FROM THE EDITOR
JUST SAY NO
It seems that almost everyone in my family was born in September . While I was frantically doing some birthday shopping for multiple family members , I came across a vintage “ just say no ” t-shirt . The echoes of my youth flooded my memories . I remember being taught the “ Just Say No ” campaign in school during the early ‘ 80s and ‘ 90s . This was part of the “ war on drugs ” that was launched by then-U . S . First Lady Nancy Reagan in the 1980s . The war on drugs has been going on for decades and the fight continues . Although the players might have changed ; illegal drugs are still bad for society and especially for the youth and the vulnerable ( or marginalized communities ).
Some say that the “ Just Say No ” campaign did not make a difference among the youth in the U . S . Others argue that the campaign did more harm than good ; however , my memory is different . It made me aware at a young age that illegal drugs are bad and that the best course of action is to “ say no .”
The cover article “ Captagon : A dangerous pill to swallow ” brings awareness to a new player in town , but the sentiment still rings true that it is better to create awareness of the dangers of the drug , and its attendant anti-financial crime ( AFC ) risk , than to ignore the issue altogether . Captagon might be the new kid on the block for some of us , but we should be vigilant about how financial institutions ( FIs ) can look for red flags and stop the financial sourcing of the drug .
The “ just say no ” theme continues in this edition with another cover article that discusses how we can help say no and stop the sexual exploitation of children ( known as CSE , or child sexual exploitation ). “ The importance of collaboration in CSE investigations ” highlights how FIs can fight child exploitation through knowledge sharing , data , technology and collaboration .
The other article that graces the Annual Assembly edition cover is “ Casinos : Responding to new and evolving money laundering risks .” Casinos are continuing to “ just say no ” to money laundering and are preparing for the possible risk of financial crime through the acceptance of cryptocurrencies .
This edition is filled with high-caliber interviews from leaders in the AFC industry . I sat down with Jennifer Shasky Calvery , former Financial Crimes Enforcement Network director and now head of financial crime at HSBC and discussed the importance of global effectiveness through partnerships and leveraging of AI technology . Other interviews of note are the Honorable Rodney E . Hood , from the National Credit Union Administration , who shared his goals for credit unions and his efforts in promoting financial inclusion . We also spoke with Jack Thompson , head of the U . S . Financial Services Business Unit at SAS , about the recent growth in fraud and leveraging new technology in the fight against financial crime . In addition , we caught up with Marbel Guilamo Peña and Heiromy Castro Milanés of Banco de Reservas to speak about their journey in developing sound compliance policies for their financial institution .
A few more articles that promote positive campaigns and initiatives within AFC include “ Financial information sharing partnership in Mexico ,” “ Heath care payments : The challenges and risks ” and “ How trustworthy AI can help with accountability in AML .”
Finally , I would like to congratulate our ACAMS Today Article of the Year award winners and the other ACAMS award recipients .
I look forward to meeting some of you at the Vegas Assembly in October and I hope we will all join the AFC campaign and help others “ just say no ” to any type of financial crime .
Karla Monterrosa-Yancey , CAMS editor-in-chief Follow us on : @ acamstoday
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