Product Description
The chilling details of cleaning blood money.

What is money laundering? How does it work? And why is it such a threat to any democratic society?

International terrorism has focused federal and state law-enforcement's attention on the shadowy world of money laundering. While the media has examined money laundering, the topic is still little understood by the public.

In Crime School: Money Laundering, a twenty year law enforcement veteran of financial crime explains this felony in simple terms. Written anecdotally, the book describes what money laundering is and how the crimes behind it fit together.

Organized criminals operating both domestically and internationally corrupt bankers and subvert national economies through the use of drug money.

This book examines the history of money laundering from ancient times to the cocaine craze of the 1970s to the sophisticated, brutal techniques employed by today's terrorists and organized crime.

Lively and detailed, this book chronicles the stark realities and deadly dynamics of the lynchpin between organized crime and modern terrorism. It's a rare and fascinating look at a deadly world few have ever witnessed and lived to tell the story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Very, very little information about money laundering
I was very excited to get and read this book.But after I started reading, it became a never ending disappointment.I kept thinking, "maybe it will pick up in a couple of chapters and will have some actual information."However I got to the end and I still hadn't learned anything.In my opinion this was a terrible book for these reasons:

There was hardly any actual information.Mostly the book was full of stories from the author's experiences or just made up stories to try to illustrate the evils of money laundering.Even when the author would talk about something interesting, he would cut off, nearly mid-sentence, and basically say that he can't tell you about that.I understand not wanting to educate the world about the most current forms of money laundering, but being introduced to something and then denied (repeatedly) was very annoying.The author could have wrote about money laundering of the 1960's to 1990's where those techniques don't work anymore, but he just didn't really talk about anything at all.Since he wrote a book titled: "Crime School: Money Laundering: True Crime Meets the World of Business and Finance" I expected him to actually say something about money laundering.He might as well have titled it, "Crime School: How to grow carrots, skydive, and become an astrophysicist" and the title would have been almost as accurate.

The book was poorly written.The table of contents doesn't even match up with the pages in the book.Also, the chapter titles had absolutely nothing to do with what was in those chapters.The best example is in "Bankruptcy of Murder Inc."This chapter doesn't talk about "bankruptcy" or of the infamous "Murder Inc" that contracted out assassinations for the mob.

Five minutes on the internet with your favorite search engine yields more information than reading the entire book!Throughout the entire book the author doesn't even talk about the three stages of money laundering: Placement, Layering, and Integration.Some have praised this book, saying that it is a must read for people in the banking industry to keep from unknowingly helping in money laundering.I also disagree with this because all the author really ever says in the book about this topic is to hire someone else to check your bank to see if you are laundering money.So overall this book was worthless to everyone on every level.I bought this book used for just a couple bucks and I still wish I could get my money back.

General knowledge
Not a well written book and contains very general information about money laundering that most people are already aware of such as off-shore banking.It is short on specifics, and long on trying to relate the author's experiences in the field.A bit boring.

Tons of Info and Street Slang! Mountie Breaks it Down
This dude knows his street slang!I was sorta worried when I found out he was a Canadian cop...Mathers covers pretty much every racket and how it launders the proceeds...He is a pretty funny writer as well..I felt like I was sitting down with an old cop having a beer....If you always wanted to know about how money is laundered...This book does it in a funny way...

Great intro to a complex subject
I've had a curiosity about money laundering for many years. I've heard about it on the news. It is often a shadowy subject, involving complex financial transactions and foreign intrigue. Here is a book that finally explains the subject to laypersons in a way that is accessible.

Mathers does an excellent job of explaining this subject to a layperson. He explains the various schemes, how they are executed, and how the criminals get caught. The explanations are backed up by examples from Mathers' long career in law enforcement. Most books about money laundering are intended for law enforcement personnel, so the authors assume some familiarity. Mathers' book is the first primer on the subject for laypersons. The jargon used by criminals and law enforcement are clearly explained as well, so those wanting to read further on the topic won't be bewildered by more advanced texts.

This is a great introduction for non-law enforcement persons to learn about money laundering. A great jumping off point.

How bank tellers and corporate execs canavoid pen time
The book is aimed at those who legitimately handle large amounts of money. It doesn't have to be 'their' money, any supervision of cash will do.This includes bank tellers, small business owners, and corporate executives.Since they all 'handle' money, they all risk 'being nice' and going to jail for their troubles.

