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Tag: Visa

PSR UK

May 24, 2024

Visa and Mastercard Under Regulatory Scrutiny in the UK Over High Merchant Fees

The UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is intensifying its oversight of Visa and Mastercard, aiming to reduce their overwhelming market dominance and address the issue of soaring merchant fees. With both companies controlling 95% of card transactions in the UK, their recent 30% fee hike, unaccompanied by any service improvements, has prompted a regulatory crackdown aimed at restoring transparency and fairness in the market.

May 2, 2024

High-Risk Payments: BlueSnap Settles for $10 Million with FTC Over Fraudulent Payment Processing!

Payment processor BlueSnap, its former CEO Ralph Dangelmaier, and SVP Terry Monteith agreed to a $10 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its role in processing payments for companies engaged in deceptive and fraudulent practices. The settlement mandates significant financial restitution aimed at compensating consumers and a strict prohibition against processing payments for certain high-risk clients.

November 23, 2023

The Misogenic And Exploiting ChampLife Scheme And Its Payment Facilitators!

Research by STRG_F and Y-Kollektiv comprehensively unveils the unsettling realities of the German-run ChampLife scheme. This scheme sinisterly capitalizes on pushing women onto OnlyFans, exploiting them in a disturbingly orchestrated manner. Touted to offer self-discipline and success coaching, ChampLife insidiously entangles its male members in practices of female domination and exploitation, echoing the notorious ideologies of the globally infamous misogynist Andrew Tate.

Crypto

May 26, 2023

U.S. Crypto Exchange Coinbase Signed Cooperation Agreement With Austrian Bitpanda.

The U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase is under pressure in its home market USA. Not only the crypto crash in 2022 but, above all, the legal dispute with the influential U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is putting pressure on the company. Now, the European market, which will be regulated by MiCA in 2024, is increasingly on Coinbase radar. It plans to cooperate with the Austrian crypto player Bitpanda in the European market.

High-risk payment processors

January 14, 2023

Visa Welcomes High-Risk Payment Processor Payabl In Direct Preferred Partner Program!

Cyprus-based high-risk payment processor Payabl has become the latest addition to the Visa Direct Preferred Partner Program, PaymentExpert reports. The membership will provide Payabl access to Visa’s tools to improve real-time payment solutions. There is an intense discussion on Twitter about the payment processor specializing in porn and gambling and its founders, Ruediger Trautmann and Dietmar Knoechelmann. The company recorded a 182% YoY growth with its high-risk merchants.

FinTelegram

August 10, 2022

Mastercard And Discoer May Also Be Sued In The PornHub Court Battle [Video]

In a recent interview by attorney Lauren Tabaksblat, one of the two Brown Rudnick partners leading the case against Visa and the Pornhub operator MindGeek warned Mastercard and Discover that they would be sued as well. In a landslide ruling last week, a U.S. judge said that Visa may have helped Pornhub “monetize child porn.” Since then, Visa and the credit card companies have not been able to escape criticism. They would knowingly and willingly support illegal activities like child porn with their payment services.

August 8, 2022

Cold Case Review: Disgraced Israeli Payment Processor Bruc Bond And Its Binary Options Legacy!

It is a cold case now but still not resolved! Between 2018 and 2020, FinTelegram exposed that a group of Israeli payment processors controlled by Eyal Nachum and his partner Tamir Zoltovsky facilitated binary options and broker scams big style. They worked with entities in Montenegro or the Marshall Islands and with the regulated e-Money Institutions Bruc Bond (previously Moneta International) and International FinTech. In April 2020, the Bank of Lithuania revoked Bruc Bond's EMI license; consequently, the group vanished from Europe, but their scam-facilitating activities remain to be investigated.

July 31, 2022

Groundbreaking Ruling: U.S. Judges Sees Visa As A Facilitator Of Child Porn And Sex Trafficking!

FinTelegram has always argued that payment processors are liable for their clients' crimes if they knowingly and wilfully facilitate them. A U.S.judge ruled Friday that Visa helped Pornhub “monetize child porn” a decision that could have long-lasting implications for credit card networks and payment processors. The court denied Visa’s motion to be dismissed from a lawsuit against Pornhub operator MindGeek. The ruling states that there was enough evidence to show Visa knowingly facilitated the crime by providing tools to complete the crime” of distributing child pornography.

June 9, 2022

FinTech CEO Anne Boden Calls Crypto A Threat To Our Financial System!

Anne Boden, founder and CEO of the Goldman Sachs-backed UK FinTech Starling Bank has doubled down on criticisms of crypto, calling digital currencies a threat to the safety of payment infrastructure. Cryptocurrencies are a threat to the safety of our payment schemes and very dangerous, she said at the Money 20/20 fintech conference in Amsterdam. Starling Bank offers fee-free checking accounts and loans through an app. The firm was last privately valued at $3.1 billion and counts the likes of Goldman and Fidelity as investors.

Fintech

May 3, 2020

The European FinTech Shakeup – Cypriot e-Money Institution iSignthis suspended by Visa

The problems of European FinTechs with regulatory authorities are currently almost endless. Now the Australian iSignthis also seems to have problems with AML. At least its Cyprus-based subsidiary iSignthis eMoney Ltd, an e-Money Institution regulated by the Central Bank of Cypris is currently suspended in the VISA network because of AML problems. Allegedly only a formal error says CEO John Karantzis.

Former Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Charged with Financial Crimes

It was a long-expected move. The powerful former Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has been arrested and charged with embezzling $42 million in public funds, part of a broader $110 million fraud case. His detention comes amid ongoing domestic and international investigations into financial misconduct during his controversial three-decade tenure. In 2022, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) froze assets worth €120 million tied to Salame.

Prosecuted Telegram CEO Durov Challenges Personal Liability for Platform Misuse!

The prosecuted Telegram CEO Pavel Durov argues that holding CEOs personally liable for platform misuse is an outdated practice that threatens innovation. Following his Paris arrest, Durov emphasized that platforms like Telegram must adapt to rapid growth, but outdated liability standards should not stifle progress. His case highlights the ongoing debate about balancing innovation, privacy, and regulation in the tech world.

U.S. Regulator CFTC Lost Court Case Against Kalshi Legal Battle Over Election Bets!

KalshiEx is a U.S.-based prediction market platform that sought to offer trading in derivatives contracts based on the outcomes of Congressional elections, which the CFTC prohibited. KalshiEx challenged the regulator's decision in court and won, opening the door for election-based derivatives markets in the U.S. However, the CFTC is seeking a temporary stay.

Germany: Accomplices in Fraudulent Cyber Trading Platforms Charged by Karlsruhe Prosecutor!

The Baden-Württemberg Cybercrime Center in Germany has announced that it charged three suspects linked to an international fraud scheme that cost over 820 victims more than €5 million. The case marks a significant step in combating organized cyber trading fraud but underscores the growing complexity of such operations that often rely on an international division of labor.

Influencers

Influencers and Financial Crimes: A Short Guideline and a Request for Whistleblower Information!

Recently, the influencer industry has come under increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies worldwide. The case of Turkish influencers Dilan Polat and Engin Polat, facing $30 million money laundering charges and allegations of operating an illegal betting ring, perfectly demonstrates the potential legal risks in this sector. This high-profile case has prompted authorities to investigate hundreds of other influencers for potential financial crimes.