Telegram serving as marketplace for illegal trade in bank accounts
Telegram is serving as a marketplace for the illegal trade in bank accounts. In Telegram groups with thousands of members multiple providers are selling access to bank accounts at any of the major Dutch banks, ranging from 150 euros for a Bunq account to 400 euros for one at ING, BNR discovered.
BNR posed as a buyer on Telegram and got access to an SNS payment account within a few hours in exchange for 175 euros in cryptocurrency. The recently opened account had a zero balance and was registered in the name of a 54-year-old woman who said that she had no idea how her account ended up in the hands of these traders.
It is unclear how the seller gained access to the account. SNS parent De Volksbank seems to assume that the woman made her account available for payment, BNR reported. That is possible. The same Telegram groups that sell accounts also recruit intermediaries with sales pitches like: earn between 2,000 and 15,000 euros “risk-free” with “five minutes of work” by creating bank accounts. It is also possible that cybercriminals stole the woman’s log-in details through phishing or infostealers.
Experts warned in BNR that the traded bank accounts are likely used for money laundering or fraud. People who give others access to their bank account are complicit in any criminal activities carried out with it. The account remains in the name of the original holder, so there is a “very real” chance of getting caught and prosecuted, the Dutch Banking Association (NVB) told the broadcaster. “You can get into major criminal and financial trouble because of it,” an NVB spokesperson said.
