Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Crime is morphing away from traditional methods to more sophisticated technological approaches. A decline of traditional hierarchical criminal groups and networks will be accompanied by the expansion of a virtual criminal underground made up of individual criminal entrepreneurs. At the same time, forward-looking agencies are equipping themselves with smart technologies to outfox the criminals. Keep up to date with crime changes below.

• [New] By 2026, autonomous agent fleets are projected to saturate manual review processes at scale; a structural asymmetry, since criminal actors can deploy AI without any of the regulatory or explainability constraints that financial institutions face. SOCRadar Cyber Intelligence Inc.
• [New] The expected integration of the Payment Systems Regulator into the FCA is likely to accelerate scrutiny of authorised push-payment (APP) fraud, including screening, transaction-monitoring and reimbursement obligations-cementing financial crime as one of the most active enforcement domains. BCLP - Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner - FCA Enforcement Wa
• [New] In the coming years, new information sharing frameworks and tools will help institutions collaborate with each other to combat financial crime and protect the integrity of the financial system. AML Intelligence
• [New] Under the disrupt strand, a new Online Crime Centre will be launched in April, bringing together specialists from UK policing, the UK Intelligence Community, and private sector partners from financial, telecommunications, technology and cyber industries to drive co-ordinated action against fraud. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] Rising cyber activity linked to the Middle East conflict could expose weaknesses in cyber insurance, particularly where policy wording struggles to separate acts of war from criminal activity. Black Arrow Cyber Consulting
• [New] China will need to augment its global counter-terrorism capabilities and perhaps adopt a more robust force posture. War on the Rocks
• [New] From a counter-terrorism perspective, the strategic conclusion to draw is that, as groups like al-Qaeda attempt to strengthen their organizational and operational capabilities, Chinese personnel and property abroad could become more attractive targets for jihadist groups. War on the Rocks
• [New] Peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers through unhosted wallets represent a growing vulnerability for money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorist financing. Bankeration
• [New] India and Pakistan are likely to maintain heightened alert levels along Kashmir, with potential for sporadic cross-border skirmishes, while the possibility of acts of terrorism escalating tensions and triggering military confrontations, remains. WTW
• [New] Both the U.S. and the Mexican government have been warning about an increased use of drones by criminal organizations. Latin Times
• [New] Parallel to geopolitical threats, London faces an escalating wave of targeted criminal activity directed specifically at wealthy individuals. MSB Protection
• [New] In Serbia, dissidents such as Nikolina Sindjelic, a university student who helped lead protests against government corruption, have been targeted with police violence and image-based sexual abuse, part of a broader pattern of state-sponsored digital harassment to spread fear and silence critics. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• The Trump crypto strategy highlights threats from criminal digital finance networks, privacy tools and future quantum computing risks, signaling tighter oversight of digital asset markets. / USA BingX News
• A person who has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK and received a suspended sentence of 12 months or more will be subject to mandatory refusal or cancellation of leave to enter or remain. GOV.UK
• We now face a significant, decisive, and unprecedented operation, to dismantle the capabilities of the Iranian terrorist regime - capabilities that constitute an ongoing existential threat to the security of the State of Israel. Israel National News
• Iran could resort to extreme measures to retaliate, including terrorism. Fortune
• CBP officials highlight that the proposed US social media travel policy is designed to strengthen border security measures and protect the U.S. from terrorism and other safety threats under Executive Order 14161. Travel And Tour World
• Africa needs coordinated action: strengthened security institutions, accountable governance, interfaith dialog and economic opportunity for vulnerable youth populations and the political will to combat terrorism sincerely and intentionally. Realnews Magazine - A General Interest Magazine in Nige
• Governments and regulatory bodies around the world are taking steps to address the risks of Bitcoin-financed terrorism. Crown
• In areas of intense narco activity, such as in rural Baja California or Jalisco, local people already fear that criminal groups have acquired spyware such as Pegasus and penetrated cell communications systems. Brookings
• Like other criminal groups around the world, they will further embrace the evolving aerial and, eventually, marine drone technology to conduct crime over larger distances and with fewer personnel. Brookings
• At best, troop deployments in Latin America might temporarily suppress violence but do not address the structural drivers of crime, from poverty and inequality to generalized corruption. Foreign Affairs Magazine

Last updated: 21 March 2026