This is mentioned in a statement from the Association of Ukrainian Banks (AUB).
Among the new signatories are: Sense Bank, NovaPay, RozetkaPay, "Ukreximbank," "Ukrgasbank," and others.
The AUB explains that the purpose of the memorandum is to prevent the use of payment infrastructure for "drop schemes." This refers to situations where individuals grant fraudsters access to their bank cards and accounts in exchange for a reward, allowing the fraudsters to use them as transit accounts for making transfers.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the funds passing through a "drop" account may be obtained through illegal means, particularly from drug trafficking, human trafficking, or arms trade. Law enforcement also states that transit accounts are often utilized for tax evasion and for moving money stolen from others' accounts.
To counter this, banks intend to establish unified standards of transparency and accountability within the sector.
"The signed memorandum is a market response to the challenges facing the banking system and aims to minimize abuses through 'drop schemes,'" said AUB President Andrey Dubas.
In particular, banks plan to create a centralized register of suspicious clients for information exchange. The signatories of the memorandum also agree that there is a need to "enhance communication" with clients to explain the importance of documentary proof of their income sources.
On December 10, major Ukrainian banks such as "PrivatBank," "Oschadbank," "Raiffeisen Bank," and "Universal Bank" signed a memorandum on strengthening restrictions on card transfers.
The restrictions will be implemented in two phases:
Clients will be able to increase their limit after providing the bank with proof of official income. However, for high-risk clients, the limit may be set at 50,000 hryvnias per month, as stated in the memorandum.
Additionally, banks aim to enhance financial monitoring of individual entrepreneurs to combat "drops" and align with the requirements of European Union legislation.