British banks are making it increasingly difficult for their customers to get involved with crypto, citing particular concerns related to security and exposure to fraud.
According to a report by the British newspaper The Times, TSB bank is reportedly about to ban its customers from buying crypto with funds managed by the bank. TSB is reportedly concerned about an “excessively high” fraud rate related to crypto exchanges operating in the country.
TSB Could Be Cutting Ties With Crypto Exchanges For Safety Reasons
The Times claims to have reliable information that TSB is going to ban the purchase of crypto with cash via Binance and Kraken. Apparently, the low security standards of these platforms facilitate the works of scammers, in particular the setup of e-wallets.
According to the reports, TSB has received at least 849 fraud complaints between March 15 and April 15 by Binance users. The bank claims that all attempts to communicate with Binance have been unsuccessful. However, Binance says it has never received any messages from the banks security team.
Without directly referring to TSB, a spokesman for Binance reiterated the exchanges commitment to working for the security of its customers, assuring that it is company policy to prioritize the issue:
“Binance is very serious about its responsibility to protect users from scams. When we are made aware of these claims, we immediately take action and have an excellent record of working with law enforcement agencies.”
But Kraken was much more direct. Steven Christie, global head of compliance at Kraken, denied TSBs allegations, although he made no reference to the stance they will take on this possible outbreak of new wire fraud:
“We categorically deny the allegation that Kraken does not respond to calls for assistance on incidents of fraud. Kraken responded to well over 1,000 different requests from law enforcement agencies in 2020 alone. Kraken operates in full compliance with law enforcement agencies.”
Investors Are Making Things Easier For Scammers In The UK
Fraud reports are a sensitive issue for the bank as it offers a fraud protection service in which it refunds the money lost in the event that a person has been a victim of a scam. The bank has also asked for caution towards crypto-related scams.
Be extra vigilant when it comes to Crypto investment advisors. If you get a call, e-mail or text from one – bin it, its a scam. Never engage with contact out of the blue. Find out more: https://t.co/jfNPCdlkzJ #ThinkTwiceThinkFraud pic.twitter.com/A835A7qJy5
— TSB (@TSB) June 15, 2021
So far, TSB bank has not issued any official statement regarding its stance towards Kraken of Binance, however, the interest of UK regulators in overseeing cryptocurrency-related activity has been on the rise.
Recently, a survey by the UKs Financial Conduct Authority revealed that the number of cryptocurrency investors had increased from last year, as had the average worth of cryptocurrency holdings by retailers.
However, the FCA also found that the number of people with a poor understanding of cryptocurrencies also increased even though they invested in them.
This is a worrying development for law enforcement and crime prevention agencies, as it provides a breeding ground for scammers and criminals to take advantage of a larger potential pool of victims who are less savvy than in previous years.
