Kostin called for banks to be given strict powers to deal with droppers.

On February 18, Andrey Kostin, Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, called for granting banks strict powers to counteract droppage and the ability to independently take urgent measures if suspicions arise.

"As for the drops. <...> First of all, it seems to me that the legislation should give more powers to banks, <...> the issue of seizing money, if there are suspicions, non-issuance of cash in bank offices, if we believe that these are drops, I think that a fairly complex of harsh measures is needed here, which are aimed precisely at countering and giving banks have the authority to take emergency measures themselves if such suspicions arise," he said during a speech at the Ural forum of the Bank of Russia "Cybersecurity in Finance."

According to the head of VTB, the existing mechanisms already allow credit institutions to block transactions and restrict the disbursement of cash in the presence of signs of droppage. Kostin noted that there are many young people involved in such schemes who may not fully realize the illegal nature of their actions.

"I think there is a need for clarification and punishment, and crime and punishment should also go together," he concluded.

Conclusion: the price of dropper cards on the black market has jumped several times

How much can the number of such operations decrease next year?

In November last year, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation sent recommendations to banks on strengthening control over customer identification procedures in order to prevent the use of bank cards and accounts by droppers. It was noted that the activation of cards issued as part of salary projects should be possible only after completing all identification procedures and confirming the identity of the owner.

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