# American Express anti-money laundering regulatory action

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/american-express-anti-money-laundering-regulatory-action
> Updated: 2026-10-09T10:09:24.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

American Express National Bank has agreed to a $350 million consent order following regulatory findings of systemic failures in its anti-money laundering (AML) and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) programs. 

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported that the bank failed to adequately monitor and report approximately $13 billion in suspected trade-based money laundering activity between June 2014 and May 2025. Regulators identified deficiencies such as inadequate staffing, insufficient training, and weak internal controls, noting that the bank neglected risks associated with its credit and charge card products. 

In a concurrent enforcement action, the Federal Reserve barred American Express from retaining individuals involved in the misconduct. The company stated that a portion of the penalty had been previously reserved and does not expect the costs to impact its financial guidance for 2026 or 2027.

## Claims

- The OCC found that American Express National Bank processed approximately $13 billion in suspected trade-based money laundering between June 2014 and May 2025. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- American Express National Bank agreed to a $350 million consent order for failing to maintain an effective Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering program. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The Federal Reserve issued a separate enforcement action barring the retention of individuals linked to the misconduct. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Regulators identified systemic weaknesses in monitoring systems, customer identification, and internal controls. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Some of the suspected transactions involved accounts associated with bank insiders. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- American Express stated that a portion of the penalty was already reserved and will not affect its full-year 2026 or 2027 financial guidance. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-09: American Express fined $350 million for anti-money laundering failures

American Express National Bank will pay $350 million to settle regulatory findings that it failed to monitor $13 billion in suspected money laundering activity over a decade.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/american-express-fined-350-million-for-aml-control-failures

### 2026-09-18: ANA investigates American Express points transfer failures

ANA is investigating an issue where American Express point transfers initiated in August and September 2026 failed to reach the airline's system, leaving miles unprocessed.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ana-investigates-american-express-points-transfer-failures

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Cite as: American Express anti-money laundering regulatory action. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/american-express-anti-money-laundering-regulatory-action