Debt game: lawyers warned against accepting frequent credit card transfers
Against the background of stricter control by banks, Russians have found a way to avoid blocking. Users are advised to accept money on a credit card. So the banks allegedly do not block the account, because this is not the receipt of funds, but the repayment of debt. Lawyers interviewed by Izvestia warn that the scheme may work in the short term, but it carries serious risks in the long term. The consequences of this can lead to and why the money is being frozen are described in the Izvestia article.
Can I accept transfers to a credit card?
Russians are increasingly complaining about card blocking due to suspected fraudulent transactions. Banks freeze their accounts in accordance with the norms of 115-FZ (anti-money laundering law aimed at countering money laundering and terrorist financing). The fight against scammers and droppers has also been tightened recently. These are people who, for a reward, provide attackers with their bank card, account, or access to them in order to transfer and cash out stolen money through them.
Since January 1, 2026, the list of signs of suspicious transactions has expanded from 6 to 12. Credit institutions should also monitor frequent and atypical transfers to the card. Too many money senders may also raise questions.
Because of this situation, recommendations on how to avoid being blocked are popular. In one of the videos, the arbitration manager advises accepting credit card payments. Allegedly, banks do not block the card because it is not a cash flow, but a repayment of debt, in which the financial institution is "very interested." Users write that they have tried this method.
Nowadays, it is increasingly possible to find such advice, said Alexander Kiselyov, a specialist in banking disputes, managing partner of the Law firm "Prov".
In the short term, accepting payments on a credit card can protect against blocking, but not in the long term, he believes.
— When money is credited to a credit card, the bank actually credits it first to pay off the debt. Formally, it looks like a repayment of the loan, and not as a net income of the client. However, the bank's financial monitoring system analyzes not only the type of card, but also the number of counterparties, the frequency of transfers, the matching of amounts, the speed of subsequent debit of funds, and the general nature of transactions," the expert explained.
Financial organizations block transfers not based on the principle of which product is used, but on the fact of suspicious activity, said Elena Gladysheva, managing partner of the Moscow Law Firm RI-Consulting, member of the MRO Delovaya Rossiya. The credit card can be replenished beyond the limit, and the funds are stored there, but this does not change the essence, agrees Danila Sadovsky, a lawyer at BBNP's IT practice. The bank will still evaluate the transfer for signs of fraud.
The mechanism of using credit cards is quite complicated from the point of view of the accounting approach, said Dmitry Ferapontov, senior lecturer at the Department of Banking at Synergy University. In his opinion, the scheme can only work if the client has an active credit limit — there was an outstanding debt due to transactions or transfers and withdrawals.
Izvestia studied the complaints of people who were blocked. One bank customer had his credit card frozen for transfers, obliging him to come to the branch and pay the debt in cash. Another Russian woman described a similar situation.
The editorial board sent a request to the Central Bank and the largest banks about whether they are aware of such a scheme and whether it can save from blocking.
Risks of receiving credit card payments
By itself, accepting transfers to a credit card is not prohibited, but if a person acts as an individual, and the operations are essentially entrepreneurial in nature (regular receipts from various persons, large turnover), then the bank has the right to regard this as using the account for other purposes, explained Alexander Kiselyov from the law Firm "Prov".
If money starts to drip massively from different people, and then the client starts spending or withdrawing it, the anti-fraud system will see abnormal activity on the account, not debt repayment, agreed Ahmed Yusupov, an economist and partner at the Goldman Agency communications agency. The bank may regard this as a hidden business activity or cashing out, he pointed out. So the method not only does not save, but, generating an imaginary sense of security, multiplies the risks, the expert warned.
Another fact that many miss is that the Federal Tax Service also controls payments — it can regard such activities as tax evasion, Elena Gladysheva added.
— The main principle is simple: use accounts for their intended purpose and be ready to confirm the source of funds. Attempts to deceive the system lead to additional checks rather than to real protection," Alexander Kiselyov believes.
Transfers to a credit card are technically more dangerous than to a debit card. In case of blocking, the repayment process will become more complicated and there may be a delay, which will be reflected in the client's history, said Dmitry Ferapontov from Synergy. Even if the situation can be fixed, it may lead to loan refusals or stricter control by banks in the future.
According to Danila Sadovsky from BBNP, in order to really protect yourself, you need to specify the purpose of the payment, keep records as an individual entrepreneur or self-employed, and notify the bank in advance of large flows of funds and transfers from abroad.
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