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A whistleblower complaint submitted to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit (FinCEN) of the U.S. Treasury Department alleges that payment processors Mastercard and Visa have neglected to prevent their networks from being utilized for the laundering of funds linked to child sexual abuse material and sex trafficking on the platform OnlyFans, as reported by Reuters.
The complaint, filed by a senior expert in financial compliance, contends that these financial giants were aware that their systems facilitated payments for illegal content on OnlyFans, a platform where individuals can receive payment in exchange for posting personal photos and videos. The whistleblower has alleged that the companies were “turning a blind eye to flows of illicit revenue,” according to the report.
FinCEN declined to comment on the submission, stating through CBS MoneyWatch that it does not disclose details about whistleblower program submissions, nor does it confirm the existence of specific investigations.
In response, Visa affirmed to CBS News that it explicitly prohibits illegal activity across its networks and denounces all forms of sexual abuse. The company emphasized its commitment to compliance, stating, “We maintain robust compliance requirements for the financial institutions and merchants who submit transactions to the Visa network. Those unable to comply with our requirements will be terminated from our network.”
Similarly, Mastercard communicated that it upholds a “zero tolerance” policy for illegal activities on its network, adding, “No evidence of current illegal activity has been provided to us.”
As for OnlyFans, the platform did not provide an immediate response to CBS News’ request for comment on the allegations.
According to Reuters, the whistleblower complaint was lodged in January 2023 and was shared with both FinCEN and U.S. Justice and Homeland Security departments. The whistleblower, along with anti-trafficking advocates, had also flagged concerns regarding unlawful content on OnlyFans to Mastercard and Visa back in 2021 and 2022.
In a significant move in 2021, OnlyFans announced plans to restrict sexually explicit content following concerns raised by banking partners and financial transaction handlers. However, this decision was quickly reversed after backlash from creators and users of the platform.
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