The FATF full form is Financial Action Task Force. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the international watchdog on money laundering and terrorism financing. The intergovernmental group establishes international standards with the goal of preventing illicit actions and the societal harm they inflict.
F = Financial
A = Action
T = Task
F = Force
The FATF, as a policy-making agency, aims to build the political will needed to implement national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.
More than 200 governments and jurisdictions have committed to putting them in place. The FATF Recommendations, also known as FATF Standards, ensure a coordinated global response to fight organized crime, corruption, and terrorism. They assist police in pursuing the assets of criminals involved in illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other crimes. The FATF also strives to prevent weapons of mass devastation from being funded.
The FATF examines money laundering and terrorist funding strategies and updates its guidelines as needed to handle emerging threats, such as the regulation of virtual assets, which has grown in popularity as cryptocurrencies have grown in popularity. The FATF monitors countries to verify that they are fully and effectively implementing the FATF Standards, and holds those who do not comply accountable.