US Left AI Scammers a Loophole with Anonymous Companies

Data scientist Paul Shearer pointed out a loophole in the US: in most states, companies are registered without identity verification, and a FinCEN rule from August 11, 2026, completely exempted US companies from reporting beneficial owners.

Compiled by Sergey KostenchukPublished 2026-09-26Updated 2026-09-26

2026-09-26 Safety

🛡 US Left AI Scammers a Loophole with Anonymous Companies

Paul Shearer analyzed the gap: in most US states, companies are registered without identity verification. On August 11, 2026, FinCEN permanently exempted US companies from reporting beneficial owners.

🌍 Anonymous shells are a checkpoint where AI and ordinary scammers cash out their proceeds: North Korea uses AI forgeries in interviews, and RUSI expects networks of fake companies run by AI agents. Banks don't see who is actually in control — "phoenixing" is once again unpunished.

👤 The fix is cheap: in-person verification of one controlling person (the author believes AI can forge both selfies and documents) and personal liability if a company disappears without paying a court judgment. In the UK, directors have been verified since 2025, and Australia has a director ID.

Source 1: https://shearerp.substack.com/p/the-glaring-ai-fraud-loophole-washington Source 2: https://www.fincen.gov/boi/ifr-qa

Sources