The War on Dirty Money
By Nicholas Gilmour and Tristram Hicks
Published
Feb 23, 2023Page count
394 pagesISBN
978-1447365129Dimensions
216 x 140 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Feb 23, 2023Page count
394 pagesISBN
978-1447365136Dimensions
216 x 138 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Feb 23, 2023Page count
394 pagesISBN
978-1447365136Dimensions
216 x 138 mmImprint
Policy Press
The War on Dirty Money
In the media:
On Transforming Society: POLICY BRIEFING: The war on dirty money
On Transforming Society: PODCAST: The war on dirty money
'The War on Dirty Money: Demystifying Money Laundering' on the Regulatory Ramblings podcast
'Gilmour & Hicks: Is the war on dirty money winnable, and if so how?' on the Of Interest podcast
'Global AML Framework Rests Far Too Heavily on Prevention, Authors Claim' on MoneyLaundering.com
'The War on Dirty Money' on Substack
Billions of dollars are wasted each year trying to prevent ‘dirty money’ entering a financial system that is already awash with it. The authors challenge the global approach, arguing that complacency, self-interest and misunderstanding have now created long-standing absurdities.
International and government policy makers inadvertently facilitate tax evasion, corruption, environmental and organised crime by separating crime from its root cause. The handful of crime fighters that do exist are starved of resources while an army of compliance box tickers are prevented from truly helping. The authors provide a toolbox of evidence-based solutions to help the frontline tackle financial crime.
“Bang on the (dirty) money. This book is for anyone who wants to understand the problem, why we’re failing and what can be done about it.” David Lewis, Financial Action Task Force Executive Secretary 2015–22
“In a reader-friendly style for practitioners, the authors present an impassioned case for shaking up the conventional thinking of the ‘anti-money laundering complex’ and for more dynamic action on using financial investigation in prosecutions and proceeds of crime confiscation.” Michael Levi, Cardiff University
"This is a crucial primer for anyone who wants to know why the world is failing to stop money laundering, written by two people who really know what they're talking about.” Oliver Bullough, author of Butler to the World and Moneyland
Nicholas Gilmour is a consultant, providing expert advice and guidance to various governments and international organisations in fighting financial crime.
Tristram Hicks is an international criminal justice advisor on the operational effectiveness of anti-money laundering regimes. He is a former New Scotland Yard detective superintendent.
Foreword - Phil Mason
1. Global standards, governance and the risk-based approach
2. The war on dirty money is mostly being lost in translation
3. How much do we really know about money laundering?
4. The obsession with defining money laundering
5. Money launderers and their superpowers
6. Global watchlists: money laundering risk indicators or something else?
7. Financial Intelligence Units or data black holes?
8. The ‘fingers crossed’ approach to money laundering prevention
9. Technology: the solution to all our AML/CFT problems
10. SARs: millions and millions of them
11. Information and intelligence sharing
12. Investigating money laundering
13. Prosecuting money laundering
14. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: confiscation
15. Countering the financing of terrorism: money laundering in reverse
16. National security vs the threat of money laundering
17. Tax avoidance vs tax evasion
18. Corruption: where did all the good apples go?
19. AML/CFT supervision or tick-list observers?
20. Punishing AML/CFT failures or raising government funds?
21. A future landscape
Conclusion: A call to arms
