“Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.”–Oliver Goldsmith Many people in wealthy countries might believe that corruption does not affect them personally, thinking it’s only an issue in developing countries. However, corruption is insidious, weaving its way into all parts of the global financial system, distorting economics, politics and the social fabric. According to the World Economic Forum, “corruption is costing the global economy $3.6 trillion dollars every year.” Imagine what could be done with even a fraction of that money in terms of eliminating poverty, delivering health care, providing education and other vital services. As we all share one planet, when a group of people lack access to necessities, it has ramifications for us all; farmers in Brazil cut down the Amazon to grow food, which exacerbates climate change, wars erupt over access to resources leading to refugee crises, and terrorist activities are catalyzed by inequalities and injustices. The excess of wealth also has significant negative effects; that money buys politicians and other officials, affecting the power structure of that jurisdiction. Geopolitical factors come into play, with changing alliances and influences at stake. Investment plans, business operations and economic flows are all affected, having direct impact on people far away from the original corrupt act. Consider the price escalation of real estate in major cities around the world when all the corrupt funds are laundered. Or, the impacts on democracy by corrupt oligarchs attempting to influence the world order. December 9 is the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres states, “corruption begets more corruption, and fosters a corrosive culture of impunity. The United Nations Convention against Corruption is among our primary tools for advancing the fight. Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its targets also offer a template for action.” United Against Corruption This year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are promoting a global campaign: United Against Corruption. Some of the goals of the Programme are as follows: Strengthen democracy Promote justice Support education Bring prosperity Safeguard development Improve public health Taking action is as simple as adding the #UnitedAgainstCorruption tag to your social media posts. You can also add cover images promoting the campaign to your Facebook or Twitter profile, add logos or videos to your posts, or even create print materials. Get media materials from the United Against Corruption campaign materials page. Trulioo encourages all people to join the good fight and help raise awareness for this vital cause. Like and share this infographic to promote the campaign Solutions AML Watchlist Screening Fortify Your Customer Base Resources Library AML White Papers Navigating the Maze of Financial Services Compliance Requirements View All Compliance Featured Blog Posts Individual Verification (KYC) KYC: 3 Steps to Achieving Know Your Customer Compliance AML AML Compliance Checklist: Best Practices for Anti-Money Laundering Business Verification (KYB) Enhanced Due Diligence Procedures for High-Risk Customers AML Sanctions and PEP Screening: A Critical Step in the KYC Process Identity Verification Proof of Address — Quickly and Accurately Verify Addresses Individual Verification (KYC) Top 10 Questions About Beneficial Ownership for AML/KYC Compliance Business Verification (KYB) How to Verify Legitimate Businesses and Merchants Individual Verification (KYC) Customer Due Diligence Checklist — Five Steps to Improve Your CDD