Can Sberbank block a transfer. Suspicions of illegal use of a plastic card

Non-cash transactions with money are increasingly replacing cash. Payment by bank transfer is easier, more convenient and faster. Another plus is the ability to transfer money to another person, wherever he is. At the same time, recent practice shows that by sending a transfer (especially for a large amount) to your friend or relative, an unpleasant surprise may await you - the receiving bank may easily refuse to withdraw funds.

Recall that the site reported on a precedent when Sberbank refused to cash out a cash deposit of its client due to the inability to confirm the origin of four million rubles. The side of the bank was taken by the Supreme Court for Civil Disputes, supporting Sberbank in a dispute about the refusal to give cash to the client after the expiration of the deposit. The reason for the refusal to issue funds was the bank's suspicions that the depositor was trying to legalize income in this way. In 2015, 56 million rubles were received into the account of one of Sberbank's clients, and he tried to cash them out the next day. However, the credit institution considered this transaction suspicious and requested documents that could confirm the origin of the money. After studying them, Sberbank decided to refuse to cash out funds.

After that, the owner of the money transferred them to several term deposits opened with Sberbank, but upon completion of their terms, the bank again refused to issue funds to him. As a result, the client went to court, demanding the return of not only deposits with interest, but also to recover a penalty from the credit institution. However, the courts of all instances took the side of Sberbank, noting that the client did not submit documents refuting the dubious origin of the money, and could also, if desired, transfer to an account with another credit institution.

Commenting on their decision, the panel of the Supreme Court noted that the bank is not obliged to issue funds in the form in which they were requested by the client, but can choose cash or cashless payments.

According to some experts, such decisions can lead to the fact that citizens will return to savings under the mattress and pay "cash". Then no one will have to explain anything and prove the origin of their own money.

Sberbank has a fully automatic system for recording and controlling transactions made by its clients, some analysts say, noting that if earlier the system was “manually controlled” and could not fully control all movements of the bank’s clients’ funds, it mainly controlled amounts over 300,000 rubles, now absolutely everything is controlled. The algorithm does not care, it is limited only by the production capacity of the system. “Episodes have already begun with bank refusals to issue cash amounts transferred to customers without documentary confirmation of the origin and purpose of the transfer, and soon this process will surely become massive” - such predictions are made in the vast blogosphere. the site turned to Sberbank for clarification:

“Indeed, automated systems are used to identify transactions, but the analysis of such transactions in Sberbank is carried out by an employee - we analyze it individually to minimize situations where a bona fide client may suffer,” the press service of Sberbank commented on this information, noting that banks are required to conduct an analysis transactions performed by clients, according to the criteria established by the Bank of Russia.

As experts explained, if transactions are made on your card that may differ from the standard behavior of the cardholder, the card may be blocked. In this case, the holder will be sent a message asking for supporting documents or explanations. After that, the bank will decide on the possibility of unlocking the card. The term for consideration by the bank of the documents submitted by the client is up to 5 days.

At the same time, sums of money cannot burn - such information is not true and contradicts the basic principles of banking, the press service of Sberbank explained:

“The client's account is not blocked, only remote access to the account is blocked, i.e. you cannot use a bank card and Sberbank Online to make transactions. When contacting an additional office of the bank, the client can give an order, which will be executed if the Bank has no doubts about this operation.”

At the same time, if the bank refuses to perform transactions twice, the client will be asked to terminate the agreement with the bank. In this case, the funds can be sent to the client's own account in another bank specified by the client.

The Sberbank system, like any other bank in Russia, analyzes customer money transfers, checking for suspicious transactions (Federal Law No. 115). That is, all operations on non-cash transfers with further cashing out of funds, which may turn out to be illegal, are necessarily monitored. As a result, Sberbank blocks individuals' cards for making illegal transfers, as well as other accounts associated, for example, with extremist and other types of prohibited activities.

In 2019, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service puts violators on a special list. Banking organizations are prohibited from working with individuals included in this list. At the same time, the base of illegal clients continues to expand.

