HSBC coughs up $25m over Australian scam failures Banking HSBC has agreed to cough up just shy of $25m after admitting to failures in protecting customers in Australia from scammers. The Australian arm of Europe’s biggest lender was investigated by the watchdog over alleged “widespread and systematic failures” to shield its customers targeted by fraudsters. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said it [...]
Fraud losses surge as scammers use AI to manipulate victims Personal Finance Fraud losses from people being tricked into transferring money to scammers surged by nearly a fifth last year, as criminals turn to AI to manipulate victims. More than half a billion was stolen in 2025 after artificial intelligence created a “lower barrier for entry” for criminals, according to UK Finance. Criminals managed to trick victims [...]
Government aid ‘worth £28bn’ handed to terrorists, criminals and hostile states Politics Billions of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money has been misspent as government aid and Covid relief funds ended up in the hands of terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs, according to reports. A Cabinet Office dossier, unearthed by the Telegraph, found that more than £28bn ended up in the hands of the Islamic State and [...]
Wise shares plummet as money transfer firm faces fraud investigation June 1, 2026 Shares in money transfer firm Wise have plummeted this morning as the fintech faces an investigation over allegations its accounts have been used for criminal activity. Prosecutors in Belgium opened an investigation last year after discovering Wise accounts had been flagged in hundreds of international criminal requests that spanned over 30 European countries. The transactions [...]
EY coughs up over £100m to settle NMC Health court conflict May 18, 2026 Big Four giant EY is understood to have paid over £100m to settle a High Court claim brought by former FTSE 100 company NMC Health that collapsed during a fraud scandal. Both EY and the healthcare provider reached a confidential agreement in February to settle the claims, which were brought four years ago against EY for [...]
UK ministers tell UK businesses to ‘step up’ cyber defences May 12, 2026 Ministers have announced a new push to force firms to strengthen their cyber defences against AI-powered attacks, as Britain’s cyber industry has swelled to £14.7bn. According to new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) figures, Britain’s cyber sector saw a 11 per cent rise in the past twelve months, while the number of companies [...]
IMF warns AI cyberattacks could trigger global financial crisis May 8, 2026 Evermore sophisticated AI-powered cyberattacks could threaten the stability of the global financial system, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned, as regulators race to contain a new generation of threats. In their new report, the IMF said extreme cyber incidents could spark liquidity pressures and solvency concerns across banks and financial institutions. The lender warned [...]
City calls on tech firms to tackle Britain’s fraud epidemic May 8, 2026 Canada Corporation is calling on tech firms to help build a new digital identity verification network, designed to crack down on fraud and reduce the growing costs of financial scams. Under the plans, shared with City PM, consumers would verify their identity once with a trusted provider before reusing those credentials across [...]
‘Wake-up call’ for UK financial firms as internal control failures drive £1bn fines April 24, 2026 UK financial services firms, which faced £1bn worth of fines since 2021 for internal control failings, should be “seriously concerned”, says the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA). More than half of the 97 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) enforcement cases analysed by CIIA relate to firms “not getting the basics right”, with many linked [...]
UK payments system is deceptively complex March 25, 2026 Beneath every tap of your card is a complex web of payment systems you don't even notice – and we mustn't fall behind, writes Keith Douglas.
