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FinCEN Files
Browse the ICIJ’s complete collection of articles and commentary on the FinCEN Files investigation.
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Sep 20, 2022
‘All journalists should be investigators at heart’
ICIJ member Golden Matonga shares stories of exposing government corruption and doing his part to ensure democracy endures in Malawi.
Sep 20, 2022
New US company owner database ‘taking way too long’ to implement, experts warn
After ICIJ’s FinCEN Files investigation, transparency advocates cheered a new law mandating a beneficial ownership register in the U.S. Two years later, experts are expressing serious concerns.
May 03, 2022
Russia-focused stories from ICIJ’s Pandora Papers partners and more
ICIJ's media partners have used the Pandora Papers, FinCEN Files and Paradise and Panama Papers to uncover numerous secret networks of Russian oligarchs, businesspeople and more.
Apr 29, 2022
As US pledges renewed fight against dirty money, head of financial crime agency says funding shortfalls have caused delays
In testimony, FinCEN's acting chief says ‘outmatched’ team is falling behind on policing cryptocurrency and implementing major anti-money laundering law.
Apr 20, 2022
ICIJ’s guide to Russian wealth hidden offshore
What’s an oligarch? How do sanctions work? What have ICIJ investigations revealed about Vladimir Putin and his money? We answer frequently asked questions about Russia and offshore finance.
Apr 19, 2022
US seeks to seize superyacht linked to Russian oligarch after its surprise arrival in Fiji
The Amadea, believed to be owned by sanctioned gold tycoon Suleiman Kerimov, is the latest target in an international search for luxury vessels linked to close allies of Vladimir Putin.
Apr 11, 2022
An oligarch’s nephew, a tattoo artist and $700 million in secret transfers traced to a Putin ally
A web of shell companies tied to Suleiman Kerimov and a flawed bank warning system point to challenges Western governments face in the hunt for Kremlin-linked money.
Apr 01, 2022
Are oligarchs hiding money in US real estate? Ownership information is a missing link, research says
As lawmakers propose unmasking those purchasing New York property through LLCs, recent analysis finds shortcomings in federal oversight of money laundering in the housing market.
Mar 30, 2022
US budget proposal seeks to modernize FinCEN and sanctions policy
Despite the requested funding boost, some anti-money laundering experts say Joe Biden’s proposal is just a start to many reforms needed at the agency that leads the global fight against dirty money.
Mar 08, 2022
ICIJ announces the Russia Archive, an inside look at the hidden wealth of oligarchs and elites close to Putin
For a decade, ICIJ has revealed the financial secrets of Russia’s most powerful people. Our team is mining millions of leaked files for new revelations.
Mar 04, 2022
UK moves to clamp down on dirty Russian money
Foreign owners of British property will be unmasked by a new bill, while the government has also pledged to push ahead with an overhaul of Companies House.
Mar 02, 2022
How a network of enablers have helped Russia’s oligarchs hide their wealth abroad
Elites close to Vladimir Putin have funneled billions through tax havens to evade scrutiny and oversight. Lawyers, proxies and bankers across the world made it possible.
Feb 07, 2022
US art trade vulnerable to money laundering but reform should wait, Treasury says
A U.S. Treasury study found that shell companies and secrecy put the art industry at risk of financial crimes — but says other reforms are of a higher priority.
Dec 10, 2021
UK must radically reform to cease being haven for kleptocrats, report says
London think tank Chatham House says that professional enablers exploit weaknesses in the country’s anti-money laundering regulations to prop up corruption and authoritarian interests.
Sep 21, 2021
Keeping an ‘eye on the prize’ despite ongoing intimidation over FinCEN Files story
On the first anniversary of the publication of the FinCEN Files, we go behind the scenes with ICIJ member Moussa Aksar, whose reporting on a military procurement scheme in Niger uncovered one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country.
Sep 20, 2021
As reforms sparked by FinCEN Files roll out a year on, key source is behind bars
The global investigation on how trillions in dirty money flows through major banks has been widely credited for key anti-money laundering reforms currently being implemented in the U.S.
Aug 10, 2021
‘A Kleptocrat’s dream’: US real estate a safe haven for billions in dirty money, report says
Based on a review of more than 100 money-laundering cases, a new study finds that the U.S. has become a preferred destination for those looking to stash illicit funds through property.
Jul 23, 2021
Lessons from award-winning FinCEN Files and Luanda Leaks investigations
ICIJ's editors share reflections from behind the scenes of two award-winning investigations.
Jul 16, 2021
EU to propose watchdog to tackle anti-money laundering failures exposed by FinCEN Files
A leaked European Commission draft indicates urgency to harmonize the bloc’s rules to tackle failings that have made the region a center for financial crime.
Jul 07, 2021
How reporting for ICIJ prepared me to become a certified anti-money laundering specialist
Years of complex exposés on the offshore financial system has bred a global army of journalists who know the right questions to ask to investigate dirty money, tax dodging and suspicious transactions.
Jun 11, 2021
FinCEN Files investigation named Pulitzer Prize finalist
The global exposé by ICIJ and BuzzFeed News revealed how a broken U.S.-led enforcement system allows banks to continue to profit from moving trillions in dirty money.
Jun 03, 2021
FinCEN Files source sentenced to six months in prison
Former US Treasury official Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards disclosed financial intelligence documents to BuzzFeed News.
May 10, 2021
Free press advocates call on Niger to reverse ‘disastrous’ fine for FinCEN Files reporter
ICIJ member Moussa Aksar was fined more than $2,100 following a complaint by one of the subjects of his investigation into a military procurement scandal.
Apr 03, 2021
The fight against offshore crime will be a long campaign
On the fifth anniversary of the Panama Papers’ launch, experts say there’s been progress in the fight against dirty money — but much more is needed.
Apr 01, 2021
Five ways Biden could crack down on dirty money and financial secrecy
Riding a wave of anti-money laundering momentum, will the U.S. president from Delaware deliver on his pledges to tackle tax havens and make the wealthy pay more?
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