Mathers tries to shares some street smarts. The book doesn't try to 'explain' money laundering as much as put you 'inside' the process.The look and feel is given first priority.Thus, the author spends a lot of time toying with the lingo.You will learn about 'backstops' (a false history), 'beards' (intermediaries), 'bottoms' (what you owe),'busting a cap' (discharge a bullet), 'Diming out' (informing), 'Dry conspiracy' (cop talk for an arrest with no contraband), 'juice' (interest rate), 'pooch' (fellow with no respect) and 'playing for shape' (willing to kill to curry favor).Mathers constantly belittles the intelligence of the crooks.Crime is easy, but getting away with it for long is difficult.

Along these lines, Mathers works hard to debunk popular perceptions.First, Hollywood doesn't do a good job of familiarizing us with 'real' crooks.Crooks don't look like Hollywood gangsters, they look like Joe average.Second, the crooks don't need high tech tricks to pull off their capers.All they need is a little, apparently harmless cooperation.For example, Mather describes the 'muffin man' method.The muffin man simply offers his bank teller a muffin every time he visits the bank.After giving away $5 worth of muffins, the recipient bank teller is likely to bend a rule.That bent rule may launder $100,000 in cash ($10,000+ profit to the crook).Additionally, it is all that is needed to put the teller in jail.

Mather makes his points by relentlessly bringing the reader down to the gutter level.Half the message is just the lingo and description of the terrain.Learn how to talk prison lingo, how to survive standing in line with a bunch of crooks, and most important, how a silly, everyday mistake can put you behind bars.

This is a book about avoiding the mistakes that have put many an otherwise innocent person in jail. Read and learn! ... Read more

Product Description
Originally developed to reduce drug trafficking, national and international efforts to reduce money laundering have broadened over the years to address other crimes, and most recently, terrorism. These efforts now constitute a formidable regime applied to financial institutions and transactions throughout much of the world. Yet few assessments of either the achievements or consequences of this regime have been made. Reuter and Truman (1) explore what is know about the scale and characteristics of money laundering, (2) describe the current anti–money laundering regime, (3) develop a framework for assessing the effectiveness of the regime, and (4) use that framework to assess how well the current system works and make proposals for its improvement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Dark Side of International Capital Mobility
At a time when a swarm of new books on illicit transactions and dirty money are vying for readers' attention, it is worthwhile to come back to this authoritative study that was published in December 2004 under the auspices of the Institute for International Economics. This book provides the first comprehensive effort to assess the effectiveness of the anti-money laundering (AML) regime, initially put in place to protect the integrity of financial institutions against the abuse of drug lords and criminal traffickers, and which was extended after 9/11 to include the combating of terrorism financing (the whole endeavor now runs under the acronym AML/CFT).

The authors define money laundering as "the conversion of criminal incomes into assets that cannot be tracked back to the underlying crime." Their aim is to begin the task of evaluating the effectiveness of the global anti-money laundering regime. The study describes the phenomenon of money laundering itself, to the extend that the available fragments of information allow, as well as the status of the current AML regime.

This is followed by an analysis of its effectiveness in achieving three goals: reducing crime, protecting the integrity of the core financial system, and controlling three types of global "public bads"--terrorism, corruption, and failed states. The study concludes with recommendations, directed particularly toward the US, on how the AML system and analysis of its effectiveness could both be improved. Unsurprisingly, the authors underscore the dearth of data on the subject, and they end up with a plea that "more research is needed."

The book could have included an analysis of the political economy factors that played a role in the emergence and consolidation of a global anti-money laundering regime. The authors are heavily focused on the US, to which they attribute a leadership role, but they could have mentioned that other countries, such as France, were also instrumental in gathering support for a stronger involvement of the international financial institutions on the prevention side. It is also interesting to note that the banking sector initially resisted increased government interference in its relationship with clients, but that it has since learned how to accommodate AML requirements in ways that impose relatively modest costs and inconveniences on both banks and their customers.

Little has happened since the book was published. As foreseen by the authors, the pace of expansion of the AML regime has slowed and the focus has now shifted to improving global implementation of the current regime. For its part, the US has yet to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption and to submit itself to a full IMF / World Bank assessment of its financial sector, including regulations affecting money laundering and terrorism financing. The answer to the question: how much money is laundered remains a big question mark.

