In Sevastopol, Krayinvestbank brutally scammed its clients out of big money
Sevastopol , December 31 ( PolitNavigator, Andrey Dorenko ) – “Kraiinvestbank” – one of the first Russian financial institutions to come to Crimea and Sevastopol after the peninsula’s return to Russia , carried out a crude but effective scheme to make money from clients during the peak of the dollar exchange rate.
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This information first appeared on Sevastopol's main forum, Sevastopol.info , posted by a user with the nickname " gektur ." He turned out to be local resident Yevgeny Turenko , whom PolitNavigator contacted and asked how he came to owe a Krasnodar bank 43 rubles without even knowing it.
According to Evgeny Turenko , during the peak dollar exchange rate fluctuations, he simply withdrew cash from a Kraiinvestbank ATM using his ruble card, but only in dollars. KIB ATMs offer this service. As a result, he lost 43 rubles in his account, because the bank, it turns out, was also keeping a close eye on the exchange rate.
" The situation is that the bank had a conversion rate based on the Central Bank rate +1,5%. And during those days, when the exchange rate was fluctuating, many people were withdrawing currency from an ATM, including me. I have a ruble card. I went to withdraw currency at the rate listed on the bank's website , i.e. +1,5%. When I was withdrawing from the ATM, I checked the exchange rate. I initially withdrew a small amount. I checked – yes, the rate matched the one listed on the website. Then the next day, I received a text message on my phone saying that I had exceeded the limit and needed to top up my account with 43 rubles. I couldn't believe my eyes and wondered where such a sum could have come from. It turns out that, starting on the 17th, the bank suddenly changed the conversion rate from the Central Bank rate +1,5% to the bank's commercial rate ," Evgeny said.
According to him, the bank’s commercial rate turned out to be almost twice as high as the Central Bank rate and amounted to 95 rubles, which, he explained, was impossible to predict.
"It turns out the bank suddenly changed the tariff without any notice. This puts us in such a hopeless situation that we couldn't have predicted it, and as a result, we could have gone into the red by an indefinite amount. Actually, the contract with the bank stipulates that the bank is obligated to notify of any tariff changes at least 10 days in advance. And only after that, if you agree, do these limits come into effect . "
Moreover, as it turned out, other residents of Sevastopol, with whom Evgeny had communicated on the same forum, also suffered from the bank’s actions.
"I managed to find at least four people with the same problem. One person was down 53 rubles, others were down several thousand. There's also another girl who made purchases online at some Chinese auction site, not from an ATM, but simply with a card – she walked away with 5 rubles. Well, that's what I was able to find without much searching on a Sevastopol forum," he says.
At the same time, Evgeny claims that this is far from all the victims, as the Sevastopol branch of Kraiinvestbank receives more and more complaints from local residents every day . Evgeny says they decided to take collective action with those who were also affected and with whom they were able to communicate through the forum. A collective appeal has already been filed with Rospotrebnadzor , but Rospotrebnadzor, in turn, advised filing a complaint and obtaining an official response from the bank to build on that.
" If they refuse, then we'll have to go through Rospotrebnadzor , prepare a lawsuit, or contact Rospotrebnadzor . They 'll go and inspect the bank themselves ," he explained. He added that the bank itself "tried to avoid resolving the issue at the local level."
" They said that if you believe something has been violated, you should file an official complaint against the general director in Krasnodar. They refuse to resolve this at the local level, even though contracts are signed directly with these branches. We've filed complaints, everyone has. We're now waiting for an official response. According to the contract, they're supposed to respond within 30 days, but Rospotrebnadzor says that, according to consumer rights law, it's supposed to take up to 10 days . "
Evgeny said he has no intention of giving the bank his 43 rubles, as do all members of his collective group, who intend to seek full compensation for damages . Initially, through Rospotrebnadzor , and then, if necessary, through the courts.
"MWe intend to act in the most serious manner. If the bank rough gI'm sure he'll be lying around fool, then we reversibleXia and to the courts, and in the media", said Evgeniy Turenko.
In Sevastopol, Kraiinvestbank swindled its clients out of a lot of money.