Having discovered suspicious transactions, Sberbank usually chooses one of the following actions:

customer cards are blocked;
the bank imposes a ban on the debit account, as well as on the issue/reissue of a blocked card;
refuses to transfer funds and issue cash;
closes access to the Sberbank Online application.

For example, if money was transferred to the client’s card for the sale of a car or a large debt was returned, then the card may already be blocked. In order to get access to the funds again, it is necessary to prove, based on official documents, that the money was obtained legally.

The bank can notify the client in advance by sending an SMS, an email or a phone call from an employee - the user is informed about a possible blocking. At the same time, he is often asked for papers and information that speaks in favor of the legality of the origin of funds. These messages indicate the terms for consideration of papers, as well as when the card and mobile bank of operations will be unblocked. There is an opinion that if it is not possible to confirm the transparency of the transfer, then the amount burns out. These processes are supposedly carried out according to the standard algorithm by the bank's robots.

As the press service of Sberbank explained, “funds cannot burn out, as this contradicts the basics of banking. Sberbank blocks dubious transfers only for remote access, but not the account itself. If the transaction is denied twice, the client is invited to terminate the contract. In this case, funds can be transferred to the user's personal account in another bank.

New technologies for analysis

Previously, screening out violators was not automatic: transaction processing and decision-making on blocking fell on the shoulders of the operator. Although the requirements for why to block the transfer were simpler, because there were not enough human resources to verify all transactions. Now it has become possible to analyze millions of operations according to the scheme of intellectual selection, with the help of specialized computer programs.

According to representatives of Sberbank, the system has been installed, is working effectively, and will not slow down. The analyzer studies the client's income, partners with whom mutual settlements were most often made, and other relevant information, and only after that Sberbank can block a suspicious card. At the same time, according to statistics, the error of such systems is only 10%.

How to avoid blocking

Consider three common reasons why Sberbank blocks individuals' cards.

Counteraction to money laundering and sponsoring of terrorism (banks, as a rule, pay attention to transactions in the amount of more than 600 thousand rubles). Here it is better not to contact dubious sources, for example, in the form of anonymous wallets, since Sberbank can block the card on suspicion of fraud and various frauds.
The card is blocked for the safety of the client. Requests for access from abroad or, conversely, payment for the services of a foreign company can lead to blocking money on a Sberbank card. In the first case, you need to warn the bank in advance about going abroad, in the second case, call and confirm the transaction.
Control of undeclared income. At the request of the bank, it is necessary to provide documentary evidence of the source of funds. Inquiries are considered 2-5 days. A negative decision is possible if the securities do not fully justify the economic meaning of the operation.

If the necessary documents were sent, but Sberbank did not approve them, then nothing can be done within the framework of this institution. You can only try to issue a card again after a while; the bank sometimes reconsiders its decision.

In 2015, 56 million rubles were received on the Sberbank client card. The user tried to cash them out the next day. The company regarded the operation as a possible fraud and demanded supporting papers. Having studied them, the employees blocked the Sberbank card. Then the owner of the money redirected them to time deposits, but, for the transfer of money, the bank again refused to cash out the funds. After that, the user went to court, but the courts of all instances were on the side of Sberbank. In this case, the user needed to refute the dubious origin of the money, but the documents presented were not enough. Money could also be transferred to a third-party bank account.

Preparation of documents

There is no exact list of documents here. The main thing is that in a particular case, the papers confirm the legality of the extraction of funds and the financial meaning of the operations. These can be invoices for the purchase of services and goods, pay slips, IOUs, contracts for the sale, loan, lease, etc., certificates from the tax service, statements of accounts from other banking institutions, etc.

When requesting the necessary information, the bank indicates how to send it. The method of transmission and the address of the recipient are noted in the request. For example, the bank may ask you to send scanned copies of papers to e-mail, send copies by regular mail or bring them to the place where the cards are issued.