A discussion of methodologies used to hide revenues
Written by a senior economist and criminology professor along with a former director of the Division of International Finance of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Chasing Dirty Money: The Fight Against Money Laundering is a no-nonsense discussion of methodologies used to hide revenues gained from a wide variety of crimes and how to block such assets from being transferred and perpetuated. Chapters clarify laundering mechanisms, from simiply smuggling cash out of the country to using casinos, lotteries, and horse races to lose a little betting but receive clean payoff in issued checks, to taking out single premium insurance policies for which the premium is paid in an upfront lump sum rather than annual installments - then later redeeming these policies at a discount. Further chapters discuss protecting the integrity of financial systems, combating predicate crimes connected to money laundering, confronting such global evils as terrorism and kleptocracy or corruption that rely heavily on money laundering, and much more. A sober, serious-minded resource, an absolute must-read for all economic students and professionals, and an eye-opening revelation for lay readers.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

A good overview, but lacking detail
Dirty Dealing reads more like a 2-day introductory seminar on money laundering.It covers the basics.I was looking for more detailed information regarding the machinations of multi-jurisdictional offshore structures related specifically to viaticals.Didn't find that here.

Useful introduction but needs more work
Money laundering is the engine behind the ever expanding scourge of global organised crime. After reading this book one has an appreciation of the magnitude of the problem and a basic understanding of the mechanics behind laundering. Money laundering is conceptually fairly simple. As Lilley confirms there have been developed no truly new vehicles for money laundering since the early days when criminals washed their proceeds by mingling them with clean money from businesses with high cash turnovers such as launderettes. The internalisation of the business environment, the proliferation of sophisticated financial instruments, the speed of new technology (fax, the internet), and the removal of (intra-EU) border controls are factors that contribute to the widening repertoire of launderers, going beyond banks to include the global world of business. Despite this surface complexity it appears that schemes remain variations on a few basic old themes. These methods encompass surprisingly simple mechanisms as hard cash deliveries and invoices for fictitious consultancy services to complex multi-jurisdictional offshore structures. Anonimity (of false identity) is the pivotal element in all. Complicity of high-level officials and decision-makers and lax oversight procedures from financial institutions help tremendously in lowering the transaction costs for criminals (and increasing them for law enforcement). Reining in money laundering is - given the geographical scope of the dealings, the seamless meshing with the legal economy, the superficial diversity of schemes, and the enormous volumes of cash involved - a significant challenge. It relies to a large extent on a "soft" approach, sensitising banks, businesses and their employees to take personal responsibility in reporting suspicious transactions. Opportunism and greed make this very hard to do.

Lilley's book reads like a kind of consultancy report, suitable for quick access to the facts (insofar as known) but it is not a great literary treasure. Sometimes it looks more like a dressed-up powerpoint presentation, with lists of bullet points to summarise key facts. There's a fair amount of repetition as well. I guess the book could be quite easily condensed to two thirds of its present volume. Surprisingly, Lilley discusses some of the better known laundering setups - such as the black market peso exchange system, or the Bank of New York case - very summarily. A book such as Nick Kochan's The Washing Machine does a better job here.

Common to much of the laundering literature is the paradoxical feeling that, although laundering is conceptually simple (despite the occasional technical complexity), it remains hard to grasp exactly how the washing ties into the criminals' business models. For example, why exactly are "International Business Corporations" the key laundering vehicles for drug traffickers? What other instruments to they use? What other criminal entrepreneurs make use of IBCs? A simple typology of laundering mechanisms - derived from a few basic operational principles and linked into logic of various type(s) of illicit business - could be of great help here. Maybe the authors are hard to fault as the details of these setups are probably not even known or privy to criminal investigators. The suggestion to draw up a clear typology may also run counter to Lilley's assertion that "laundering is just as likely to be a self-perpetuating cycle or continuum as opposed to a clearly definable process with a discernible beginning and conclusion." Despite this assertion it seems still a good idea to systematise the book's ideas in a few clear conceptual frameworks.

Lilley's book is useful as a broad, general survey of laundering (and terrorist financing, which is of a different nature), but one will have to read further afield to get a better understanding for how laundering and trafficking mesh in creating viable, criminal business models. I'd give the book 3,5 stars.

