For the first time, the Bank of Russia has explained in detail the procedure for restoring access to bank accounts blocked on suspicion of fraud. The reason was the numerous appeals from citizens who found themselves limited in using financial services without understanding the reasons and prospects for unblocking.
Vadim Uvarov, Director of the Information Security Department of the Bank of Russia, said that the regulator receives about a thousand complaints every day from customers who encounter blockages. The largest number of applications comes from citizens aged 15 to 24 years. According to him, some of the inclusions in the database are indeed erroneous, but most of the restrictions are recognized as justified.
A key element of the regulator's new position was the launch of a rehabilitation mechanism for bona fide citizens.
"For those who were blocked by accident, the Central Bank has developed a rehabilitation mechanism."
This procedure involves the client contacting the Bank of Russia directly. After that, the citizen should be informed in which criminal case the suspicions arose, where the disputed operations were recorded and which department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating. The next step is to interact with a specific investigator, who confirms that the client is not involved in illegal actions.
Only after receiving official confirmation from law enforcement agencies can the Bank of Russia initiate the process of lifting restrictions. However, there is no automatic access recovery.
As Uvarov emphasizes:
"There are cases of unjustified inclusions in the database, but most of those blocked will remain on the list. Because they deserve it."
In practice, according to the victims, even the status of a witness in a criminal case does not always lead to the prompt unblocking of accounts. This indicates a continuing gap between the claimed mechanism and its actual implementation.
Experts note that the new procedure is a step towards greater transparency of financial control, but its effectiveness will directly depend on the speed of interagency cooperation and the willingness of banks to take into account updated regulatory clarifications.
