AUSTRAC orders external audit of payment provider Airwallex over suspected compliance failures
Airwallex provides payment and financial infrastructure services to a range of sectors, including gaming-related businesses.
Australia.- The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has ordered an external audit of global payments company Airwallex amid concerns over potential breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws.
AUSTRAC confirmed it has directed Airwallex’s Designated Business Group to appoint an independent auditor to assess whether the company is meeting its obligations under the AML/CTF Act 2006. The audit will focus on the effectiveness of Airwallex’s AML/CTF programme, customer due diligence processes, ongoing monitoring and suspicious matter reporting.
AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said: “We take this action where we suspect serious non-compliance, because we expect businesses to be actively managing their AML/CTF obligations. Strong compliance systems and timely reporting of suspicious activity are essential to disrupting criminal activities and illicit proceeds of crime generated from fraud, scams, illicit tobacco, drug trafficking and payments relating to crimes such as child sexual exploitation.”
Thomas stressed: “As a global payment platform that facilitates the transfer of funds to multiple jurisdictions, AUSTRAC is concerned with Airwallex’s transaction monitoring program has not been attuned to the full range of risks it faces and that the company hasn’t demonstrated an acceptable understanding of who its customers are and what reporting may be required.”
Airwallex provides payment and financial infrastructure services to a range of sectors, including digital commerce and gaming-related businesses.
In November, AUSTRAC urged all reporting entities, including gaming operators, to reassess their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) controls following the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) October 2025 update.
