Trace Following the money through UK finance.

Trace

Following the money through UK finance.

Latest Articles

The Disposable Account: Why Britain's Mule Economy Survives Closure
AML Supervision

The Disposable Account: Why Britain's Mule Economy Survives Closure

Money mule accounts are the infrastructure that turns scam proceeds, sanctions-linked evasion and overseas fraud into accessible funds. UK Finance and Cifas-style data show that closure alone displaces the problem rather than solving it. A more proportionate, intelligence-led response is needed in 2026.
The Paper Border: How False Invoices Move Value Past UK Controls
Corporate Transparency

The Paper Border: How False Invoices Move Value Past UK Controls

Trade-based money laundering moves value through invoices, shipping documents and customs declarations rather than bank transfers. Britain's compliance focus remains fixed on payments, leaving the paper border under-scrutinised. Better cross-agency data sharing could close the gap before the next sanctions-evasion scandal arrives.
The Wall That Money Can Buy: Art, Provenance and Britain's Ownership Blind Spot
Corporate Transparency

The Wall That Money Can Buy: Art, Provenance and Britain's Ownership Blind Spot

HMRC supervises art market participants, but galleries, auction houses and private dealers still operate with uneven beneficial-ownership checks and porous provenance records. This investigation examines how storage, intermediaries and weak ownership transparency allow sanctioned money to buy respectability on British walls, and what a credible 2026 baseline should require.
Token Trouble: Where Britain's Sanctions Net Slips Around Dollar Stablecoins
AML Supervision

Token Trouble: Where Britain's Sanctions Net Slips Around Dollar Stablecoins

Dollar-pegged stablecoins are becoming a preferred rail for sanctioned value, yet UK firms must navigate OFSI guidance, FCA cryptoasset registration and payment rules that were not designed for tokenised dollars. This analysis maps the on-ramp and off-ramp gaps and sets out the red flags that should concern exchanges, payment firms and their supervisors in 2026.
The Economic Crime Levy: A Compliance Tax in Search of a Scorecard
AML Supervision

The Economic Crime Levy: A Compliance Tax in Search of a Scorecard

The UK's Economic Crime Levy is now a fixed cost for regulated firms. But has it strengthened enforcement and deterrence, or simply added another line to the compliance budget? Trace examines where the money goes and proposes concrete metrics for judging the levy's return in 2026 and beyond.
The Ownership Gap at Britain's Freeports: Why Customs Relief Deserves Sanctions Scrutiny
Corporate Transparency

The Ownership Gap at Britain's Freeports: Why Customs Relief Deserves Sanctions Scrutiny

Britain's freeports combine customs reliefs, fragmented oversight, and complex ownership chains. Trace maps the practical red flags for banks, freight forwarders, and compliance teams, and sets out what a 2026 policy response should look like before the next scandal lands.
Who Owns the Club? Football's Long Chain from Offshore Holder to Sanctions Risk
Corporate Transparency

Who Owns the Club? Football's Long Chain from Offshore Holder to Sanctions Risk

English football's ownership tests are not sanctions screening by another name. Offshore holding companies, related-party sponsorship and transfer payments through intermediaries can leave clubs exposed long after a takeover is approved.
The Kiosk at the Back of the Shop: Britain's Unregistered Cash-to-Crypto Circuit
AML Supervision

The Kiosk at the Back of the Shop: Britain's Unregistered Cash-to-Crypto Circuit

Crypto ATMs promise instant cash-to-bitcoin conversion, but the UK's registration regime has not kept pace with the machines appearing in convenience stores and barbers. For compliance teams, the risk is not the technology but the gap between a cash deposit and a customer who has never been properly vetted.
Verified but Not Vetted: What Companies House's First Year of ID Checks Really Changed
Corporate Transparency

Verified but Not Vetted: What Companies House's First Year of ID Checks Really Changed

A year after mandatory identity verification became a condition of UK company formation and directorship, the register is cleaner at the edges but not necessarily harder to abuse. Trace examines the filings, removals and enforcement notices to separate the reform's real gains from its remaining blind spots.
Five Red Flags in the Enabler Economy: Why UK Accountants and Estate Agents Remain AML's Weakest Gatekeepers
AML Supervision

Five Red Flags in the Enabler Economy: Why UK Accountants and Estate Agents Remain AML's Weakest Gatekeepers

HMRC-supervised professional enablers keep surfacing in money-laundering cases because supervision is thin, penalties are cheap and the commercial incentive to ask fewer questions is strong. Trace sets out five red flags compliance teams should treat as live risks in their own counterparties.