The fight against financial crime starts with 100% accountability.
By Monika Liikamaa & Denise Johansson, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Enfuce.
When we think about financial crime, most of us don’t see it as something that touches our everyday lives. We don’t stop to consider that something as ordinary as tapping a card could end up fuelling organised crime. But it can, and, far too often, it does.
Human trafficking is now a £400 billion industry. Up to two trillion dollars are laundered through the global economy every year. Card fraud is up 200% since 2021. These are not just big scary numbers, they represent real consequences and real people.
And while financial crime plays out in front of us, too many financial institutions are still doing the bare minimum, clinging to compliance checklists, ticking a few regulatory boxes and hoping that passing an audit is enough. But it isn’t. It never was.
The truth is, “minimum compliance” isn’t just falling short, it’s causing devastating harm and we can no longer accept it. That’s why, as part of our work with the UN Global Compact programme and in support of SDG 16, we launched the Fortitude Pledge — our promise to eliminate 100% of financial crime risks, from human trafficking and money laundering to terrorist financing, in every single transaction we process. An industry-first pledge unlike anything before.
Because anything less than 100% commitment means we’re still letting the unacceptable happen. And that’s a compromise we won’t accept. Not when human dignity and integrity are on the line.
Why now?
Because we need to talk about the human cost of fraud.
Ask anyone what fraud means to them, and they’ll probably think about losing money—maybe worrying about whether or not the bank will reimburse them. But few ever ask: Where is that stolen money going?
Every euro has a destination. Every transaction has the power to either stop or support criminal activity. And right now, too many are still fuelling human trafficking, terrorist financing, and organised crime. That’s the brutal reality.
What’s scary is that most people don’t know this. Our survey with Censuswide showed that more than half of UK adults don’t realise card payments, not just cash, can end up supporting criminal networks. Among young adults aged 25 to 34, the digital generation, 70% still believe this myth.
That’s why we are proud to be the first financial institution to focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 16, which aims to reduce violent crime, trafficking, and corruption while also raising awareness on the human impact of financial crime.
Minimum standards deliver minimum impact. We’re aiming higher.
Financial crime isn’t standing still, it’s getting smarter, faster and more scalable than ever before. Powered by AI and driven by global networks, today’s fraudsters are exploiting every weakness in our payment systems.
And the reality is, meeting regulatory standards isn’t enough when the stakes are this high. In our survey with Censuswide 63% of UK consumers believe banks should go beyond existing regulations to stop money from fuelling crime.This is a clear signal that the public no longer trusts “compliance” alone to keep them, or society, safe.
And yet, too many organisations are still stuck in checkbox mode, treating compliance like the finish line, not the starting point. Here’s the truth: compliance alone might help you pass an audit, but it won’t protect the most vulnerable in our society.
What we’re doing about it.
The Fortitude Pledge is our line in the sand. A bold first-of-its-kind commitment to eliminating 100% of financial crime risk across all Enfuce-processed card transactions. Not most. Not some. All.
We’re committing to:
- Screening 100% of transactions
- Flagging 100% of high-risk activity
- Blocking 100% of prohibited transactions
- Reporting 100% of suspicious activity
- Training 100% of our employees in AML and CTF best practices
This isn’t about meeting the standard. It’s about setting a new one, one that goes beyond regulation and beyond expectations. Because behind every fraudulent transaction is a real-world consequence. And we refuse to look the other way.
We’re not just raising the bar. We’re asking others to join us.
This is bigger than Enfuce. We’re calling on banks, fintechs, regulators, and partners to join the Fortitude Pledge. To help raise the bar and set a new industry standard that puts people first. Because the bar for compliance is too low, and it’s failing the people it should protect.
And yes, we know this won’t be easy. Compliance is still wrapped in fear: fear of getting it wrong, fear of being called out. So companies stay quiet, trying to perfect things behind the scenes.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t about perfection. It’s about accountability. About showing up and doing better together to build a financial system that protects, empowers, and creates a safer world for all.
We’re not just raising the bar. We’re asking others to join us.
We’re not naïve, eliminating financial crime won’t happen overnight. But if we wait for someone else to lead, we’ll lose the fight before we even begin.
So we’re starting now. With bold intent and zero excuses. And we’re inviting everyone to do the same.
Because the only way to stop financial crime for good is through 100% commitment. Anything less? That’s just enabling the problem.
We’re drawing the line. Will you stand on the right side of it?
