Over 60% of illegal crypto activity is tied to sanctioned groups or terrorist organizations, report finds

Sanctioned entities, like those linked to North Korean hacking groups and U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, continue to rely on cryptocurrency for fundraising, according to a new report from Chainalysis. The American blockchain analysis firm’s “2024 Crypto Crime Report” found that $24.2 billion of illicit cryptocurrency was transferred in 2023, based on already…

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San Antonio businessman gets 13-year term for aiding terrorism

A San Antonio businessman was sentenced Monday to more than 13 years in federal prison for three terrorism-related charges. Imad Eddin Wadi, 66, was caught in an three-year operation by the FBI in which he tried to close a “business deal” that federal prosecutors say would have helped fund terrorist organizations in Syria aligned with…

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UAE dropped from financial crime watch list in win for nation

The United Arab Emirates, home to the financial hub of Dubai, has been dropped from a global watchdog’s list of countries at risk of illicit money flows, a win for the nation that could bolster its international standing. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a body that groups countries from the United States to China…

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Justice Department Announces Terrorism and Sanctions-Evasion Charges and Seizures Linked to Illicit, Billion-Dollar Global Oil Trafficking Network That Finances Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Its Malign Activities

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of three federal cases, across two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, as the most recent in a series of efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Iran’s primary mechanism…

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NYC woman convicted of using bitcoins to fund terrorism in Syria

Victoria Jacobs could spend up to 25 years in prison. The 44-year-old woman was found guilty of funneling funds to U.S.-listed terrorist groups in Syria, using cryptocurrency to evade detection. A Manhattan jury convicted Jacobs of three felony counts of providing support for an act of terrorism, as well as conspiracy, money laundering and criminal…

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U.S. presses sceptical Turkey to curb Hamas fundraising

The U.S. Treasury’s top terrorism financing official said on Thursday he had discussed with Turkish government officials his deep concerns about Palestinian militant group Hamas raising funds in Turkey and potentially breaking local laws. Turkey is “prominent” in Hamas fundraising schemes and the group is likely to take advantage of that as it seeks more…

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US Asks Gulf States to Help Shut Down Hamas Fundraising

In an emergency session of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) this week, the U.S. called on allies in the Middle East to increase efforts to cut off outside funding for Hamas, the organization that perpetrated a massive attack on Israeli civilians on October 7. The Treasury Department called on the member countries of the…

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