Money laundering prevention: The number of suspicious transaction reports received by the FCIS has increased to 102 thousand
Over the past year, the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) received more than 102 thousand. reports on suspicious transactions or transactions (STR reports) from financial institutions, other obliged entities and foreign financial intelligence units (foreign FIUs). This is almost 25 percent more than in 2024.
The largest number of STR reports was submitted by banks (81.6 thousand STR reports), virtual currency operators (VCOs) (more than 13 thousand STR reports, in 2024 – 8.3 thousand) and electronic money and payment institutions (6.1 thousand STR reports). In 2025, the flow of STR reports not only increased, but also was characterized by a greater scope of analytical assessment.
The contribution of other groups of obliged entities was significantly lower: cash remittance companies submitted 898 reports, companies organizing gambling – 466, specialized banks – 226, foreign FIUs – 181, other obliged entities – 134, and other financial institutions – 87.
“The growth in the number of STR reports received is significantly determined by technological progress in the financial sector, constantly improving risk monitoring systems, and increasingly applying automated transaction monitoring and artificial intelligence solutions. These measures allow for more effective identification of suspicious transaction patterns and possible signs of money laundering or fraud,” says Edmundas Jankūnas, Head of the Money Laundering Prevention Board (MLB) of the FCIS.
In 2025, 21,295 reports were assigned to analysts of the MLB Analysis Department for more detailed analysis (in 2024 – 10 026). This shows that not only the total number of STR reports has been growing, but also the volume of more complex cases requiring additional assessment. In 2025, the main analytical workload was concentrated in the sectors of banks, payment and electronic money institutions and virtual currency operators.
Suspended funds in accounts and cash transactions
In 2025, the number of reports received about funds suspended in customer accounts increased to 893 reports, and the total amount of suspended funds reached almost EUR 71 million.
Most of these reports were related to fraud cases or unidentified origin of funds, when customers did not provide financial institutions with the requested documents substantiating the source of funds.
During 2025, the FNTT received almost 1.2 million reports about cash transactions - cash deposits, exchanges and withdrawals. The largest share of these reports was submitted by banks.
The most relevant typologies
It has been observed that for many years, fraud has been the most common criminal activity in cyberspace and accounts for a large proportion of reports received about suspicious financial operations or deals.
Various forms of fraud prevail in the reports – investment or romantic fraud, fraud by e-mail (phishing), telephone (vishing), SMS messages (smishing), online shopping, connecting to e-service providers' websites and purchasing goods or tickets to concerts and other events through advertising platforms or social networks.
With a significant number of virtual asset service providers operating in Lithuania, along with the increasing number of reports of suspicious financial transactions, the use of virtual currency for illegal purposes is also increasing: individuals perform transactions on the dark web with virtual currency addresses that are associated with the distribution of narcotics, child sexual abuse material, payment card data, terrorism financing or other virtual currency addresses that are subject to international sanctions, and transfer large amounts of money without being able to substantiate the origin of the funds.
Another relevant typology is the use of money mules. Money mules are individuals who, usually for a fee, accept and transfer or otherwise transfer illegally obtained funds to the accounts of other individuals. Such individuals may also transfer control of their bank account or access to it to third parties. They may act consciously, understanding the illegality of their actions, but in some cases they are included in the schemes without realizing that their accounts are being used for criminal activities.
The use of shell companies is also monitored. The operation of shell companies is closely related to transit payments and accounts. A shell company exists legally, but does not have real or significant economic activity, employees, or material resources. Such companies are often established for illegal purposes - fraud, tax evasion, sanctions avoidance, asset concealment, or other criminal schemes.
These and other typologies reflect the most relevant models of money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes faced by financial institutions, other obligated entities, and law enforcement agencies.
The detailed 2025 activity report of the FCIS Money Laundering Prevention Board can be found here.