Financial crime has become big business. The United Nations estimates that 2%–5% of global GDP is laundering every year. If businesses—all businesses, not just banks—are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem, argues BCG’s Hanjo Seibert. Over the past ten years, half of all fines levied in financial crime cases have been regular businesses. Beyond satisfying their legal obligations, businesses can reap other benefits, such as more intimate knowledge of their customers and suppliers. In other words, compliance is good for business.
