The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued a new advisory aimed at helping financial institutions identify and report activities linked to the financing of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This advisory explains how ISIS and its global affiliates sustain themselves financially through international support and outlines the methods they use to transfer money among affiliates. Additionally, the advisory lists red flags that may help financial institutions detect suspicious activities related to ISIS financing.
"The threat from ISIS has evolved and changed over time, but its malicious intentions against the United States, its interests, and its allies have remained consistent," said Andrea Gacki, Director of FinCEN. She added, "As the terrorist organization looks for ways to take advantage of instability in Syria and elsewhere to grow and resurge, we look to financial institutions to remain vigilant in identifying ISIS funding streams and protecting the U.S. financial system from terrorist financing."
ISIS is recognized as a Sunni terrorist organization with a history of conducting and inspiring terrorist attacks globally over the past decade. Notable incidents such as last year's attacks in Iran and Moscow by ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), along with a 2025 New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans by an ISIS-inspired homegrown violent extremist, emphasize the ongoing threat and influence of ISIS, underlining the need for continued vigilance both domestically and internationally.
This advisory forms part of a long-standing effort by the Treasury, in collaboration with U.S. government agencies and international partners, to disrupt and eliminate ISIS’s financial networks. It aligns with existing National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Priorities, which include addressing terrorist financing, as well as the 2024 National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment by the Treasury.
For further information on this advisory, questions can be directed to the FinCEN Regulatory Support Section through their website. The full alert can be accessed online with the identifier FIN-2025-A001.
