the Banks used the permission of the Central Bank to open accounts for new customers remotely. The opportunity the controller provided to citizens in conditions of a pandemic, for carrying out socially important payments – alimony, pensions, payments on the mortgage… But it doesn’t work: the banks open accounts in the old way.
the Resolution of the Bank of Russia to open accounts for new customers without physical presence in office is valid from April 6 to July 1. It applies to accounts that are opened for receiving or transfer of the child support, pensions, scholarships, insurance payments and mortgage payments. However, as it turned out, adopted hastily and situation the rule is in conflict with applicable anti-money laundering legislation, which prohibits to open accounts without personal presence of the client.
of Course, the Central Bank has promised not to punish banks for involuntary violation. However, as identified verification “MK”, credit organizations are not in a hurry to seize the opportunity. I called the call-center large state-owned Bank:
– I Want to remotely open a Bank account to receive alimony. I’m on the isolation, the Department can’t come.
– unfortunately, unless you are a customer of our Bank, a new account can only be opened in branch with a passport.
Another well-known Bank operating without a branch network was proposed to link the account to the debit card, which will bring home the courier. Without the card account will not open. To apply for the card directly by phone, for this you need to give passport details. Important detail: when you receive a card are asked to present a passport, and it is the same as personal presence.
by the Way, the last Bank said to call the number and series of passport is not necessarily enough name and date of birth, if the “data is in the shared with partners of the system”. It turns out, banks have the passport data of the Russians and infrastructure to work remotely with customers to open new accounts do not use them.
the fact that banks are afraid to violate the anti-laundering law. Penalties for them for breaches serious – up to 1 million rubles. In addition, the regulator may impose restrictions on certain transactions the Bank e.g. account opening, deposits, remittances. The meaning of anti-money laundering restrictions: no customer identification tete-a-tete with the Bank account can open a criminal using other people’s passport data. These risks credit institutions may not need. Pandemic with quarantine there is nothing to change.
“the recommendation of the Central Bank is only a recommendation, not an obligation. The regulator has no right to oblige the banks to do an action than that prescribed in legal acts, – says the expert of the Academy ��of the Board Finance and investments Aleksey Krichevskiy – in addition, banks are in no hurry to implement the recommendation for the remote opening of accounts due to the lack of step by step instructions from the controller. Rules of remote opening is not clearly spelled out, so the fear is to pay millions in fines outweighs the desire to remotely attract some new customers.”
the Game is not worth the candle, says a leading analyst of Forex Optimum Ivan kapustyasky: “the cost of changing regulations, staff training and other expenses for the organization of remote opening of accounts could be greater than the income from operations for these accounts”.
However, lenders have not much to lose from the failure of the recommendations of the Central Bank. Remote account opening is not very popular, experts say. “Potential clients of banks – though individuals, even of legal entities – no understanding of what life would be like in the next few weeks, the PE to mention the more distant horizons. Therefore, they have no reason to open new accounts,” – said Krichevsky.
