Banks block customer transfers to themselves: what's going on

Russian banks have begun to suspend customer transfers more often, including transactions "to themselves" and for small amounts. The restrictions apply to both large transactions, such as transferring salaries to an account with another bank, and small transfers. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Why can a bank block transfers?

Credit institutions are required to check all customer transactions for signs of fraud. For this purpose, automatic anti-fraud systems are used that analyze user behavior, amounts, frequency and direction of transfers.

As it is specified, banks deliberately shift the balance towards reinsurance. The risk of temporarily losing customer loyalty is less critical for them than possible sanctions from the Central Bank (CB) and Rosfinmonitoring, up to large fines or license revocation. As a result, even legal and everyday transactions may come under suspicion if they look "atypical" for a particular client.

The Central Bank emphasizes that banks do not block citizens' accounts, but only suspend the execution of the transfer. If the customer confirms the transaction or repeats it, the bank is obliged to execute the order, except in cases when the recipient appears in the database of the Bank of Russia on fraudulent transactions.

Which operations may be blocked

In practice, the restrictions affect a wide range of transfers. Customers complain about the freezing of transactions when trying to transfer salaries, vacation pay, or funds after closing a deposit to their account with another bank. Transfers between own accounts, including transactions through the SBP, are also blocked.

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Why can transfers to oneself become a reason for additional checks by the bank

It is noted that the amount is not a determining factor. Anti-fraud systems are particularly sensitive to sudden changes in financial behavior: one-time large transactions, unusual transfer directions, as well as actions performed shortly after changes in the client's profile.

Which amounts and actions are banks monitoring particularly closely

From January 1, the list of signs of suspicious transactions is expanded from six to 12. Among the new tokens are transfers of funds to a person with whom there have been no transactions in the last six months, if the client transferred more than 200 thousand rubles to himself through the SBP less than a day before.

Transactions made less than 48 hours after changing the phone number in online banking or on the official Gosuslugi portal will also be under increased control. The system may consider such actions as a potential attempt to intercept account management.

It is impossible to completely eliminate false positives. Even the most accurate algorithms work with probabilistic models and are not able to 100% separate fraud from the usual actions of the client. In addition to technical limitations, the internal regulations of banks also play a role. With fraud on the rise, financial institutions often tighten the rules "with a margin". In some cases, according to analysts, an economic factor may also influence decisions: a massive withdrawal of funds reduces the volume of bank assets.

What will happen to transfers in 2026

In 2026, the control over transfers will become even tougher. Expanding the list of signs of suspicious transactions means that more transactions will fall under time restrictions, including between own accounts and without the participation of third parties.

Threat of freezing: Russians faced blockages after making transfers to themselves

Why do transactions between their accounts arouse suspicion among banks

At the same time, at the end of November, the head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, at the Central Bank's Focus on the Customer conference, pointed to an increase in complaints about unjustified account blocking. According to her, in some cases, anti-fraud measures proved to be excessive. The central bank had to intervene to resolve situations where customers had their accounts blocked without providing explanations, she added.

How to reduce the risk of blocking

It is impossible to fully insure against restrictions. However, compliance with the usual financial scenarios, caution in case of sudden changes in behavior and willingness to promptly confirm the transaction at the request of the bank helps to reduce the likelihood of problems.

Specifying the payment destination may help, but it is not a guarantee. The key factor remains contact with the bank and understanding that in the new reality, security for financial institutions is more important than customer convenience.

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