On December 23, 2024, the OCC issued a cease-and-desist order against Bank of America, N.A. for deficiencies related to its Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions compliance programs. The order requires the bank to take comprehensive corrective actions to enhance its BSA/AML  and sanctions compliance programs.

On December 17, 2024, the OFAC sanctioned two individuals and one entity involved in a network that launders millions of dollars of illicit funds generated by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) information technology (IT) workers and cybercrime to support the DPRK Government. The sanctions are part of OFAC’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s money laundering operations, which finance the regime’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. 

On December 18, 2024, FinCEN issued an alert to raise awareness of fraud schemes abusing FinCEN’s name, insignia, and authorities for financial gain. These FinCEN-specific fraud schemes include scams that exploit beneficial ownership information reporting; misuse FinCEN’s Money Services Business Registration tool; or involve the impersonation of, or misrepresent affiliation with, FinCEN and its employees.

On December 3, 2024, the ABA Banking Journal reported that a federal judge in Texas had issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the beneficial ownership reporting rule. This is less than a month before the January 1, 2025 deadline for businesses to report their beneficial owners to FinCEN.

On November 25, 2025, FinCEN joined a multi-sector national task force dedicated to the prevention of fraud and scams.  The National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention, organized by the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program, unites important groups such as financial services, technology companies, consumer advocates, information sharing centers, and federal agencies to fight fraud and scams.

On November 15, 2024, FinCEN updated its Beneficial Ownership Information Frequently Asked Questions anew. The FAQs are issued in response to inquiries received relating to the BOI Reporting Rule and BOI Access and Safeguards Rule.

On November 13, 2024, FinCEN issued an alert to help financial institutions identify fraud schemes associated with the use of deepfake media created with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. The alert explains typologies associated with these schemes, provides red flag indicators to assist with identifying and reporting related suspicious activity, and reminds financial institutions of their reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act.

On October 30, 2024, FinCEN issued a press release to inform U.S. financial institutions that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental body that establishes international standards to combat money laundering, counter the financing of terrorism, and combat weapons of mass destruction proliferation financing (AML/CFT/CPF), has issued public statements updating its lists of jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT/CPF deficiencies following its plenary meeting last month. U.S. financial institutions should consider the FATF’s stance toward these jurisdictions when reviewing their obligations and risk-based policies, procedures, and practices.

On October 29, 2024, FinCEN announced that certain victims of Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Beryl, and Hurricane Francine will receive an additional six months to submit beneficial ownership information reports. The extension includes reporting updates and corrections to prior reports.

On October 23, 2024, FinCEN issued an alert to assist financial institutions in identifying and reporting suspicious activity supporting Lebanese Hizballah (Hizballah), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The alert builds upon the agency’s May 2024 advisory on Iran-backed terrorist organizations and offers a comprehensive overview of Hizballah’s global criminal financial networks.