Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Authorities in Europe have disrupted AudiA6, a cryptocurrency laundering service used by ransomware gangs and cybercriminal networks

Agent Promises to Cut Investigation Time from Days to MinutesFIS has partnered with Anthropic to deploy an AI agent that automates money laundering investigations, aiming to reduce casework from days to minutes. BMO and Amalgamated Bank are first in line, with broader availability targeted for late 2026.

Portable KYC Remains Elusive Despite Digital Identity Growth in UAE, Europe, AsiaThe United Arab Emirates recently launched a national digital Know Your Customer platform under the oversight of the UAE Central Bank, aiming to standardize customer onboarding, streamline compliance checks and strengthen anti-money laundering enforcement.

U.S. prosecutors have charged a Maryland man with stealing more than $53 million after hacking the Uranium Finance crypto exchange twice and laundering the proceeds through a cryptocurrency mixer. [...]

Datos Insights' Serpil Hall on Using Predictive AML Tools to Support ComplianceInstant payments are reshaping financial crime controls as speed and the irreversibility of transactions strain anti-money laundering compliance programs. While many assume real-time AML means faster processing, this approach can increase risk, said Serpil Hall, strategic advisor at Datos Insights.

AI Agents Target Anti-Money Laundering at Major Global Banks, Cut Manual ProbesBretton AI has raised $75 million in Series B funding led by Sapphire Ventures to scale AI agents for anti-money laundering sanctions and KYC compliance. CEO Will Lawrence says the company is targeting large banks with automation designed to reduce manual investigations and improve auditability.

AI Agents Target Anti-Money Laundering at Major Global Banks, Cut Manual ProbesBretton AI has raised $75 million in Series B funding led by Sapphire Ventures to scale AI agents for anti-money laundering sanctions and KYC compliance. CEO Will Lawrence says the company is targeting large banks with automation designed to reduce manual investigations and improve auditability.

ACAMS Says Investigators Need Better Data, Architecture and AI-Based DetectionThe financial system has a trust problem driven by artificial intelligence, and CIOs looking to prevent fraud and other financial crimes will only face more challenges as criminals find new ways to use AI to swindle, according to an Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists survey.

ACAMS Says Investigators Need Better Data, Architecture and AI-Based DetectionThe financial system has a trust problem driven by artificial intelligence, and CIOs looking to prevent fraud and other financial crimes will only face more challenges as criminals find new ways to use AI to swindle, according to an Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists survey.

Also: $7M Saga and $5M Makina Finance ExploitsThis week, South Korea dismantled a $102 million money laundering ring, Saga paused SagaEVM after a $7 million exploit, Makina Finance lost $5 million, a Utah man sentenced to three years for fraud and illegal cash conversion and a software flaw let traders win ethereum transaction auctions for free.

Also: UK Fraud Investigators Make Arrests in $28M Basis Markets Rug-Pull ProbeThis week, World Liberty Financial scrambles to secure user funds, the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office arrests two people over a $28M Basis Markets rug-pull probe, a Gana Payment hack drains $3.1M and Crypto Dispensers weighs a $100M sale following money-laundering charges against its CEO.

UK cops trace street-level crime to sanctions-busting networks tied to Moscow's war economy On Christmas Day 2024, a Russian-linked laundering network bought itself a very special present: a controlling stake in a Kyrgyzstan bank, later used to wash cybercrime profits and funnel money into Moscow's war machine, according to the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).…

Vigilance Cyber Security's Moriah Hara on AI Automation and Responsible AIMohira Hara, CISO and AI security, risk and governance consultant at Vigilance Cyber Security, says AI is reshaping financial services by accelerating anti-money laundering efforts, automating SOC functions and driving stronger governance frameworks that make CISOs central to managing AI risk.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions against eight individuals and two entities within North Korea's global financial network for laundering money for various illicit schemes, including cybercrime and information technology (IT) worker fraud

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two North Korean financial institutions and eight individuals involved in laundering cryptocurrency stolen in cybercrime and fraudulent IT worker schemes. [...]

Financial regulators in Canada this week levied $176 million in fines against Cryptomus, a digital payments platform that supports dozens of Russian cryptocurrency exchanges and websites hawking cybercrime services. The penalties for violating Canada's anti money-laundering laws come ten months after KrebsOnSecurity noted that Cryptomus's Vancouver street address was home to dozens of foreign currency dealers, money transfer businesses, and cryptocurrency exchanges — none of which were physically located there.

The US also conducted searches of 29 "laptop farms" across 16 states and seized 29 financial accounts used to launder funds.

Huione Group Helped Criminals Launder Over $4 Billion Worth of Cybercrime ProceedsThe U.S. Department of Treasury set in motion a process to ban a Cambodian company's access to the dollar financial system for running a vast illicit marketplace for cybercrime tools and laundering billions of dollars on behalf of North Korean and other cybercrime groups.

NAB's Anthony Hope on How Banks Are Preparing for the March 2026 DeadlineAustralia's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing legislation is undergoing its first major revision since 2006. Anthony Hope, group head of AML, CTF and fraud risk at NAB, explains what this "generational change" means for financial institutions.

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that it's removing sanctions against Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer service that has been accused of aiding the North Korea-linked Lazarus Group to launder their ill-gotten proceeds