NEWS: EU urged to regulate crypto lending and staking, ECB official says

Regulatory Watch News

• 

  Scam alert related to banks

  HKMA

  May 21, 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 mobile application (App)

   

• 

  AUSTRAC steps in on suspected AML weaknesses at NSW club

  Austrac

  May 21, 2026

  AUSTRAC has ordered Bankstown District Sports Club Ltd to appoint an external auditor amid concerns its anti-money‑laundering (AML) controls may not be strong enough to stop organised crime exploiting poker machines and gambling venues. AUSTRAC Acting CEO Katie Miller said clubs and pubs sit on the frontline of Australia’s fight against money laundering, particularly where large volumes of cash and poker machines are involved. “Poker machines can be exploited by criminals to turn cash into apparently legitimate winnings, especially where controls are weak or warning signs are missed,” Ms Miller said. “In gambling venues, criminals may repeatedly insert cash into poker machines, engage in little or no genuine play, and then cash out – turning illicit cash into funds that appear legitimate. “That’s why it’s critical clubs and pubs understand their risks, have strong controls in place and report suspicious activity.

• 

  Treasury Disrupts Sinaloa Cartel Narco-Terrorist Fentanyl Trafficking Operations

  OFAC

  May 20, 2026

  WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned more than a dozen individuals and entities, comprising two distinct networks, linked to the terrorist Sinaloa Cartel and its fentanyl trafficking activities. Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles (Ojeda Aviles) leads a network involved in laundering the proceeds of fentanyl and other narcotics trafficking activities on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel.  Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas (Gonzalez Penuelas), a fugitive from justice, heads a longstanding organization involved in trafficking illicit drugs into the United States and laundering funds for the Sinaloa Cartel.  The violent Sinaloa Cartel is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) responsible for a significant portion of the illicit fentanyl trafficked into the United States that kills tens of thousands of Americans each year.