As is known, in April-June 2022, after the withdrawal of the Visa and Mastercard payment systems from the Russian market, the demand for cards from CIS banks grew rapidly. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan became leaders in issuing bank cards for Russians. Against this background, fraudsters became more active.
Anna Dzhafarova, CEO of the company "5 cards", tells banki.ru about how to safely open an account in a foreign bank.
Methods of deception
In February, a large number of fraudulent transactions were recorded through phishing sites - fake web pages that completely copied real resources. They had high-quality design, reviews and links to social networks. Fraudsters sent victims a link to a one-day site, luring them through email and messenger - people were offered to apply for bank cards remotely. After receiving the money, the attackers disappeared.
To avoid falling for the scammers' bait, you need to carefully check the contact from whom the letter came. If a large aggregator is "knocking", compare the email address and phone numbers with those listed on the company's official website. If a friend or relative sent a link to the site, call them back and make sure that it was them who did it. Also pay attention to the site domain: on phishing pages, it differs from the original by several characters.
After Visa and Mastercard left Russia, Kazakhstan became one of the popular destinations for issuing bank cards of international systems. To open an account in a Kazakhstani bank, you need an individual identification number - INN. The document is needed not only for financial transactions, but also for further interaction with government authorities. Fraudsters offered to issue an IIN remotely, so that upon arrival in Kazakhstan, a person could immediately open an account in the bank. The client paid for the service, received an IIN, and on the spot realized that the document was fake.
Therefore, before paying, you need to check the IIN through the tax service. The number may not immediately appear in the tax system. On average, its activation takes up to 5 days. You can also decipher the number: according to the rules, first there should be two digits of the year of birth, then the month and the date after the number 050 and three numbers that need to be remembered. If all the data matches, then your IIN is genuine.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
There are two ways to open an account in Kazakhstan: either fill out all the documents yourself upon arrival in the country, or use the services of an experienced aggregator.
Non-residents are served by Forte Bank, Kaspi Bank, Otbasy Bank, and Narodny Bank. The average time to open an account is 5-10 days. For many, personal presence in the country can be expensive: more than 100 thousand rubles will be spent in 7-10 days. Due to high demand, huge queues are formed at banks. In addition, when preparing documents for IIN, employees often make mistakes, which also affects the time it takes to receive it.
There is also a more budget-friendly option – the service of a specialized aggregator. Such companies provide advice on online account registration not only in Kazakhstan, but also in other countries. The client leaves an application on the website – specialists help to choose a banking product and conclude an agreement. For registration, they most often ask for a passport and a notarized power of attorney to open an account for a company representative. This is safe if the aggregator is verified. Many may be scared by the registration of a notarized power of attorney, but there is nothing terrible about it. The document is only valid for opening an account; the specialist will not be able to carry out other operations.
In Kyrgyzstan, accounts are opened in Optima Bank, Aiyl Bank, Bakai Bank, RSK Bank, Keremet Bank and others. Currently, in financial institutions, issuing a card can take from 5 days. When ordering a card online, you will need a copy of your Russian passport, a power of attorney for submitting documents, issued to an employee of the aggregator in Kyrgyzstan, an application form in the bank's form, a service agreement, consent to the processing of personal data and the cost of services.
Armenia and Türkiye
In Armenia, all banks work with non-residents from Russia, except HSBC Armenia and AEB. To open an account, you will need a passport and its notarized copy with a translation into Armenian, a residence permit, an employment contract, which must be concluded in Armenia. It is better to check with each bank for a more precise package of documents.
There are currently three banks in Turkey that issue cards regularly – Denizbank, VakifBank and Ziraat Bankasi. An account can be opened in one day. To do this, you will need a foreign passport, a Russian internal passport and a Turkish IIN. You can get an individual identification number by filling out a short form. You will also need a Turkish SIM card to visit the bank. It will come in handy when activating the account.
Anna Dzhafarova, CEO of the company "5 cards", draws attention to the fact that due to high demand, the conditions for obtaining a card may change, so it is important to monitor them.
The Russian Seafarers' Union adds that fraud has become so widespread today that everyone has encountered suspicious calls or phishing emails at least once. Therefore, it is very important to be attentive to offers on the market and not to give in to attractive promises. "If you are planning to open an account in a foreign bank, it is safest to use the advice of those who have already gone through a similar procedure, or carefully study the permits for the work of companies that provide the escort service," the RPSM advises.
Source: http://www.sur.ru/ru/news/lent/2022-11-11/bezopasno_otkryt_schet_v_inostrannom_banke_21816/
