2020 has been a turbulent year so far, with a continued focus on tackling compliance and mitigating risk in unprecedented times, as the pandemic has created a breeding ground for financial crime and fraud.
As we (mercifully) approach the last quarter of 2020 and kids head back to school, catch up on the latest regulations and technology with this suggested list for reading, podcasts and docuseries provided by Fenergo, which works with compliance officers from 26 of the top 50 banks in the world.
Enjoy!
Books
Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright & Bradley Hope
“Billion Dollar Whale” is an international bestseller, exploring crime on a global scale and revealing how a young social climber from Malaysia pulled off one of the biggest heists in history, using the money to finance elections, purchase luxury real estate and even finance Hollywood films.
Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman’s Ruthless Quest for Global Power by Bradley Hope & Justin Scheck
“Blood and Oil” is a captivating book on the world’s financial underbelly, looking at the inner workings of the royal family of Saudi Arabia, the world’s most powerful ruling clan, and how the struggle for succession produced the charismatic but ruthless Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The authors highlight how his sudden rise coincided with the fraying of the simple bargain that had been at the head of U.S.-Saudi relations for 80+ years: oil in exchange for military protection.
Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction by David Enrich
A WSJ and NYT bestseller, this book eposes the most scandalous bank in the world, revealing its shadowy ties to Donald Trump, Putin’s Russia and Nazi Germany.
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth by Rachel Maddow
A NYT bestseller, “Blowout” is a journey around the globe, revealing the greed and incompetence of Big Oil and Gas along the way and drawing a surprising conclusion about why the Russian government hacked the 2016 U.S. election, accompanied by the author’s trademark black humor.
Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take it Back by Oliver Bullough
This book offers an investigative journalist’s deep dive into the corrupt workings of the world’s kleptocrats. Learn how the institutions of Europe and the United States have become money-laundering operations, attacking the foundations of many of the world’s most stable countries, and how heroic activists around the world are fighting back.
McMafia by Misha Glenny
Inspired by the major BBC series, McMafia is a journey through the new world of international organized crime, from gunrunners in Ukraine to money launderers in Dubai, by way of drug syndicates in Canada and cybercriminals in Brazil.
The Patriot Act by Herbert N. Foerstel
Expertly chosen primary source documents, analytical commentary and comprehensive study resources present Americans grappling directly with complex social and political issues in ways that have had a deep and lasting impact on contemporary society. The docuseries provides insight into the federal government’s rationale for domestic surveillance and the political and public response to the unprecedented federal powers acquired through the USA PATRIOT Act.
Podcasts
The Dark Money Files – Graham Barrow & Ray Blake
A series of podcasts that explain to a non-technical audience how “dark money” enters the financial system and infects everything it touches.
Swindled – A Concerned Citizen
Swindled is an American true crime podcast written and hosted by an anonymous “concerned citizen,” who has never revealed his identity. The scripted series explores the world of white-collar crime, political corruption and corporate greed.
Captivated Audience – Samantha Sheen and Marie Lundberg
This podcast was inspired by the evolving COVID-19 crisis and how associated restrictions have impacted compliance professionals working to prevent financial crime. Reaching out to individuals across the globe, hosts Samantha Sheen and Marie Lundberg look at how people are adjusting to remote working from home while still keeping up efforts to detect, prevent and disrupt financial crime. The topics covered range from governance, KYC and transaction monitoring to cybersecurity and accountability.
Merchants of Menace – Peter Butt
Documentary filmmaker and author Peter Butt discovered chilling new evidence about bankers’ illicit operations at Nugan Hand bank. In the process, he uncovered the new identity and whereabouts of former CIA operative Michael Hand, one of the world’s most elusive corporate fugitives, showcased in this four-part true crime podcast series.
Documentaries/Series
Dirty Money (Netflix)
A Netflix original series documenting various stories about exposing the greed, corruption and crime spreading through the global economy.
13th (Netflix)
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality – titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix)
Stories from survivors, former staff members and a former police chief fuel this four-part documentary examining how convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and power to carry out his abuses.
The Business of Drugs (Netflix)
“The Business of Drugs” is a 2020 American crime documentary web television miniseries in which a former CIA analyst investigates the economics of six illicit substances to understand the origins and true impact of the business of drugs.
