Faced with the rise of cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and decentralized finance, Morocco is strengthening its vigilance against the risks of financial crime. These emerging technologies complicate the traceability of illicit flows, pushing the kingdom to adapt its control mechanisms and its regulation to current threats.
Despite a cybersecurity strategy deemed rigorous, Morocco has recently been targeted by a large -scale cyber attack, highlighting the pressing need to strengthen prevention devices, especially against illegal financial circuits.
The kingdom is among the so -called “attentive” countries in the fight against financial crime, according to the 2025 edition of the world Economic and Financial Crime Index, published by the Consulting Consulting Consulting, specializing in risk management. This ranking is based on three major pillars: the fight against money laundering, corruption and organized criminal activities. Out of 177 countries evaluated, Morocco positioned itself in 75ᵉ place with a note of 2.14. This score reflects an assessment of the evolution of its regulatory framework and its level of compliance.
Countries qualified as “attentive” in this report are those which, although elevated in the fight against financial crime, still have to adjust their policies to strengthen its impact. These states have moderate exposure to risks, participate in global efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and apply regulations, sometimes partially.
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Among the 64 countries in this category are economic powers such as the United States, France, Spain and Japan, with scores ranging from 1.54 to 2.18. These nations set up robust policies, while regularly updating their devices to deal with the evolution of threats.
-Some major financial centers are also classified in this group, due to their increased vulnerability to questionable financial flows, which requires a constant adaptation of the rules and control systems. The authors of the report insist on the need for rigorous internal governance, supported by regular audits, to guarantee effective risk management in a world increasingly influenced by emerging technologies.
Risk management professionals find that threats are constantly evolving, continuously weakening the stability of the global financial system. Silver money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption and fraud remain major issues, difficult to eradicate and constantly changing.
The rapid development of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance, artificial intelligence and machine learning makes the fight against financial crime even more complex, by introducing both unpublished operating modes and technological tools increasingly difficult to detect and master. In addition, the disparities observed in the scores highlight the extent of the challenges. Few countries reach an optimal level of transparency and financial supervision.
Countries designated as “transparent titans” embody models in terms of governance, offering exemplary practices to follow. Those classified as “vigilant actors” must intensify their efforts, in particular by strengthening their collaboration and sharing their tools and expertise.
As for “reactive reformers”, they are called upon to invest in the reform of their legal framework and to improve the capacity to apply the law. Finally, the “lagging countries” require increased international support, in particular to fight against structural corruption and dismantle clandestine financial networks. According to forecasts from the “Global Financial and Economic Crime Outlook 2025” report, illicit financial flows could reach between 4,500 and 6,000 billion dollars by 2030.
