GRC Report Staff

OCC’s 2024 Annual Report: The OCC Calls for a Resilient Banking Future

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has unveiled its 2024 annual report, offering a candid look at the federal banking system's challenges and triumphs over the past year. The OCC highlighted vigilance, fairness, and adaptability as essential to maintaining trust and resilience in a sector that’s constantly evolving.

OCC Cracks Down on Bank of America for BSA Deficiencies, Demands Major Fixes

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against Bank of America, marking a significant step in the ongoing battle to ensure financial institutions are doing their part to combat money laundering and uphold sanctions regulations. The move comes after the bank was found to be lacking in several areas of its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-money laundering (AML) requirements.

Medicare Fraud Enforcement: Two Major Settlements Totaling $25.9M Highlight Need for Strict Compliance Oversight

Healthcare providers across the U.S. have just learned a hard lesson about accountability, with two high-profile cases settling for a combined $25.9 million. The Department of Justice’s latest actions spotlight fraudulent billing practices that took advantage of Medicare, the government program designed to help the nation’s elderly and vulnerable. In one case, a pharmacy found itself caught up in the scam of submitting false claims for COVID-19 tests it never shipped. In the other, a network of cardiology practices saw a significant financial hit after overbilling Medicare for diagnostic drugs, some for over a decade.

Independent Health Faces the Music Over Medicare Fraud Allegations

Independent Health Association, along with its affiliate Independent Health Corporation, has agreed to pay up to $98 million to settle allegations of defrauding Medicare. The Buffalo-based Medicare Advantage provider is accused of inflating risk scores—a critical metric in determining payments under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.

FTC Issues Order Requiring Marriott & Starwood to Strengthen Data Security

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that it has issued an order requiring Marriott International, Inc. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide LLC, a subsidiary of Marriott, to implement more robust data security programs.

Deutsche Bank Securities Faces $4 Million Penalty for Delayed Suspicious Activity Report Filings

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., the broker-dealer arm of Deutsche Bank AG, is paying a hefty $4 million civil penalty after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) found that it repeatedly missed the deadline to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). These reports are crucial tools in the fight against financial crime, and Deutsche Bank’s delay in filing them hindered important investigations into possible illicit activities.

Proprietary Trading Firms Scramble to Address DORA’s Demands, AFM Warns

Time is slipping away for proprietary trading firms (PTFs) and other financial institutions preparing to comply with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). With the January 17, 2025, implementation date looming, the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) has issued a candid report that paints a mixed picture of readiness.