Cash App’s Barcelona-based business fined for anti-money laundering and terrorist financing failures, while Hindenburg Research shorts owner Block, citing ‘Wild West’ approach to compliance.
Bruno Hernandez, the former CEO of Verse who oversaw its acquisition by Block in 2020, was also fined €75,000 for failing to address the money laundering concerns, “despite the fact that he had been aware of the irregularities committed by the institution for a long time,” the bank said. Hernandez, who left Block in early 2022, hadn’t provided comment at the time of publication.
The Lithuania bank also noted the Cash App subsidiary didn’t have adequate procedures in place to enforce international financial sanctions. Such failures are of particular concern during a time when multiple sanctions have been filed by the U.S., the U.K. and Europe against Russian individuals and entities following the Ukraine invasion. The bank said Cash App’s company would have to address the issues by April 30 and organize an independent audit to ensure changes have been made.
Closer to home, Cash App is being investigated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over concerns it was not adequately responding to users’ complaints about fraud and app usability. After launching the case in August last year, the CFPB claimed Block was “slow-walking” its response to requests for documentation.
Hindenburg’s two-year investigation into Block included claims from former employees who estimated that “40%-75% of accounts they reviewed were fake, involved in fraud, or were additional accounts tied to a single individual.” Amongst the fakes were accounts for Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, many of which appeared to be tied to scams, according to the researchers.
Despite its troubles, Cash App overtook Square to become the biggest part of Block’s business, generating $850 million gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2022. But on Hindenburg’s release this morning, Block’s shares took a dive falling 20% on the New York Stock Exchange.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Welcome to The Block Pro - The Block ProThe Block Pro is our premium portfolio of research, news, and data products that support institutions currently involved with or evaluating opportunities in digital assets.
Read more »
Jack Dorsey’s Block Slammed For Failure To Stop Criminals Abusing Cash AppCash App’s Barcelona-based business fined for anti-money laundering and terrorist financing failures, while Hindenburg Research shorts owner Block, citing ‘Wild West’ approach to compliance.
Read more »
Dutch gov't staff discouraged from apps such as TikTokTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands is moving to stop central government employees having apps including popular video sharing service TikTok installed on their work phones, amid concerns over data security.
Read more »
Dutch gov't staff discouraged from apps such as TikTokThe Netherlands is moving to stop central government employees having apps including popular video sharing service TikTok installed on their work phones, amid concerns over data security.
Read more »
Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron & More Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Using Dating AppsIf you're considering make a connection through the virtual world, look to these stars for inspiration.
Read more »
TikTok’s Chinese Owner Has a Bunch of Other Popular AppsByteDance's products include some *other* apps you might use every day.
Read more »