LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks

Anti-money laundering (AML) systems are important for protecting the global economy. However, conventional rule-based methods rely on domain knowledge, leading to suboptimal accuracy and a lack of scalability. Graph neural networks (GNNs) for digraphs (directed graphs) can be applied to transaction...

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Main Authors: Chung-Hoo Poon, James Kwok, Calvin Chow, Jang-Hyeon Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:AI
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-2688/6/4/69
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author Chung-Hoo Poon
James Kwok
Calvin Chow
Jang-Hyeon Choi
author_facet Chung-Hoo Poon
James Kwok
Calvin Chow
Jang-Hyeon Choi
author_sort Chung-Hoo Poon
collection DOAJ
description Anti-money laundering (AML) systems are important for protecting the global economy. However, conventional rule-based methods rely on domain knowledge, leading to suboptimal accuracy and a lack of scalability. Graph neural networks (GNNs) for digraphs (directed graphs) can be applied to transaction graphs and capture suspicious transactions or accounts. However, most spectral GNNs do not naturally support multi-dimensional edge features, lack interpretability due to edge modifications, and have limited scalability owing to their spectral nature. Conversely, most spatial methods may not capture the money flow well. Therefore, in this work, we propose LineMVGNN (Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Network), a novel spatial method that considers payment and receipt transactions. Specifically, the LineMVGNN model extends a lightweight MVGNN module, which performs two-way message passing between nodes in a transaction graph. Additionally, LineMVGNN incorporates a line graph view of the original transaction graph to enhance the propagation of transaction information. We conduct experiments on two real-world account-based transaction datasets: the Ethereum phishing transaction network dataset and a financial payment transaction dataset from one of our industry partners. The results show that our proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods, reflecting the effectiveness of money laundering detection with line-graph-assisted multi-view graph learning. We also discuss scalability, adversarial robustness, and regulatory considerations of our proposed method.
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spelling doaj-art-e15d6bcee5c64bbfb6c618c0f8a329622025-08-20T02:28:27ZengMDPI AGAI2673-26882025-04-01646910.3390/ai6040069LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural NetworksChung-Hoo Poon0James Kwok1Calvin Chow2Jang-Hyeon Choi3Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, Level 11, Cyberport 2, 100 Cyberport Road, Hong KongDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong KongLogistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, Level 11, Cyberport 2, 100 Cyberport Road, Hong KongLogistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, Level 11, Cyberport 2, 100 Cyberport Road, Hong KongAnti-money laundering (AML) systems are important for protecting the global economy. However, conventional rule-based methods rely on domain knowledge, leading to suboptimal accuracy and a lack of scalability. Graph neural networks (GNNs) for digraphs (directed graphs) can be applied to transaction graphs and capture suspicious transactions or accounts. However, most spectral GNNs do not naturally support multi-dimensional edge features, lack interpretability due to edge modifications, and have limited scalability owing to their spectral nature. Conversely, most spatial methods may not capture the money flow well. Therefore, in this work, we propose LineMVGNN (Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Network), a novel spatial method that considers payment and receipt transactions. Specifically, the LineMVGNN model extends a lightweight MVGNN module, which performs two-way message passing between nodes in a transaction graph. Additionally, LineMVGNN incorporates a line graph view of the original transaction graph to enhance the propagation of transaction information. We conduct experiments on two real-world account-based transaction datasets: the Ethereum phishing transaction network dataset and a financial payment transaction dataset from one of our industry partners. The results show that our proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods, reflecting the effectiveness of money laundering detection with line-graph-assisted multi-view graph learning. We also discuss scalability, adversarial robustness, and regulatory considerations of our proposed method.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-2688/6/4/69graph neural networksanti-money launderingtransaction graphs
spellingShingle Chung-Hoo Poon
James Kwok
Calvin Chow
Jang-Hyeon Choi
LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
AI
graph neural networks
anti-money laundering
transaction graphs
title LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
title_full LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
title_fullStr LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
title_full_unstemmed LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
title_short LineMVGNN: Anti-Money Laundering with Line-Graph-Assisted Multi-View Graph Neural Networks
title_sort linemvgnn anti money laundering with line graph assisted multi view graph neural networks
topic graph neural networks
anti-money laundering
transaction graphs
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-2688/6/4/69
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AT jameskwok linemvgnnantimoneylaunderingwithlinegraphassistedmultiviewgraphneuralnetworks
AT calvinchow linemvgnnantimoneylaunderingwithlinegraphassistedmultiviewgraphneuralnetworks
AT janghyeonchoi linemvgnnantimoneylaunderingwithlinegraphassistedmultiviewgraphneuralnetworks