HSBC has set aside $700m to cover possible fines for money laundering. Walmart is facing new allegations from the US Congress that it too was involved in such practices in Mexico. Since the financial crisis, many US banks, such as Wachovia and Citigroup, have run afoul of laundering rules.
Regulators investigate. Hearings are held. Headlines are generated. Reputations are tarnished. But where is the outrage over the day-to-day money laundering that is much greater in size and scope than the alleged practices by the banks?
The International Monetary Fund has estimated that money laundering worth about $3.5tn occurs each year, roughly the amount spent annually by the US federal government.