Self-styled Monzo 'rival' Viola Money was authorised by the FCA when its founder was under investigation for money laundering linked to the OneCoin scam
thetimes.co.uk/article/firm-l… Viola Money authorised by City regulator in 2018 when Christopher Hamilton, 63, boss of the group that controlled Viola, was the subject of a City of London money laundering inquiry related to OneCoin

As per @JolyonMaugham, the £252.5 million government contract granted to an obscure finance firm to supply face masks to the NHS and care workers appears somewhat curious. Ayanda Capital describes itself as an investment firm focused on currency trading, offshore property, private equity and trade finance.

Senior Wirecard employees among shareholders and directors of opaque network of British companies linked to money laundering and disguised transactions
thetimes.co.uk/edition/busine… Corporate filings reveal two Wirecard staff were shareholders in the entity which set up a network of hundreds of shell companies in Consett, County Durham, which were connected to pornography, gambling and dating websites

How insulated is Wirecard's UK arm from the extraordinary scandal at its German parent?
thetimes.co.uk/article/fears-… Wirecard Card Solutions is a separate legal entity regulated by FCA, with its own board. Last set of accounts (for 2018) show pre-tax profit of £2.5m. Hundreds of millions of client funds is held in segregated accounts with Barclays and Citi. So, all good?

A wrap-up of the support that's available so far for employers (thread)
thetimes.co.uk/edition/busine… Help with staff costs

Thread following my interview with Julian Watts, founder of the @BankSigForgeCam who claims banks are engaged in "persistent, serious organised crime against the public"
thetimes.co.uk/article/banks-… For the last year or so, Mr Watts has been compiling and investigating evidence of alleged signature fraud and document manipulation from his spare bedroom in Guildford. The signature allegations breakdown into three broad categories.