Strongly recommended reading for students of economics, criminology, and global terrorism
The fully revised and updated third edition of Dirty Dealing: The Untold Truth About Global Money Laundering, International Crime And Terrorism by global crime expert Peter Lilly is an informed and informative study of international corruption and crime as resulting in over two trillion US dollars being siphoned for illegal purposes every year. Introducing readers to a methodical and documented account based upon expertly researched information and analysis, Dirty Dealing provides a progressive basis for comprehending the global funding of international terrorism, major national and international organized criminal groups, the impact of the internet and "cyber laundering", and international anti-money laundering strategies for all types of corporate and multinational businesses. A seminal work of considerable scholarship and insight, Dirty Dealing is very strongly recommended reading for students of economics, criminology, and global terrorism.

Highly Recommended!
The subtitle of this book promises the "untold story" of dirty international financial dealings. That's not quite what it delivers, because the book compiles already-published accounts, public reports and Congressional testimony, and adds to them. Given that money laundering involves drug dealers, terrorists and slavers, the book has some titillating asides about sex, violence and filthy money. Author Peter Lilley explains precisely how money laundering works, including an introduction to the practices and techniques that have proven most successful. While praising the author's reportorial depth, we note one dilemma that emerges from such thoroughness: we hope this book doesn't fall into the hands of someone who wishes to take up money laundering but is unsure how to proceed. Business people who want to avoid being victimized should take particular note of the chapter discussing well-known checks-and-balances, controls and best practices. ... Read more

Product Description
This second edition of the Reference Guide is a comprehensive source of practical information on how countries can fight money laundering and terrorist financing. Aimed at helping countries understand the new international standards, it discusses the problems caused by these crimes, the specific actions countries need to take to address them, and the role international organizations play in the process. The Reference Guide is a valuable tool for establishing effective regimes to successfully prevent, detect, and prosecute money laundering and terrorist financing. ... Read more

Product Description
The world is awash with dirty money. Most of it comes from illicit drugs. Who's laundering it? Bankers, lawyers, accountants and money managers - from Wall Street to Main Street. The Laundrymen gets to the root of the problem and has become the definitive book on the subject.

"Jeffrey Robinson has written what nearly amounts to a textbook on the transformation of ill-gotten gains into seemingly legal currency." USA Today

"An indictment of governments and banks that are unwilling to deal decisively with an industry that handles $200-$500 billion a year." Business Week

"Should be ready by anyone who wants to learn why the world is in such sorry shape."Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Gripping read... fact outdoes fiction" The Times of London

"An eye-opening expose." Daily Mail

"Money laundering is a runaway global industry." Time Magazine
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

My Review
This is a MUST read for all compliance officers, money laundering prevention/reporting officers, finance professionals or anyone with an interest in these fields. I'm a compliance officer living/ working in the Caribbean and this book has given me a better understanding of the climate that I work in and the global financial place feels a bit smaller and a whole less hollier. Buy this book!

Yawn
A bunch of stories about people and organizations that have laundered money. Few details and most of it I had already read in the paper when they happened. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the techniques that drug traffickers and organized crime figures use to launder money are also employed by terrorist groups - as those involved in investigating the attacks of September 11, 2001 soon discovered. These techniques and their perpetrators have grown in number and sophistication, creating an urgent need for investigators to develop strategies that will help keep them one step ahead of the game.

Authoritative and accessible, Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators, Second Edition is based on the author's extensive experience in law enforcement. It provides a clear understanding of money laundering practices and explains the investigative and legislative processes that are essential in detecting and circumventing this illegal and ultimately dangerous activity.

In addition to being an informative and straightforward resource for those investigating complex narcotics cases or other cases in which there is a financial component, this new edition addresses techniques used to track down the money trail of terrorists who are highly motivated, well-trained, organized, disciplined - and well-funded.

What's New in the Second Edition:

þ Explains money laundering provisions under the U.S. Patriot Act
þ Explains how the changes in federal forfeiture law affect existing money laundering law
þ Clarifies current legislation and how it affects money laundering investigation
þ Outlines the basics as well as the emerging trends of terrorist financing
þ Includes two new chapters on the investigation of terrorist activities ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book. Good background
I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about AML and the background behind the issues we face.

Even I Could Understand It
This is more than a text book.It's a excellent primer in money laundering.It gives examples from the most simple to the most complex methods of hiding illegally obtained money from the prying eyes of law enforcement.I could have used this early in my career.I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the how's of money launderers. A second edition is now out.

