Remaining ahead of financial crime is critical. Whether responding to an incident or focusing on your regulatory responsibilities, we will ensure your compliance is robust and agile

Financial crime prevention is a significant line item in all financial institutions’ operating budgets and is becoming a priority for non-financial services firms, as well as those newly or about to be regulated, such as payment and virtual currency-related services.

Our extensive experience with large financial institutions across a truly global network helps you balance the competing demands of operational efficiency, effective financial crime risk mitigation and regulatory compliance.

Financial crime

Financial crime and responsible gambling compliance

Strengthening compliance and reducing risk is key for gambling operators who must navigate a complex and evolving regulatory landscape.

Why Grant Thornton

Our specialist teams help you to respond and react to nascent financial crime threats, including those highlighted by regulators, as well as dealing with known problems.

We combine market-leading technical expertise in all areas with insights into real-world operational challenges and regulatory expectation.

We cover a range of financial crime subject matter areas, including anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing, sanctions, bribery and corruption, fraud and theft, tax evasion and misconduct. 

Our services include:

Protect and detect

Assessment

  • risk assessments
  • framework gap analysis against laws, regulations and
    industry guidance
  • targeted refresh of policies and procedures
  • implementing new regulations
  • controls effectiveness reviews, including sample file testing
    in areas such as customer due diligence, sanctions and
    transaction monitoring.

Enhancement

  • financial crime target operating model design, including data
    and technology
  • financial crime improvement projects/transformation
    programmes, including supplier and system selection and
    implementation
  •  tailored financial crime training.

Response and resolve

Response

  • investigation of an identified issue, determining scope, impact
    and reporting obligations, including use of data analytics
  • pre-visit preparation in advance of a regulatory inspection,
    including mock interviews
  • post-visit planning and response support
  • skilled third-party reports delivered to you and regulators.

Remediation

  • remediation planning and design
  • outsourced file remediation or assurance
  • subject matter expert input and delivery support for all areas
    of financial crime change.
Non-bank financial institution
Case studies

Non-bank financial institution

The challenge
To help our client obtain AML regulation from HMRC, we developed AML and sanctions policies, CDD procedures, a risk appetite statement, and an AML and sanctions Risk Assessment.
The solution
We concluded the work by delivering Board level and 1LoD financial crime training to support new policies and procedures, helping employees understand their regulatory obligations.
The result
We supported the client in remediating their CDD files to ensure compliance with new procedures, providing a remediation plan, questionnaires, templates, training, and quality assurance.
Wealth management company

Wealth management company

The challenge
Implementation of a new AML and sanctions name screening system by a wealth management firm had generated a higher daily volume of alerts, resulting in investigation backlogs.
The solution
We performed document and email review, process walkthroughs and ‘sandbox’ testing to support identification of a screening configuration that was in line with risk appetite.
The result
We helped the firm quantify the backlog of screening alerts and create a prioritised remediation plan. We recommended enhancements to the screening alert investigation process.
    Three lines of defence for financial crime
    Financial Crime

    Three lines of defence for financial crime

    The FCA is consistently identifying weaknesses in firms' three lines of defence models for financial crime risk. Alison Kopra and Tom Townson explain the common pitfalls facing firms establishing their overarching frameworks, and how you can avoid them.