How to strengthen financial crime controls

How to strengthen financial crime controls

Author: CPA Australia August 18, 2026 Duration: 30:41

Financial crime is evolving fast, becoming more sophisticated, cross-border and digitally enabled. 

This episode examines how organisations can move beyond reacting to fraud and take a proactive approach to building controls that anticipate how criminals may attack their systems. 

The discussion is particularly relevant as Australia extends AML/CTF obligations to professions including accountants, lawyers, and real estate professionals. 

Listeners will gain expert insight on: 

  • Why fraud and AML/CTF should be treated as two sides of the same problem 
  • How to test products and processes from a fraudster's perspective 
  • Why continuous surveillance matters after customer onboarding 
  • How banks, regulators and other industries can share intelligence 
  • What shared responsibility means for professional advisers 
  • How AI is being used to detect financial crime and why AI will also increase the threat 
  • Where firms should start when strengthening AML/CTF controls 

Tune in now. 

Host: Elinor Kasapidis, chief of policy standards and external affairs, CPA Australia. 

Guest: Vincent Mok Yau Yee. He is currently a member of the Malaysian Divisional Council of CPA Australia and the group chief risk officer for GXS Bank based in Singapore. 

Learn more about GXS at its website. 

CPA Australia also has information on anti-money laundering reforms as well as guidance for practitioners around AML/CTF. 

Loving this episode? 

Listen to more With Interest episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@CPAaustralia/podcasts 

And don't forget to click subscribe to the channel for a wide range of content that will help your career. 

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting: 

With Interest https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/with-interest  

INTHEBLACK https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/intheblack 

INTHEBLACK Out Loud https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/intheblack-outloud 

Excel Tips https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/excel-tips 

Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Chapters:

00:00 Opening

00:19 Podcast intro AML/CTF, fraud risks and financial crime controls

01:31 Vincent Mok's career journey from CPA to digital bank CRO

04:19 How digital banking is changing the financial crime landscape

05:08 Fighting financial crime: From defensive controls to proactive risk management

07:08 Designing fraud-resistant products and thinking like a fraudster

09:29 Fraud, scam victims, money mules and vulnerable customers

11:22 What effective fraud controls and AML governance look like

15:26 Industry collaboration, intelligence sharing and public-private partnerships

19:00 AML/CTF obligations for accountants, lawyers and professional advisers

23:15 AI, deepfakes and using artificial intelligence to combat financial crime

26:29 Getting started with AML/CTF compliance and shared responsibility

29:19 Key takeaways on fraud prevention, AML controls and digital banking security

30:15 CPA Australia AML/CTF resources and closing remarks


Tune in to With Interest for a clear-eyed look at the forces shaping the world of business and finance. Presented by CPA Australia, this weekly discussion moves beyond the headlines to explore the practical implications of change for accounting professionals, business leaders, and anyone with a stake in the economic landscape. You’ll hear from practitioners and experts who break down complex topics in auditing, taxation, and corporate strategy into actionable insights. The conversations in this podcast are grounded in real-world application, whether the subject is a shift in regulatory frameworks, emerging leadership challenges, or broader economic trends. It’s a resource designed to inform your decisions and deepen your understanding of the professional landscape. For those looking to stay current and think critically about their work, With Interest provides a reliable and engaging audio companion. Each episode serves as a timely update and a catalyst for deeper professional reflection, all delivered with the authority and depth you would expect from CPA Australia.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

With Interest
Podcast Episodes
INTHEBLACK: Private credit - Risks and rewards explained [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:54
Private credit is booming. But do investors fully understand the risks? In this episode, learn the mechanics of private credit, its place within the private capital universe and why it's suddenly everywhere - from retail…
Australia, India and new global trade opportunities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:33
How do you maintain your strategic focus in such a volatile global market? Sanjeev Gandhi, Orica's managing director and CEO, shares his insightful views on this and much more. Gandhi and CPA Australia CEO Chris Freeland…
New AML reforms and what they mean for accountants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:36
All works contained in this podcast are not intended to constitute legal or professional advice and may not reflect the views and opinions of CPA Australia. CPA Australia does not warrant or make representations as to th…
How smart AI integration is reshaping business performance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:29
AI has become one of the most-used business technologies. But delve deeper into the biz tech data and there's another story to be told. In the latest CPA Australia Business Technology Report, 89 per cent of respondents s…
Payday Super explained ahead of 2026 rollout [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:21
Did you know that one of Australia's biggest superannuation reforms in decades is starting in July 2026? Are you prepared for the change? In short, with legislation moving through Parliament, Australia will move from qua…
Digital reporting: Why it's time for Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:08
Australia remains one of the few advanced economies still using PDFs for financial reporting – a format most global markets have already left behind. In this episode, you'll gain expert-led insights on why adopting digit…
Fireside chat with Australia's Auditor General [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:38
In this special episode of With Interest, CPA Australia CEO Chris Freeland sits down with Australia's Auditor General, Dr Caralee McLiesh, for an exclusive fireside chat on public sector challenges. The conversation buil…
Assessing public sector performance management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:38
In this special With Interest episode, you can listen in full to a keynote speech by Australia's Auditor-General, Dr Caralee McLiesh. The speech focuses on performance management in the Commonwealth public sector, drawin…
How the ATO and big business work together [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:53
How does the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) ensure tax fairness when dealing with large corporations. In this episode, the Deputy Commissioner, Public Groups, at the ATO explains how the tax office works to promote tra…
Tax Forum 2025: Geopolitics and global reform [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
In part two of this With Interest conversation, experts David Bradbury, Paul Tilley, Dale Pinto and Jenny Wong discuss the global tax reform debate, unpacking the challenges and opportunities facing Australia. Key takeaw…