Australia’s financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC has launched an investigation into Western Union Financial Services Australia and its U.S.-based parent company over concerns about how they manage money laundering and terrorism financing risks. The probe will examine the company’s anti-money laundering program, transaction monitoring and governance, including whether its systems can identify known laundering typologies and suspicious transactions linked to child sexual exploitation and terrorism financing.
The investigation follows previous regulatory engagement and an external audit ordered in 2025. Western Union operates one of the world’s largest international money transfer networks, including cash-based cross-border payments, a sector considered particularly vulnerable to criminal exploitation. Regulators have identified risks in the sector including fraud, human trafficking, terrorism financing and child sexual exploitation. Western Union has committed to addressing issues raised in the audit.