Excellent Resource
The text provides excellent introduction into the crime of money laundering...very easy to understand and at times comical. Although the book is a bit dated, its concepts remain the same and I would recommend this text for anyone interested in understanding the role of money laundering.

author is excellent at public safety
being the same field for over 30 years, i found the book lacking in real facts.......but an excellent effort for 76.00 dollars

Money Laundering for the Stupid.
Do not waste your time or money on this book.The book assumes that all readers have the financial literacy of a high school student.Of course, the book was purportly written for police investigations so maybe the authors dummed it down so their fellow law enforcement friends would be able to understand it.For example, the book goes into painly silly details about what a balance sheet and income statement are all about and how to read them properly.(ie the section on debit-credit was particularly useless)My personal favorite was the filler section on how to buy real-estate or securities.The book only really gets to the interesting(and the most imporant aspect of a book on money laundering) "how to" structures of money laundering operations in a couple of chapters.One chapter is basically dedicated to simple structures like using smurfs so that is essentially useless. BOTTOM LINE: if you are at all familar with money laundering, financial statements, bank secrecy act, tax rules, yadda yadda, then this book is a waste of your time.If you know nothing about the above, then you may find the book useful. ... Read more

Product Description
Find out how the world's best money launderers evade sohisticated high-tech detection measures and move money freely in the electronic age. Also find out the latest international law enforcement countermeasures for stopping this illegal flow of money. A must for cops, lawyers, PIs and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Delivers much less than it promises
I expected to see in this book an explanation on the most prevalent schemes of laundering.Instead it dedicated most of the book to describe what is happening in different countries of the world in terms of laws and law enforcement.This information is not what the title and the subtitle promise.The information presented could be gathered from different sources over the internet but most importantly such information can become obsolete in no time (the book is published in 1998).The best thing about this book is its title but unfortunately it did not meet my expectations at all.

No Art . . . No Science
In this 199 page book only two and one-half pages are dedicated to how money is laundered and that's the art and science.Over 130 pages are dedicated to a country-by-country risk analysis and this information is easily available from a number of sources on the internet.If that is what you want, then this is a great book.If you really want to know money laundering techniques and practices then look elsewhere.

The number of missing details or oversight was frustrating.For example, page 1 of the book starts with "placement", which is interesting, but if you are new to anti-corruption or fraud investigation then it would be nice to know that placement is only the first step in money laundering.By the way, the other steps are layering and integration.

I recommend Peter Lilley's book "Dirty Dealing" as a better introduction to money laundering. ... Read more

Product Description
Money laundering and terrorist financing are serious crimes that affect not only those persons directly involved, but the economy as a whole. According to international standards, every bank has the obligation to know its customers and to report suspicious transactions. Although these obligations sound straightforward, they have proved challenging to implement. What information precisely has to be gathered? How should it be recorded? If and when does one have to file a suspicious transaction report? It is here that a supervisor can play a crucial role in helping supervised institutions; first, in understanding the full extent of the obligations of Customer Due Diligence and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) and, second, in ensuring that those obligations are not just words on paper but are applied in practice. Effective supervision is key to the success of a country s AML/CFT system.In this regard, field work in both developed and developing countries has shown an overall low compliance in the area of supervision of banks and other financial institutions; supervisory compliance is indeed generally lower than the average level of compliance with all Financial Action Task Force recommendations. As a result, by providing examples of good practices, this book aims to help countries better conform to international standards. In this regard, this handbook is specifically designed for bank supervisors. ... Read more

Product Description
`While there is much noise about the control of money laundering, there are few whose work is able to rise above the din and in clear notes contribute in a constructive manner to the debate. This work is not only an intelligent discussion of many of the substantive issues relating to the control of money laundering, but a great deal more. Drawing on systems theory and seeing the control of money laundering particularly from the standpoint of technology as complex and integral to the proper and effective operation of financial institutions, the author addresses in a novel and practical way the design and management of risk based compliance. The theory is tested, not only in terms of viable technology, but also in an actual case study involving real issues in a bank. Consequently, those concerned with the formulation of policy, the design of controls and procedures and the implementation of such will find the contribution that this book makes of great significance.'
- Barry Rider, Bryan Cave LLP, UK

`This book avoids the usual trap of interminably listing AML war stories. Instead Dr. Demetis presents a solid theoretical foundation for AML research and practice. He gives a damning critique of the way so-called technological solutions are used uncritically by some AML professionals, and analyses the risk-based approach, describing its problems and ways of avoiding them. He presents a fascinating in-depth case study of a financial institution, and a short case of a bank using technology to improve its True Positive Rate substantially to 17 per cent.'
- Ian Angell, London School of Economics, UK

`Dr Demetis makes a great contribution to our understanding of anti-money laundering at both a systems and practical level. [He] writes as someone who not only thinks deeply about these issues but, as the in-depth case examples show, has tried to see how far technology can address some audacious goals. Readers will learn that while risk-based approaches to anti-money laundering have been an interesting regulatory development, practical implementation, despite the hype of technology vendors, is "still at a primordial state".'
- Michael Mainelli, Gresham College and Z/YEN Group, UK

This insightful book examines the influence of information systems on anti-money laundering (AML). It builds on systems theory in order to develop a coherent theoretical framework that can be used for AML research.

