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Tag: GNI

November 27, 2022

Quo Vadis, MoneyNetInt? The Latest Update On A Legendary Binary Options Payment Processor!

The FCA-regulated e-money institution MoneyNetInt had its best time during the binary options hype. Most of the binary options scheme providers were Israelis, and, as it turns out, almost all of them were scam schemes. Many of them were clients of MoneyNetInt, such as IC Option, TitanTrade, or the schemes of Uwe Lenhoff and Gal Barak. As of 2017, binary options were banned in most regulatory regimes. Since then, MoneyNetInt's business might not be doing so well either, as their latest figures suggest. Here is an update.

March 23, 2022

Attention! Regulated high-risk payment processor GlobalNetInt is now payswix!

In June 2021, the Lithuanian-Israeli e-Money Institution GlobalNetInt (GNI), related to the FCA-regulated MoneyNetint Group, was penalized by the Bank of Lithuania for its violations of anti-money laundering and terrorist activities financing rules. GNI has to pay €350,000 because it did not properly assess the risk posed by customers and did not always ensure that customer identification remotely complied with legal requirements. GNI has been a notorious scam facilitator and is now doing business as payswix.

November 23, 2021

Bravo! Lithuanian regulator follows FinTelegram and revokes license of Epayblock!

FinTelegram has issued several warnings against the notorious scam and cybercrime facilitator Epayblock, an e-Money Institution regulated by the Bank of Lithuania (BoL). Finally, the regulator announced that it revoked the license of Epayblock due to money laundering issues. The regulator said that it received complaints and information about Epayblock customers potentially using its services for fraud. It initiated the investigation and obtained court permission to apply temporary restrictions on the provision of services to its customers.

June 26, 2021

Lithuanian compliance issue or why GlobalNetInt is grateful for its penalization

A penalty is usually not an occasion for gratitude. That would also make the purpose of a punishment absurd. Usually, one is grateful for a received punishment only if one is aware that one has gotten away well with this punishment and should actually have been punished much worse. A driver who is speeding while massively impaired by alcohol or other drugs certainly grateful is grateful if he is punished by the police only for speeding and not for the offense of driving under the influence (DUI). Similarly, GlobalNetInt (GNI) shows itself grateful for the penalization by the Bank of Lithuania.

June 25, 2021

Bank of Lithuania fines GlobalNetInt for violating money-laundering rules and restricts business

The Lithuanian-Israeli e-Money Institution GlobalNetInt, part of the FCA-regulated MoneyNetint Group, was fined by the Bank of Lithuania for its violations of anti-money laundering and terrorist activities financing rules. GNI has to pay €350,000 because it did not properly assess the risk posed by customers and did not always ensure that customer identification remotely complied with legal requirements. GNI, focused on high-risk clients, does not rely on information from a reliable and independent source when verifying the documents and information on beneficiaries. No surprise here!

June 23, 2021

Lithuanian Compliance Issue – Findiban website switched into maintenance mode

The Lithuanian Liudvikas Kulikauskas is the co-founder, CEO, and shareholder of GlobalNetInt (GNI), an e-Money Institution regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. Additionally, he and his wife Egle Kulikauskiene launched the payment processor Ifind MB d/b/a Findiban, which was apparently positioned as a high-risk payment processor, offering businesses a range of financial services, including SEPA IBAN account, white-label FinTech services, or credit card processing. Currently, the Findiban website is in maintenance mode and hence down.

May 22, 2021

Research Update on Estonian crypto payment processor and scam-facilitator Woodstocks

Over the years, we have learned that public (open) investigations evolve. Typically, after publishing initial reports or Requests 4 Information (R4I), we receive additional information from whistleblowers and victims. With the new information, we continuously update the reports. Therefore, it has often seemed like a mosaic of information for our readers to piece together. We try to avoid this Mosaic Approach in the future. Therefore, here is a new-form update on the licensed Estonian crypto payment processor Woodstocks OÜ d/b/a Coinmond and FMA Crypto.

May 17, 2021

Wirecard, Finolita Unio, and the Lithuanian Connection

In our researches on scam-facilitating payment processors, Finolita Unio UAB, regulated by the Bank of Lithuania with authorization code LB000490, came to our attention only once as a payment facilitator in the GlobalSpotFX scam with the Estonian Woodstock OÜ (report here). The Financial Times reports that Finolita Unio is part of Senjo Group, a former Wirecard partner through which hundreds of millions have flowed and vanished. More than €100M have been processed through its Lithuanian subsidiary.

