Laundering-As-A-Service (Laas): The Emerging Gig Economy of Financial Crime
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The evolution of illicit finance is increasingly mirroring the dynamics of the legitimate economy, with Laundering-as-a-Service (LaaS) emerging as a scalable, on-demand model for outsourcing money laundering activities. This study presents LaaS as a true structured service industry, operating in the financial crime ecosystem. In this model, specialized, often anonymous vendors offer modular "AML circumvention packages," replicating the logic of legitimate oftware-as-a-Service ( SaaS) models. The clientele is extremely diverse, ranging from organized crime syndicates to individual malicious actors and terrorists. Using a multidisciplinary research methodology that integrates Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT ), blockchain forensics, and law enforcement case studies—including the transnational operation "Destabilise"—we map the operational lifecycle of LaaS. This process is divided into distinct phases: from placement through the creation of fictitious entities and synthetic identities (deepfakes , manipulated biometric data), to complex cross-border stratification employing mixers, tumblers and mule networks , up to integration illicit funds in assets with high liquidity and low risk of devaluation, such as valuable cryptocurrencies, luxury goods, and investments in real estate. The paper analyzes the main drivers of LaaS adoption, including the anonymity offered by cryptocurrencies, the efficiency of illicit dark web marketplaces, and the increasing technological complexity of laundering methods. Its disruptive impact on existing AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism) regulatory and technological frameworks is discussed, highlighting regulatory gaps and investigative challenges. The work concludes by proposing a multi-level contrast strategy based on: 1) proactive intelligence on digital threats, 2) the application of predictive technologies and machine learning to identify anomalous behavioral patterns and 3) a structured international cooperation between investigative agencies, public and private sectors, for a more agile and effective approach to the fight against modern financial crime.
Author: Michele Trifiletti
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7091706433
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: