UK Treasury writes off more than £4BN cash stolen by Covid fraudsters; Opposition MP brands the move ‘outrageous’

Regulatory Watch News

• 

  Asked and Answered: Features and Dynamics of Transnational Organized Crime

  UNODC

  May 28, 2026

  Gangs trafficking drugs and firearms. Online financial sextortion by cybercriminals. Criminal governance by mafias. Fraudsters stealing people’s life savings in industrial scam farms. You have doubtless heard about one of these or other notorious organized crime operations, or perhaps directly felt how their activities affect you, your community or your country. Organized crime groups (OCGs) operate in all environments, from local communities to entire sub-national regions, the high seas and warzones. And across all these geographical areas, they cause wide-ranging harm. But just how far-reaching is the impact of organized crime? Which markets do they work in? How do these groups get so powerful, and what sort of tools do they use? More than 25 years after the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), a new research brief from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) answers these questions on the features and dynamics of transnational organized crime. Find out more below.

• 

  Scam alert related to banks

  HKMA

  May 28, 2026

  The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to the press release issued by the bank listed below relating to fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens, phishing emails or other scams, which has been reported to the HKMA.  Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.  

  Bank	Type of Scam
  Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited	Fraudulent website and phishing emails

   

• 

  OLAF supports major cross-border operation into hazardous waste trafficking network

  OLAF

  May 27, 2026

  The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has played an important role in supporting the operation code-named Coal of the Alps (Carbone delle Alpi), which uncovered a complex cross-border scheme involving systemic circumvention of EU’s waste legislation. The case exposed a sophisticated criminal network active in Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland. It was led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trento, and coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate and in close cooperation with Carabinieri – in particular Nucleo Operativo Ecologico di Trento, other Italian authorities, Europol, Eurojust and national authorities across Member States.