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Financial Crime

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May 1, 2024 Updated July 9, 2025 11 minute read

Financial crime is a type of crime that involves the illegal movement or acquisition of money or assets. It can take many forms, including money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, and corruption. Financial crime is a major problem that costs the global economy trillions of dollars each year.

What is financial crime?

Financial crime is any crime that involves the illegal movement or acquisition of money or assets. It can take many forms, including:

  • Money laundering is the process of concealing the origins of illegally obtained money by moving it through legitimate businesses and financial institutions.
  • Terrorist financing is the provision of funds or other support to terrorist organizations.
  • Fraud is the intentional deception of another person or organization in order to obtain money or property.
  • Corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain.

Why is financial crime a problem?

Financial crime is a major problem that costs the global economy trillions of dollars each year. It can also have a devastating impact on the lives of individuals and families. Financial crime can:

  • Undermine the stability of the financial system by eroding trust in financial institutions and making it more difficult to raise capital.
  • Increase the cost of doing business by forcing businesses to invest in anti-money laundering and fraud prevention measures.
  • Damage the reputation of businesses and individuals by associating them with financial crime.
  • Lead to the loss of jobs and economic growth by reducing investment and consumer confidence.
  • Facilitate other crimes, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

How can financial crime be prevented?

Path to Financial Crime

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We've curated 11 courses to help you on your path to Financial Crime. Use these to develop your skills, build background knowledge, and put what you learn to practice.
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Reading list

We've selected six books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Financial Crime.
Reports on the findings of the Panama Papers and how they shed light on the massive global network of offshore tax havens used by the wealthy and powerful. The author is an investigative reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of white-collar crime.
Is designed to give a comprehensive overview of financial crime and the compliance measures that are used to prevent and detect it. The book especially focuses on topics such as money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud.
The Spider's Web, which was written by a former New York Times reporter, tells the story of how Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and connections to sexually abuse young girls and avoid prosecution.
Michael Levi, a professor in criminology at Cardiff University and an expert on financial crime, wrote this book that provides an overview of all aspects of financial crime across the world. The book looks at how financial crime has evolved and the role of law enforcement, regulation, and even technology in this space.
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