By using a case study of a major financial institution in the EU-area, a number of technological influences on AML are deconstructed and are used to examine the role that technology plays within AML. The book provides a systems theoretical description of the effects of technology on AML and offers considerations on the risk-based approach - the most important contemporary evolution within regulatory initiatives on AML and terrorism financing.

Technology and Anti-Money Laundering will appeal to researchers of financial crime and AML as well as those interested in information systems and systems theory. A number of considerations for practitioners are also discussed, including the risk-based approach and the integration of AML-technology in financial institutions, as well as an important data-mining application. Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) in financial institutions and central bankers will also find much of interest in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism: A Comprehensive Training Guide has been developed by the Financial Market Integrity Unit of the World Bank to support the World Bank s Capacity Enhancement Program on AML/CFT. The modules are comprised of the following eight Modules:Module 1 - Effects on Economic Development and International StandardsModule 2 - Legal Requirements to meet International StandardsModule 3a - Regulatory and Institutional RequirementsModule 3b - Compliance Requirements for Financial InstitutionsModule 4 - Building an Effective Financial Intelligence UnitModule 5 - Domestic (inter-agency) and International CooperationModule 6 - Combating the Financing of TerrorismModule 7 - Investigating Money Laundering and Terrorist FinancingThe program offers countries the tools, skills and knowledge to build and strengthen their institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks for developing a robust AML/CFT regime. ... Read more

Product Description
Full text of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and implementing regulationsAnalysis of BSA provisions, with special emphasis on USA PATRIOT Act provisions, as well as OFAC's sanction programs and money launderingFull text of agency issuancesCompliance Notes will highlight compliance obligations ... Read more

Product Description
Before Enron, before Arthur Anderson, and before Worldcom, there was the Bank of New York money laundering scandal, which hit headlines in 1999. Promising to be one of the most important books on international organized crime, money laundering, and the complicity between legitimate and illegitimate businesses in both the United States and the former Soviet Union, among other places, during the last decade of the 20th century, All Is Clouded by Desire examines the criminal dealings that lead to the revelation that the Bank of New York's Eastern European Division laundered $6 billion for Russian organized criminals and other shady organizations and individuals. In a series of intrigues that involved crooked Geneva banker Bruce Rappaport and high-level members of the Bank of New York, criminal Russian organizations were able to thrive and prosper during a time when the rest of the former Soviet Union crumbled amidst growing corruption and a declining economy. Tracing the financial shenanigans back many years, Block and Weaver illustrate how the underworld of high finance, money laundering, mafia groups, CIA operatives, and legitimate banking institutions can clean dirty money and operate criminal enterprises that span the globe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too many details, it misses the point.
I was expecting less details on names, dates, who-knows-who and who-did-what and more on the financial implications and banking wrongdoings of the whole case. This book is too full of details that do not really matter much and fails to address the big picture that its title leads us to beleive on. It goes on and on talking about the relationships between Russian mobs and BofNY officers and forget to mention where this money was coming from and going to (and if it did, you get so distracted with the unimportant details that you can actually miss it). I am still looking for a good money laundering book. ... Read more

Product Description
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Money laundering is the process of converting or transferring cash or other assets, generated from illegal activity, in order to conceal or disguise their origins.In recent years, the international community has decided that focusing on money laundering is an efficient strategy in policing organized crime and, now terrorism.To this end, countries are encouraged to harmonize their policies and legislation and, to some extent, their policing strategies.Before adopting these new strategies, however, it is important to understand the extent of money laundering in different jurisdictions, as well as the likelihood of success and the costs involved in these anti-laundering strategies.

Product Description
In the global market, various financial institutions play an important role in sustaining world economy. However, they face risk issues that pose threats to its stability.
In Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorist Financing for Financial Institutions, Ismail Odeh introduces an innovative and efficient approach, which discusses at large the processes in which financial institutions have become channels used for money laundering and financing terrorism.

