PayPal To Pay $7.7M For Violating US Sanctions Against Cuba, Iran, Cuba and Sudan

CBS San Francisco

(Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images)

SAN JOSE (AP) — PayPal Inc. has agreed to pay $7.7 million in a settlement with U.S. regulators, who say the payments company allowed violations of U.S. sanctions against countries including Iran.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control, an agency of the Treasury Department, announced Wednesday the civil settlement with the digital payments processor.

The agency said PayPal, a division of eBay Inc., didn’t adequately screen transactions so it could detect those by people or entities subject to sanctions against Iran, Cuba and Sudan. OFAC says the lapses occurred over several years through 2013.

PayPal, based in San Jose, says in a statement that it voluntarily reported to the agency questionable payments it had processed. The company said it has taken steps to improve compliance, such as real-time scanning of payments.