As a whole, this PhD thesis follows three research lines, namely: (1) the conceptual line - concerns the definition of the money laundering and terrorism financing phenomenon, the processes, mechanisms, stages and instruments of the laundering of illegally obtained fund; (2) the estimative line aimed at measuring the size of money laundering phenomenon, the economic, social and security effects and consequences; (3) the line of an awareness of the need to prevent and fight against the effects arising from money laundering processes, the national and international efforts taken until present nation- and worldwide and the future measures required to diminish the consequences of this scourge.