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FATF Flags Digital Commerce Abuse in Terror Financing, Calls for Tighter Oversight

The report warns that opaque digital commerce channels have become enablers of terror financing requiring urgent policy reforms.

A flag with the logo of the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, waves in the wind next to the German national falg during a meeting of the task force at the Congress Center in Berlin, Germany.
Pulwama Blast
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Overview

  • The July 8 update details how terrorists procured aluminium powder via Amazon for the 2019 Pulwama attack, illustrating e-commerce risks.
  • Investigators uncovered use of PayPal transfers concealed by VPNs in the 2022 Gorakhnath Temple case to route Rs 669,841 to ISIL operatives.
  • FATF highlights trade-based money laundering on online marketplaces as a method for disguising value transfers within terror networks.
  • The report confirms ongoing state sponsorship threats, citing evidence that several governments provide financial, logistical or training support to extremist groups.
  • It urges member jurisdictions to enhance oversight of e-commerce platforms, fintech payment services and VPN usage to counter emerging terror finance methods.