The Central Bank Explains How to Unblock Bank Cards Suspected in Fraudulent Schemes

14:40; 12 December 2025 year

Starting December 1, the Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) have introduced a special mechanism for clients who have fallen under automatic card blocking due to suspicions of involvement in fraudulent schemes. The new mechanism is intended for pre-trial resolution of issues. It primarily concerns individuals who, according to the regulator, were unwittingly involved in illegal operations. For example, young people used by fraudsters as "drops" for cashing out funds, or cryptocurrency owners who became involuntary participants in the "triangle" scheme and received payment with stolen money. How the procedure works: - A citizen confident in their innocence contacts not the bank, but directly the MVD department handling the criminal case (the address can be obtained through a complaint to the Central Bank). - In law enforcement agencies, one must prove their innocence and provide supporting documents. - If the MVD finds the arguments convincing, it sends a notification to the Bank of Russia about resolving the dispute out of court, proposing to remove the client from the "blacklist." The Central Bank receives tens of thousands of complaints about blocking each month, with the daily number reaching up to a thousand. Over the first nine months of 2025, the total number of complaints against banks increased by 21%, with the majority being complaints about blocking. The regulator emphasizes that most blockings are justified. In 2025, out of more than 500 court claims for unblocking, only four were satisfied.

Investment

Events

Niches and markets

Technologies and trends

Development infrastructure