What does a money laundering red flag look like in practice? In Africa and Asia, it isn’t just a checklist item — it’s a luxury car parked where it doesn’t belong, a crypto exchange moving funds without explanation, or a sanctions-linked company winning a contract in plain sight. Drawing on FATF typologies and regional case studies — from Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal to Nigeria’s procurement fraud — this article explores the red flags compliance teams must know. And for those who want the full picture, Anqa’s free A–Z of Red Flags offers a practical companion resource.

Remittances are Nepal’s lifeline — more than a quarter of the economy depends on money sent home by workers abroad. But when the government recently shut down WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, families suddenly found themselves cut off from the very people keeping households afloat. The blackout revealed an uncomfortable truth: remittances aren’t just about money transfers, they depend on communication, trust, and connection. And in today’s Nepal, those threads are under strain.

Fortified walls, watchtowers, and luxury villas: Myanmar’s scam compounds are no longer backroom call centres but entire criminal cities, run by syndicates and militias, protected by the junta, and powered by modern tech like satellite internet. Inside, more than 100,000 trafficked workers are forced to defraud victims worldwide — a system that has become an economic lifeline for Myanmar’s military regime. This blog unpacks the latest research, human testimonies, and compliance lessons from a crisis that is reshaping the global crime economy.

From frozen bank accounts to sudden funding delays, NGOs face growing pressure to prove they can manage financial risks responsibly. This guide breaks down why sanctions and financial compliance matter for NGOs, what regulators actually expect, and how even small organizations can build affordable, proportionate systems that keep aid flowing where it’s needed most.

Global compliance rules aren’t written with small African banks or remittance firms in mind — yet they’re expected to keep up. The challenge is clear: align with international standards on a fraction of the budget. The good news? Africa is showing it can be done. From risk-based approaches to Africa-focused RegTech, local institutions are proving that compliance doesn’t have to break the bank — it can build trust, unlock markets, and drive growth.

Regulatory pressure doesn’t have to mean retreat. When the EU added Kenya, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire to its high-risk list, the headlines focused on risk. But look closer: paired with the FATF’s 2025 guidance on financial inclusion, this is a moment of opportunity. With smarter KYC, digital onboarding, and automated compliance tools, African financial institutions can turn extra scrutiny into competitive advantage — growing their customer base while satisfying global standards.

Tether looks like just another cryptocurrency — but it isn’t. It’s a private digital dollar, designed to always be worth $1, and it has become the world’s most widely used stablecoin. Families use it to send money cheaply across borders. Criminals use it to launder billions. Regulators are waking up, and compliance officers in Africa and Asia need to pay attention: stablecoins are no longer a side issue, they are the new frontline in AML.

Ethiopia faces a critical balancing act: how do you bring millions into the formal financial system while keeping terrorists out? The FATF's latest report reveals that Sub-Saharan Africa has become the global epicenter of terrorism, with Al-Shabaab running sophisticated financial operations that exploit the same gaps keeping legitimate users excluded from banking. But here's the game-changer: new international guidance suggests that financial inclusion might actually be a security tool, not a security risk. This analysis explores how Ethiopia can implement "smart compliance" that serves development goals while blocking terrorist financing—proving that security and inclusion aren't opposing forces, but complementary aspects of a healthy financial system.

Cooperative banks and SACCOs play a vital role in financial inclusion across Africa and Asia — but AML regulations still apply. The good news? You don’t need big-bank budgets or complex systems to stay compliant. This guide shows how smaller institutions can meet their obligations, protect their members, and turn compliance into a growth opportunity.

Across Africa and Asia, regulators are tightening crypto rules — and smaller platforms are feeling the pressure. Whether you’re running a cross-border app, a remittance gateway, or a wallet product with agent networks, this guide walks through what’s changing, what regulators expect, and what you can do to stay compliant and competitive. No fear. No fluff. Just the facts.

Remittance companies are under growing pressure to comply with AML rules — even as margins stay tight and tech resources remain limited. This guide breaks down what firms in Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ethiopia actually need to stay compliant and competitive. From KYC and sanctions screening to risk assessment and audit trails, we walk through what matters — and how to do it without breaking the bank.

Small banks face growing pressure to meet global AML standards — but with limited budgets and lean teams, compliance can feel out of reach. This guide breaks down how institutions across Africa and Asia can stay ahead of KYC and sanctions requirements without expensive software or long-term contracts. Discover how pay-as-you-go compliance tools are helping banks and financial institution build trust, reduce risk, and unlock growth.

Jeffrey Epstein was flagged. Repeatedly. But for years, the money kept moving. Banks filed Suspicious Activity Reports. Compliance officers raised concerns. Yet none of it stopped a predator with powerful clients and opaque wealth. In this post, we unpack how AML systems failed, why Source of Wealth checks matter—and what this case teaches us about real accountability in compliance.

Kenya is taking its first major step toward crypto regulation — starting not with users, but with the owners behind the platforms. Under pressure from the IMF and FATF, the government is moving to shine a light on who’s really running the show. What does this mean for VASPs, fintechs, and the future of digital finance in Kenya? This blog breaks it down.

Around the world, up to 300,000 people are locked inside guarded scam compounds — forced to defraud strangers online while their own freedom is held for ransom. On the other end, millions more lose their savings, trust and dignity to fake romances, bogus investments and ghost companies. This is modern slavery, scaled up for the digital age — and it spreads because dirty money slips through unnoticed. This story shows how good compliance isn’t just policy — it’s protection, rescue and the last line of defence when no one else is watching.

Who really is Alice Guo? In a small Philippine town, a mayor with no past ran a human trafficking hub and pig-butchering scams behind City Hall. Her story shows how shallow checks and local blind spots help dirty money hide in daylight — and why real compliance has to look closer.

Big changes, better outcomes: FATF’s 2025 updates make it clear that smart compliance should bring people in — not shut them out. From updated guidance that helps rural co-ops onboard customers with limited ID, to clearer cross-border payment rules for remittance and mobile money — here’s what’s changing, and how ANQA helps honest businesses stay connected and protected.

Sam Bankman-Fried pitched FTX as a tool for global good. Instead, it became one of the worst compliance failures in financial history. This is the story about image laundering — how charisma, cause marketing, and media hype replaced real oversight. And why strong controls matter, especially for the institutions trying to do things right.

Kenya is charting its path out of the FATF grey list with new anti-money laundering laws that bring real estate agents under regulatory oversight. Following President Ruto's assent to the AML Amendment Bill 2025, property professionals now have clear compliance obligations—and Anqa is offering free training to help them succeed. From POCAMLA requirements to practical due diligence, discover how Kenya's real estate sector is transforming compliance challenges into competitive advantages.

What does a fishing scandal in Namibia have to do with global compliance failures? Everything.

Fishrot isn’t just a corruption case—it’s a masterclass in how money laundering works across borders, how shell companies mask bribes, and how weak oversight enables theft on a national scale. From EU banks to Dubai free zones, the $650 million scheme exposed systemic blind spots in financial crime detection. This is the story of what happens when compliance fails—and why emerging markets need smarter tools to stop it.