To send by mail, it is better to choose the PDF format, while it is considered that the file size should not exceed 12 MB. If it is larger, then you can send several letters. It is recommended to use regular mail only as a last resort, as the letter may not arrive on time. If the required documents are not available, then the bank should be notified in the manner proposed in the request.

Thus, transferring money from card to card for apartment renovation or other services becomes irrelevant. All transfers are monitored, and you have to answer for illegal actions. It is also not recommended to withdraw large amounts if there is no documentary evidence of the legality of their receipt.

In social networks, messages began to spread with renewed vigor that the credit institution was going on a “crusade” on customers. Users send each other information, which refers to the tightening of rules for transferring money between individuals. But you can't believe it.

Anonymous authors claim that there are supposedly checks on accepting money for commercial activities. calls those who transfer funds. Revisions end both for those who translated and for those who received funds. This is followed by fines and questions from the tax service.

Information attack lasting a year

It is useless to warn people, anyone will simply be confused. Checking in all cities is very powerful. First-hand info, - the authors of stuffing assure. They also state that this applies primarily to individuals and their income.

In the video, the TV presenter says that if the client fails to explain the origin of the money in Sberbank, then they will “burn out on his account”. The video also refers to FZ-115 (“On counteracting the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism”). According to the law, all transactions in the amount of more than 600,000 rubles are checked.

The account can be blocked when withdrawing or depositing a smaller amount, or when transferring funds to it. Receipts from dubious sources also fall under the attention of the system: anonymous wallets, frequent and stable transfers from the same client, the video says.

"Mass blocking" reported. Their reason is that now Sberbank has automated the verification of transactions by opening a Data Processing Center (DPC) in St. Petersburg. Previously, this function was performed manually by operators, much passed by their attention. The new system promises an error of 10%.

A year ago, Sberbank already fell under an information attack. The text of the message of anonymous authors is one to one similar to the current one. Then the official representatives of the credit organization stated that blocking the sender's and recipient's cards is possible only if incorrect information (full name, code word, passport data, etc.) is provided during the voice confirmation of the operation. In this case, the initiator of the call is only the client himself.

The Bank does not block customer accounts, but may restrict remote account maintenance or refuse to complete a transaction if its economic meaning is unclear. Banks are required to analyze transactions made by clients, according to the criteria established by the Bank of Russia, the press service of the Tatarstan branch answered.

The response explains that information about refusals is accumulated by the Central Bank in a single list and communicated to all credit institutions and that it can be taken into account by other banks when evaluating the client's activity on the account.

Urban horror stories about financial horrors

Sberbank opened a data center in St. Petersburg back in 2011. In addition, FZ-115, which obliges to double-check transactions of 600,000 or more rubles, was adopted in the current version of the federal law back in 2010. But the amount of 600,000 rubles itself appeared in the law earlier - in 2002.

Rumors that Sberbank is massively blocking customer cards have been going around in circles for at least a year. Sometimes it seems to me that we have such a modern content of urban legends-horror stories, since these stories are not really confirmed, - says the head of the Financier portal Anastasia Potekina.

At the same time, the expert continues, blocking of cards occurs, with which well-intentioned citizens, although not without inconvenience, but quite simply cope - they call, waste time, and in the end they still achieve unlocking. Similar procedures on the same grounds (everything within the framework of FZ-115, instructions and letters based on it from the Central Bank) are performed by other commercial banks.

It's just that, according to the law of large numbers, Sberbank is more noticeable against the general background. He really checks. All banks are tested. Just while attention is focused either on large numbers, or on frequently repeated operations with a large number of transactions, - Anastasia Potekina is sure.

The bank is not interested in blocking cards or customer accounts

There is such a thing as banking secrecy (Article No. 26 of the Federal Law “On Banks and Banking Activities”), according to which banks can transfer information about transactions, including individuals, to federal executive authorities, for example, the Federal Tax Service, according to their the same request, - IFC Markets analyst notes Dmitry Lukashov. According to him, Sberbank itself is not interested in worsening relations with its customers, so you can’t trust stuffing in social networks.