The September 11, 2001, simultaneous terrorist attacks in New York, Washington District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania press on the measures on obliterating money laundering and terrorist financing. At present, the United Nations Member States amalgamate their concerns and establish strict laws and regulations and increased penalties and make this instruction known to people, which is the purpose of this book.

There exists an extensive phase in which money laundering and terrorist financing occurs likewise, the facts that one has to consider in detail to determine any suspicions of its occurrences. In this book, Ismail Odeh explains every aspect in a manner people may easily understand.

This book entails good governance for the campaign against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Having been exposed to the realm of financial institutions for eighteen years and being aware of the threats posed by the money laundering and terrorist financing, Ismail Odeh is encouraged to make a difference by the helping people and direct organizations involved to achieve a money laundering free world. ... Read more

Product Description
The Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, also known as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and its implementing regulation, 31 CFR 103, is a tool the U.S. government uses to fight drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. Congress enacted the BSA to prevent banks and other financial service providers from being used as intermediaries for, or to hide the transfer or deposit of money derived from, criminal activity. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) monitors national bank compliance with the BSA and 31 CFR 103. Since its passage, Congress has amended the BSA a number of times to enhance law enforcement effectiveness. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which included the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986 (MLCA), strengthened the government's ability to fight money laundering by making it a criminal activity.The Money Laundering Suppression Act of 1994 (Title IV of the Riegle-Neal Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994) required regulators to develop enhanced examination procedures and increase examiner training to improve the identification of money laundering schemes in financial institutions. ... Read more

Product Description
Worldwide, anti-money laundering regulations and legislation have become one of the weapons of choice of governments that are fighting global terrorism and criminality. In this updated edition of "Money Laundering", Doug Hopton explains how The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 have extended even further the range of UK businesses covered by the Proceeds of Crime Act to include solicitors, lawyers, accountants, estate agents, high value dealers, trust or company service providers and, in effect, many other companies involved in consultancy or business services. The complexity of the new laws and the limited amount of any case law asks more questions about the responsibilities of these companies and their liabilities. Doug Hopton's highly practical guide explains the basis of international law, regulations and standards in this area and how they affect businesses; and provides down-to-earth advice on the basic rules of good business management: customer due diligence, know your business (and your client's business), which will help companies understand what procedures to establish, and how and when to report suspicious activity.The author explains the basis of money laundering and how it works, along with the development of the law and regulations around the world, and how other countries' laws can affect UK companies. ... Read more

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Offers the compelling story of a high-level drug investigation, money laundering scheme, and bitter battles among government agencies involving a cocaine and financial operation so huge that L.A. investigators--where ""the Mine"" was based--refused to believe it existed. ... Read more

Product Description
Anti-Money Laundering is the definitive reference on money laundering and practice. First an outline will be given of the general approach taken by supra-national organisations like the United Nations and the European Council. Next the approach taken by international organisations and initiatives on the basis of the supra-national initiatives will be outlined by senior members of those organisations. A number of countries will then describe their specific prevention legislation. Countries involved will all be member-countries of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering). Finally there will be an overview to enable the reader to make a comparison between the most important topics of money laundering legislation and rules in the different countries. ... Read more

Product Description
WRITTEN BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL FOR OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE TRENCHESThis book examines the workings of organized criminals and criminal groups that transcend national boundaries. Discussions include methods used by criminal groups to internationally launder money; law enforcement efforts to counteract such schemes; and new methods and tactics to counteract transnational money laundering.A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FACETS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIME AND MEASURES TO COMBAT THEMIntended for law enforcement personnel, bank compliance officers, financial investigators, criminal defense attorneys, and anyone interested in learning about the basic concepts of international crime and money laundering, this timely text explains:·money laundering terms and phrases·an overview of relevant federal agencies, transnational criminal organizations, and basic investigatory techniques·the intricacies of wire transfers and cyberbanking·the phenomenon of the "World Wide Web" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

should be a bestseller
This book isn't just for enforcement people. For someone like me who isn't a law officer and just wants to understand how terrorists and drug traffickers work, this book is great.

I always thought of terrorism and drugdealing in simplistic terms of what happens in the street. Now I understand how the system works and why our fight is so unsuccessful.

What I learned:
Our laws change slowly in response to rapid innovation by the traffickers and terrorists.

Horse-and-buggy standards for banks like "know your customer" are pointless in a modern world economy.

