The Economics of Everyday Things cover image

The Economics of Everyday Things

60. Money Laundering

Aug 19, 2024
Patrick McKenzie, a fraud prevention expert at Stripe, teams up with Kerry Myers, a former F.B.I. special agent and current professor at the University of South Florida, to explore the dark world of money laundering. They reveal how criminals transform dirty money into clean cash and the sophisticated techniques they've devised over the years. The discussion also touches on the evolution of money laundering laws and the impact of digital currencies. Their insights illuminate the challenges faced by law enforcement and the importance of financial regulation.
21:24

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Money laundering comprises three stages: placement, layering, and integration, each complicating the tracking of illicit funds.
  • Modern money laundering methods, including trade-based laundering and shell corporations, have evolved significantly with technological advancements and decreased cash transactions.

Deep dives

Understanding Money Laundering

Money laundering involves the process of making illicitly obtained funds appear legitimate through various techniques. It typically includes three stages: placement, layering, and integration. During placement, illicit cash is introduced into the financial system; layering then obscures the source of the money through complex transactions, and finally, integration establishes the funds as clean by converting them into assets or investments. This intricate process has evolved with technological advancements, as criminals now employ more sophisticated methods beyond the traditional cash-based approaches.

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