If the client is interested in tax, then it cannot be ruled out that certain operations will cause her questions. However, the bank itself, even the state bank, is not interested in independently carrying out these functions of the Federal Tax Service.

The expert gives two arguments in support.

First, providing information will alienate customers who are more likely, even if they have nothing to hide, to choose a commercial bank, albeit on a smaller scale.

Secondly, the bank is not interested in blocking cards or customer accounts, since its income is generated, among other things, from the commission for servicing customer operations.

That is, it cannot be ruled out that the Federal Tax Service may receive data from banks on customer transactions, simply because federal law allows it. However, to say that any market participant, due to its consciousness and independence, has declared a “crusade” against its own clients, is rather strange.

I would advise clients not to believe in rumors, but to be vigilant for the above reasons when making transactions, - Dmitry Lukashov gives advice.

“The card is being canceled”, “papers are required to justify the appearance of money”, “they asked to provide a photo of the cards from which the transfer was made” and other terrible torments that banks promise when transferring from card to card, according to a new newspaper duck.

The media is chasing sensationalism, and in the absence of a good topic, the news has to be so delusional and frightening to be believable. Such a topic was immediately found: “justification / blocking of a transfer of 1000 rubles”.

Looking ahead, I’ll say that they haven’t “started” blocking anyone, fraudulent operations have been blocked since September. And the stories on which the informational occasion is built are either not completely true, and important factors are missed in them, or they are greatly distorted when retelling.
As a result: you can sleep peacefully.

Where did the panic start?

The wave of hysteria about the automatic charging of taxes on transfers from card to card has come to naught. But some media needs a new topic! It was created by Izvestia, telling the stories of three people without much detail. Here are the most memorable parts of these stories:

“They were told that her credit card would be canceled if she did not explain the economic rationale of the transactions”

The “call center specialist” of the bank “listed all the papers that need to be transferred to her in WhatsApp”

“Asked me to provide photos of the cards from which 1,000 rubles were transferred to his “plastic””

Such “evidence” was considered sufficient to claim multiple lockdowns across the country. Here are the headlines you might see on the news right now:

“Banks began to require customers to justify transfers for a thousand rubles” Russkaya Gazeta

“Banks threatened to block the cards of Russians for unreasonable transfers” Lenta.ru

Stories that shocked the Internet with their lack of logic and mystical details.

All three cases were accompanied by very strange circumstances. I would even call them fabulous or mystical, as far as there is no place for logic in stories. For example, a bank employee demanded that the first hero send documents to him via WhatsApp. According to the third hero, Tinkoff Bank asked to send him photographs of plastic cards from which the transfer was made to the owner's card.

Why can they actually block the transfer?

I'm done with the criticism of incoherent stories and get to the point: in these stories, details are lost, or they are retold not quite correctly. As a result, the logical and regular turned into the illogical and outrageous.

Let's turn to the letter of the law and how things really are: there is law 167-FZ, which allows banks to block for three days a transfer that they consider fraudulent. During these three days, they must contact you to confirm that it is you who is making the transfer. Everything. Nothing else. Interestingly, the law began to operate on September 26, and Izvestia has already written about it.

There can be only three real reasons for blocking a transfer, and all of them were listed in detail by the Central Bank:

The recipient of the transfer is included in the database of cases of transfers without the consent of the client.
The operation is performed from a device (or using a device) contained in the database of transfer cases without the consent of the client.
The operation is atypical for the client and has signs of a fraudulent one.

According to the law 167-FZ, they cannot refuse to transfer you. It is a fact. In stories in which a person is denied a transfer or blocked an account, one important detail is missing: he either could not prove that he was not a fraudster, or he committed illegal acts. For example, cashing out, receiving money from the account of a legal entity, illegal business activities, and so on.

Finishing the story about the blocked 1000 rubles, I want to wish you a critical look at what is happening around.

Earlier there was information that "Sberbank" 4% tax on bank cards.

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