May 6, 2021

GlobalNetInt CEO launched new financial services venture Findiban

Liudvikas Kulikauskas, founder, CEO, and shareholder of GlobalNetInt UAB (GNI), an e-Money Institution (EMI) regulated by the Bank of Lithuania with authorization code LB000434, has founded a payment processor Ifind MB d/b/a Findiban (www.findiban.com), together with his wife, Egle Kulikauskiene. The company is apparently positioned as a high-risk payment processor, offering businesses a range of financial services, including SEPA IBAN account, white-label FinTech services, or credit card processing.

March 26, 2021

Follow the money – Global Markets scam proceeds laundered via GlobalNetInt

We have recently reported on the GlobalMarkets (a/k/a Glob Markets) broker scam, which has been highly active over the last few years but seems to be disappearing. The scam was operated under various domains by Cubic Services Ltd, Seychelles. Numerous regulators have warned against the scam and the operator since 2019. Despite these public warnings, how could the scam still steal customer funds? If you follow the money trail, you again end up with MoneyNetint Group (MNI) and its GlobalNetInt (GNI) in Lithuania.

March 21, 2021

High-Risk payment processor MoneyNetint goes Brazil with RippleNet

MoneyNetint, the FCA-regulated Israeli e-Money institution around Yishay Trif and Raphael Golan, announced a new payment service for merchants doing business with Brazil. Together with Banco Rendimento in Sao Paulo, a clearing system based on the RippleNet blockchain is to be launched. This is intended to enable payments to Brazilian companies and individuals to be made without friction and at low cost. The system is compatible with the Brazilian instant payment system PIX, MoneyNetint claims in its blog post.

February 4, 2021

Pradexx again! FMA warns against the payment processor’s scam client iTradeFX

FinTelegram readers are not new to our opinion that payment processors are responsible for many scams and damaged victims. Without payment processors knowingly and willingly participating, 99% of the scams would not be possible in the first place. One of these payment processors is the Estonian Pradexx operating with one of those worthless FIU crypto licenses. Today we found Pradexx again as a scam facilitator in iTradeFX, against which the FMA has issued an investor warning.

How U.S. Law Enforcement Infiltrated The International Crypto Scene!

In an unprecedented move, the FBI infiltrated the crypto world with its own token, NexFundAI, to crack down on market manipulation. This case marks a significant shift in crypto enforcement, signaling that law enforcement is evolving its tactics to keep pace with the complexities of the digital asset space. As more fraudsters are exposed, the crackdown on wash trades and pump-and-dump schemes is just beginning.

Breaking: German Co-Founder of Crypto Fraud Scheme USI Tech On The Run!

USI Tech was one of the first MLM schemes to use cryptocurrencies to defraud its investors. FinTelegram has issued several warnings aginst the scheme. Horst Jicha has now gone fugitive, leaving behind a trail of defrauded investors and evading justice in the $150 million USI Tech fraud case. With Jicha on the run, the case serves as a chilling reminder of the risks in the volatile crypto world.

Binance Chief Financial Crime Compliance Officer Denied Bail in Nigerian Case!

Think twice before starting to work for the world's larger crypto exchange. As Binance’s financial crime compliance officer faces money laundering charges in Nigeria, questions mount over the company’s compliance safeguards and the risks involved in its global operations. The denial of bail for Tigran Gambaryan and the ongoing legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the company’s future.

Fintech

Solaris Bleeds Cash and Jobs: Can This High-Risk Fintech Survive, Let Alone IPO?

Solaris, a German fintech and neobank, has a long history of compliance troubles. Moreover, its ongoing financial losses and regulatory woes doubt its long-term profitability, even as it sheds jobs and restructures for survival. A potential IPO, as rumored by the German platform Gründerszene, seems speculative at best in light of its deep-rooted issues with compliance and financial stability.

Breaking: The Binance-Like $3.1 Billion Money Laundering Settlement of TD Bank!

TD Bank, one of North America's largest financial institutions, has been hit with a historic $3.1 billion settlement over money laundering violations. This case represents one of the most significant AML enforcement actions in U.S. history, both in terms of the financial penalties imposed and the severity of the admitted misconduct. Only Binance, with its $4.1 billion settlement, was even larger.