Tag: Payone

A cross-border investigation by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network and 21 media outlets alleges that French payments giant Worldline knowingly processed billions in illicit transactions for porn, gambling, and outright scams. The revelations—codename “Dirty Payments”—triggered a one-day share-price collapse of more than 40 %, erased ≈ €5 bn in market value, and opened the door to multi-jurisdictional enforcement.

Germany’s financial watchdog, BaFin, has identified serious money laundering prevention deficiencies at PAYONE GmbH, a German EMI backed by Worldline and the DWS Group. Following special audits, regulators found systemic failures in AML controls, IT systems, and outsourcing processes. In response, BaFin has twice ordered increased capital requirements—first in October 2024 and again in January 2025.

On July 26, 2023, the German regulator BaFin prohibited Payone from conducting transactions for certain business customers belonging to the high-risk portfolio due to high money laundering risks and serious deficits in money laundering prevention. BaFin has also ordered a ban on new customers in this area to prevent the e-money institution from being misused for money laundering.