The worldwide supply of drugs is variegated and impossible to control. As a result, our approach to fighting drugs by cooperating with drug-producing countries is stupid. My guess is that a bread-and-butter approach of customs inspections and death penalty for dealers and launderers would work better. The mindset of modern law enforcement is dead wrong.

As icing on the cake, it was interesting to learn that the Afghanis, Arabs, and Iranians who attack America for our moral degeneration are number 1 in heroin production and smuggling.

A few disappointments:

Richards barely treated terrorists. If he had, his book would have had more mass appeal.

Some of the explanations would have been clearer with flow diagrams.

I still don't understand why layering is so effective. It sounds as if a simple computer trace would unpeel the layers.

This book is not light reading. But if you really want to know how the world works, it's worth the effort!

An Excellent, Deatiled and Highly Informative Work!
I became acquainted with James R. Richard's Transnational Criminal Organizations, Cybercrime, and Money Laundering : A Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers, Auditors, and Financial Investigators when it was used as a text in Utica College's Economic Crime Management Master of Science Degree program in the Advanced Economic Crime as well as the Legal Concepts of Criminal Fraud and Corporate Criminal Liability graduate courses.After quickly thumbing through it, I immediately recognized that it truly contains a bounty of useful, pertinent and relevant information.

Extremely well written, it is a well flowing, very easy read that is both highly informative and enlightening. The book provides a very extensive and detailed examination of organized criminal enterprises engaged in international financial crime.The book fully details the specific steps of the placement, layering, and integration stages of money laundering as well as fully itemizing the techniques and uses of non-financial institutions (casinos, securities et al.) in money laundering.The expanded international focus documents a very detailed and thorough examination of the scope of global financial crime. The book fully integrates an expanse of information on banking, money laundering and cybercrime basics, international criminal organizations - in both a national and international context- in a manner that is easily understood by the reader.

As a police officer, I would highly recommend this book as a "must have" for the reference shelf of federal, state, local or corporate based investigators engaged in financial crimes inquiries and analysis.For the non-professional who is interested in organized crime of a more cerebral nature, the book is more than worth the purchase price.

As a college instructor (Introduction to Economic Crime Investigation at Herkimer County Community College; Herkimer, NY), this book in invaluable to the both the instructor and the student engaged in a comprehensive review of money laundering actvities.

As a side note, Mr. Richards also gives an excellent presentation and lecture on the topics and subject matter covered in his book.

A very good choice!
My father wrote this book.Even though I am only eleven years old I already want his job.I love to read and learn and I am very interested in this field.I read his book and I can finally understand what he's talkingabout at the dinner table!He now tells me about his cases in the car andI love hearing about them.This book helped me learn about things Iwouldn't have learned about in college.It really opened my eyes to whatwas out there.Good work daddy! PS - Your kids books that you wrote for usare just as good!Publish them! ... Read more

Product Description
`The book represents an important contribution to the understanding of money laundering from an economics perspective which will be crucial in informing public policy. The economic analysis is rigorous and represents an important contribution to a more thorough understanding of the motivations and systemic effect of financial crime on the broader economy. I highly recommend the book.'
- Kern Alexander, University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick, UK

The recent dramatic wave of terrorist attacks has further focused worldwide attention on the money laundering phenomena. The objective of this book is to offer the first systematic analysis of the economics of money laundering and its connection with terrorism finance.

The authors first present the general principles of money laundering. They go on to illustrate an institutional and empirical framework that is useful in evaluating the causes and effects of money laundering phenomena in the banking and financial markets. They also analyze the design of the national and international policies aimed at combating them.

The book focuses on several crucial issues and offers an analysis of each, including:

* modeling the behavior and process of making dirty money appear clean, hiding the originally criminal or illegal source of the economic activity
* demonstrating how the financing of terrorism resembles money laundering in some respects and differs from it in others
* explaining how the banking and financial industry can play a pivotal role for the development of the criminal sector as a preferential vehicle for money laundering
* showing how schemes of international economics and of tax competition can be applied to black finance issues, claiming thatcompetition for criminal money can lead to a race to the bottom
* building up indicators of money laundering attractiveness among developed and emerging countries, with a particular attention on the role of the Offshore centers
* dealing with anti-money launderingand counter terrorism finance (AML-CTF) enforcement problems, with a focus on Europe and the USA.

Black Finance will be a valuable and accessible tool for scholars and academics, principally in economics, though also in politics and law, as well as for regulators and supervisory institutions. ... Read more