More than three-quarters (76%) of Singapore executives expect financial crime risk to rise in 2025, with cybersecurity (68%) and AI-driven crime (61%) as key threats, according to Kroll’s Financial Crime Report 2025.
Financial crime threat posed by cryptocurrencies is a moderate to significant concern for the majority of respondents too.
Yet, only 24% of Singapore executives consider their organisation’s financial crime compliance programmes to be “very effective”.
Most lack confidence in their ability to handle geopolitical risks, with 62% citing gaps in sanctions screening. Nearly two-thirds (64%) also believe their financial crime compliance programmes are not prepared to evaluate threats in their supply chain.
Only 36% say their organisation’s financial crime compliance programme addresses cryptocurrency-related risks, too.
“From cybersecurity threats to geopolitical uncertainty, firms in 2025 are facing an incredibly complex risk environment. The changing nature of risk analysis means that businesses are expected to stay abreast of a variety of risk factors, but this becomes increasingly difficult the faster that illicit actors develop new tricks and tools,” says David Lewis, Kroll’s managing director.
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He continues: “What is measured can be managed, as the saying goes, and our 2025 Financial Crime Report is intended to give compliance and security teams a better measurement of the risks they face today. Firms that can best direct efforts to meet this changing landscape will be the ones that succeed, even as the outlook for financial crime grows more concerning by the year.”
