FinCEN alerts Money Services Businessesโค to Heightened Risksโ from Illicit Finance
WASHINGTONโค – The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is urging money services businesses (MSBs) to โขincreaseโข vigilance โคagainst suspicious financial โactivity, notablyโ involving individuals posing national security and public safety threats. The alert,โฃ issued November 28, 2025, underscores growing โคconcerns about illicit financial networks and the need โforโ robust anti-money laundering (AML) โpractices.
Under Secretary for โTerrorism โand Financial Intelligenceโ John โK. โHurley emphasized โขthe importance โofโฃ thisโค vigilance, stating, “Money services businesses shoudl be vigilant โin identifying suspicious financialโ activity involving illegal aliens who present important threats to national security andโข public safety.” He added, “At Treasury, we will continue toโค protect the โขAmerican people by โคfaithfully upholding the laws of the โUnited States.”
Theโข warning comes amid escalating concernsโข about sophisticated money laundering operations. Inโ August, FinCEN flagged Chinese money laundering networks as a severe threat, noting their role โin fueling the operations of Mexican drugโ cartels. Theseโฃ networks โare now โขconsidered among the moast significant threats to the U.S. financial system, according to the regulator.
FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki recently highlighted the urgent need to modernize AML and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) โframeworks.Speakingโฃ in September,โข Gackiโ called for streamlining and โmodernizingโข these systems โคto โaddress emerging threats โขfrom cyber criminals and illicit financial networks. She testified before the House โฃSubcommittee on Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance and International Financial Institutions, stating there โis an “urgent need โคto modernize” the AML and โCFT regime to focus on higher-riskโ customers and activities.
