Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 4
UBS Unit Pays $125 Million to Settle US Anti-Money Laundering Violations
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 4

UBS Unit Pays $125 Million to Settle US Anti-Money Laundering Violations

3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 4

Summary

  • $125 million is what UBS Financial Services agreed to pay to resolve US allegations that it willfully and repeatedly violated anti-money laundering rules.
  • FinCEN said the case involved Bank Secrecy Act violations, making it the Treasury unit's largest-ever fine against a broker-dealer for that offense.
  • The penalty also marks FinCEN's second enforcement action against UBS's brokerage, underscoring repeated regulatory scrutiny of the business.

Insights

Will a record $125 million penalty finally force UBS to fix its money laundering controls, or is it just a cost of doing business?
After ignoring a prior warning, how did UBS manage to let $10 billion in high-risk foreign transfers slip through undetected for years?