ACAMS Launches AFC Training Tool to Fight Online Child Exploitation
The certificate program, supported by the FAST Initiative and UNU-CPR, will train compliance professionals and law enforcement investigators on the nexus between online child exploitation, cryptoassets, and the formal financial sector
WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To help prevent the criminal abuse of children, ACAMS has launched a new social-impact training certificate for anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals seeking to fight online child exploitation (OCSE) with compliance controls and blockchain analytics. The free-of-charge Preventing Online Child Exploitation with Financial Intelligence: An Overview certificate program is designed to support AFC analysts and criminal investigators in using cryptoasset and compliance data to identify and track the billions of dollars in illicit proceeds generated from child abuse materials. The project is supported by the Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking (FAST) Initiative, at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR).
Co-authored by Tiffany Polyak of ACAMS and AFC expert Jonathan Dupont, the certificate’s online training course offers a comprehensive overview of how OCSE schemes operate and how data derived from open-source and blockchain intelligence techniques can be used to enhance investigations into suspected instances of child exploitation. Participants in the program will also learn a wide range of contextual knowledge, including the potential abuses of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, common behavioral red flags of perpetrators, and real-life case studies of OCSE proceeds passing through banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other financial institutions.
“Online child exploitation has become a lucrative business for criminals around the world, but we can put a stop to it tomorrow if financial institutions and law enforcement have the knowledge and skillset to follow the money,” said FAST Project Director Daniel Thelesklaf. “By raising awareness through training and collaborating with organizations across the public and private sectors, financial institutions can play a critical role in protecting the most vulnerable among us: our children.”
“As society has gravitated more and more toward the Internet and online payments, the selling and production of materials exploiting children have risen at a startling rate,” said ACAMS CEO Scott Liles. “Reports of suspected child exploitation rose 35 percent in 2021alone compared to the previous year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.”
“This new certificate marks a first step toward addressing the crisis with the use of financial intelligence and the analytic tools already in place at institutions around the world,” he said. “Whether you’re a compliance professional or a law-enforcement investigator, the OCSE program will empower you to take a stand against child predators.”
To successfully obtain their certificates, participants in the OCSE program must complete two hours of self-paced coursework and finish a 10-question final assessment with a score of 80% or higher.
Register for the Preventing Online Child Exploitation with Financial Intelligence: An Overview certificate program here: http://www.acams.org/en/training/certificates/preventing-online-child-exploitation-with-financial-intelligence-an-overview?utm_source=Press+Release&utm_medium=Release&utm_campaign=OCSE+PR
To find out about other free ACAMS social-impact training programs, visit our website here: http://www.acams.org/en/training/acams-social-impact-certificates
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About Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking (FAST)
Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking was launched in September 2019 at the United Nations General Assembly as a project of United Nations University Centre for Policy Research in New York. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership including the Governments of Liechtenstein, Australia, the Netherlands and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation as well as private sector and charitable groups. United Nations University Centre for Policy Research is an independent UN think tank advancing innovative solutions to global public policy challenges. Visit cpr.unu.edu for more information.
About ACAMS®
ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime (AFC) education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 100,000 members across 180 jurisdictions, ACAMS is committed to the mission of ending financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold- standard qualification for AFC professionals, while the CGSS certification is its premier specialist qualification for sanctions professionals. ACAMS’ 60 Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.
CONTACT: Lashvinder Kaur ACAMS +44 7388 264478 lkaur@acams.org
