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Banking

Swiss Banque Pictet pays $123 mln for helping clients evade US taxes

The word "taxes" is seen engraved at the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Swiss private bank Banque Pictet has admitted to helping U.S. taxpayers hide more than $5.6 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, federal prosecutors said on Monday.According to prosecutors, U.S. taxpayers with Pictet accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere evaded about $50.6 million in taxes between...
Cryptocurrency

New crypto front emerges in Israel’s militant financing fight

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A new front has emerged in Israel's fight against the funding of Iran-backed militant groups from Hamas to Hezbollah: A fast-growing crypto network called Tron.Quicker and cheaper than its larger rival Bitcoin, Tron has overtaken its rival as a platform for crypto transfers associated with groups designated as terror organizations by Israel, the United States and other countries, according to interviews with seven financial crime experts and blockchain investigations specialists.A Reuters' analysis of crypto seizures announced by Israeli security services since 2021 reflects the trend,...
Finance

Binance’s Zhao to admit guilt, step down to settle US illicit finance probe

Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance speaks during an event in Athens, Greece, November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Binance chief executive Changpeng Zhao will admit violating U.S. laws as part of a $4 billion settlement resolving a years-long probe into illicit finance breaches at the world's largest crypto exchange, said two sources familiar with the matter.He will also step down and plead guilty to violating criminal U.S. anti-money laundering requirements in a Seattle federal court on Tuesday, the...
Banking

Payments app Zelle begins refunds for imposter scams after Washington pressure

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Banks on the payment app Zelle have begun refunding victims of imposter scams to address consumer protection concerns raised by U.S. lawmakers and the federal consumer watchdog, in a major policy change.The 2,100 financial firms on Zelle, a peer-to-peer network owned by seven banks including JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N), began reversing transfers as of June 30 for customers duped into sending money to scammers claiming to be from a government agency, bank or existing service provider, said Early Warning Services (EWS), the...
Cryptocurrency

Jury in FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial begins deliberations

NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The jury in Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial began deliberations on Thursday following a monthlong trial in which prosecutors accused the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder of stealing billions of dollars of customer funds.Bankman-Fried is poised to learn his fate in Manhattan federal court nearly a year after FTX declared bankruptcy as its customers raced to withdraw their funds in a collapse that shocked cryptocurrency markets and obliterated the 31-year-old's fortune, once estimated by Forbes at $26 billion.Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to two counts of...
Banking

Exclusive: US FDIC is probing former First Republic Bank directors and officers

Nov 1 (Reuters) - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is investigating potential misconduct by executives and board members of First Republic Bank (FRCB.PK), raising the prospect of stiff penalties for the failed bank's former bosses."We can confirm a D&O probe into First Republic is taking place," a spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday, referring to the bank's directors and officers. The regulator did not provide further details.The investigation, which has not previously been reported, is the third the FDIC has opened into bank failures earlier this year which cost the...
Cryptocurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried demanded special privileges for his fund, ex-colleague testifies

NEW YORK, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's college roommate and ex-colleague, Gary Wang, testified on Thursday at the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder's fraud trial that Bankman-Fried told him to give a hedge fund they co-owned special trading privileges on FTX.The special privileges granted to the hedge fund, Alameda Research, included a $65 billion line of credit, several orders of magnitude bigger than the amount other users were able to borrow, he said. Alameda had withdrawn $8 billion from FTX by the time of the exchange's bankruptcy in November 2022,...
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