find this an invaluable source of practical guidance. The book will also be of interest to advanced students and researchers in criminology and police science.