Analyzing the FinCEN Files with Neo4j

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has exposed a vast network of industrial-scale money laundering through Western banks, with the help of Neo4j graph database technology. The FinCEN Files investigation reveals how money launderers move dirty money, involving drug cartels, corrupt regimes, and arms trafficking. Using Neo4j Bloom graph data visualization and exploration tool, journalists built a knowledge graph to explore over 400 spreadsheets containing data on 100,000 transactions, piecing together a nuanced picture of a broken system. The investigation draws from more than 2,100 suspicious activity reports, accounting for $2 trillion in dirty money. The FinCEN Files follow other breakthrough reporting and Pulitzer-Prize winning investigations by the ICIJ, such as the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers. The use of graph technology enabled the journalists to store, query, explore, and analyze the connections in their data, revealing dark secrets that were previously unknown.