Back to dictonary

THE KYC DICTIONARY

Financial Crime

Definition

Financial crime refers to illegal acts committed by individuals or organizations that involve the unlawful acquisition, manipulation, or concealment of financial assets for personal or corporate gain. These crimes encompass a broad range of activities that result in financial loss or harm to individuals, businesses, financial institutions, or the economy as a whole. Financial crimes are sophisticated and often involve complex schemes to evade detection and prosecution. Key types of financial crimes include:

  • Money Laundering
    • Counterfeiting and Forgery
    • Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes
  • Terrorism Financing
  • Fraud
  • Tax Evasion
  • Insider Trading
  • Bribery and Corruption
  • Embezzlement
  • Market Manipulatiom

Financial crimes have far-reaching consequences, including financial losses for victims, damage to financial institutions' reputations, and disruptions to economic stability. As such, detecting, preventing, and prosecuting these crimes are critical components of regulatory and law enforcement efforts worldwide. Comprehensive anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) frameworks, robust compliance programs, and international cooperation are essential in combating financial crime effectively.

Related terms

Have more KYC questions?
Avallone is here for you. Connect with one of our KYC professionals who can address your questions, concerns and needs.

STAY UPDATED WITH KYC TRENDS

Related Articles

View all articles

Why KYC is no longer just for regulated companies

For years, Know Your Customer (KYC) processes were considered the domain of regulated financial institutions. But today, that mindset is outdated...

Sep 22, 2025
Read article

Why KYC is no longer just for regulated companies

For years, Know Your Customer (KYC) processes were considered the domain of regulated financial institutions. But today, that mindset is outdated...

Sep 22, 2025
Read article

Why KYC is no longer just for regulated companies

For years, Know Your Customer (KYC) processes were considered the domain of regulated financial institutions. But today, that mindset is outdated...

Sep 22, 2025
Read article

Why are the boring board policies so critical?

A strong policy framework is the most underestimated work a board or leadership team can do...

Why KYC is Essential: Combating the Underlying Crimes in Financial Systems

From money laundering to terrorism financing, KYC processes are designed to verify the identities of clients and understand the nature of the business relationship.

See the Avallone Platform in Action!

Get a demo

What we offer

Avallone’s Products and Services

Whatever your needs, our products and services work together seamlessly - enabling your team to confidently respond to KYC requests, collect information safely and securely from counterparties, maintain data accuracy and escalate concerns effectively.

KYC Responder

Say goodbye to manual handling of incoming KYC requests. Easily save, store and re-use responses to avoid endless duplication.

KYC Collector

Save time collecting and verifying KYC data from counterparties. Streamline screening, compliance and risk scoring in one easy-to-use platform.

Screening

Real-time monitoring for sanctions, PEPs, adverse media and more

KYC Hub

One single source of truth for managing and visualizing legal entity structures and documents across your entire organization.

Managed Services

Hands-on support to relieve your KYC / CDD workload. Our experts work alongside your team to provide scalable support where and when you need it most.

Advisory Services

Trust our expert team with +30 years of financial crime prevention and compliance experience to help define processes, develop frameworks and tackle complex KYC challenges.

Outreach KYC Services

Designed for banks and financial institutions looking to simplify their KYC document collection. Let us take care of the time-consuming communication and follow-up, and elevate the experience for your customers.

Remediation Services

For regulated companies seeking proactive solutions to meet their compliance deadlines. Tap into remediation support to refresh and verify customer profiles quickly and accurately.

KYC 360° Full Suite

Experience the full power of Avallone with every product and service at your fingertips. The most complete way to manage KYC end-to-end.