Banks may begin mass blocking of cards: which accounts are at risk

Ukrainian banks are preparing to intensify measures against drop schemes that threaten thousands of payment cards.

According to Anna Dovgalska, deputy head of the board of Globus Bank, experts estimate that approximately 10-20% of new cards issued in 2025 have already become participants in suspicious financial transactions.

We are talking about droppers – people who give their accounts to others for a reward. They act as intermediaries between criminals and banks through which money is laundered or converted illegally.

The expert adds that even if someone became a participant in such a scheme due to anonymity, it is still considered complicity in financial crimes.

According to her, the growth in the number of payment cards increases the risks of fraud. Only in the first quarter of 2025, more than 137 million cards were issued in Ukraine, which is 4% more than in the first quarter of the year. The number of p2p transfers, which are often used in drop schemes, is also increasing.

To reduce such dangers, banks have introduced transfer limits: from June 1, 2025, clients with a reduced or medium level of risk can transfer up to 100,000 hryvnias per month, while high-risk clients can only transfer up to 50,000. If suspicious activity is detected or the limit is exceeded, the account may be blocked.

Dovgalska emphasizes that droppers risk not only losing access to their funds, but also face serious legal consequences, as participation in money laundering is punishable by up to 12 years in prison. In addition, they are included in the “black lists” of banks, and it can be very difficult to restore the trust of financial institutions.