No Assignment or Buying/Selling of Bank Account
Watch out for illegal solicitations on social media and other platforms.
If you buy/sell bank accounts, you will be held criminally responsible.
Your account will be used for bank transfer fraud or other scams, and you will end up as a criminal.
“All I did was sell my account for extra money.”
Don’t let a scam ruin your life!
- Be aware that buying/selling an account is a crime.
- Promptly close any unused accounts.
- Promptly report a lost deposit passbook or cash card.
Japanese Bankers Association: Selling or Buying a Bank Account (Japanese) (external website)
Both the buyer and seller involved in any assignment or buying/selling of a bank account will be subject to punishment under the law.
By assigning or buying/selling an account, an account under the customer's name may be used for crimes without the customer's knowledge, such as bank transfer fraud (e.g., investment scam, refund scam), loansharking/money laundering, and online shopping scam, which could result in the customer becoming an unwitting participant in criminal activity.
Furthermore, if the assignment or buying/selling of an account is discovered, all of the customer's accounts may be suspended, and the customer may be unable to open an account with any bank in the future.
The Bank prohibits the use or assignment of accounts (e.g., cash card, Token) by non-account holders under the PayPay Bank Account Terms and Conditions. We do not allow an account to be opened for its use or assignment by non-account holders.
Furthermore, we will suspend the use of any account whose use or assignment by non-account holders has been confirmed after the account has been opened.
Requests asking you to transfer money or to just lend out your bank account are dangerous solicitations!
Watch out for solicitations on social media asking you to receive, transfer, or remit money or to just lend out your bank account.
These solicitations instruct the customer to transfer money to an unknown third party or ask the customer to lend an unused bank account to others in exchange for a reward. In almost all cases, the goal is to transfer funds acquired by criminal organizations through illegal acts (i.e., launder money) or to use illegal online casinos, which could result in the customer becoming an unwitting participant in criminal activity.
Do not fall for these kinds of solicitations, as the Bank prohibits lending bank accounts to a third party and will suspend the use of the customer's bank accounts confirmed to have either been lent to a third party or been involved in transactions connected to illegal acts, similar to the consequences for selling or buying bank accounts.
Chargeable offenses for the following acts
- Transferring a passbook or cash card in your or someone else’s name
- Receiving a passbook or cash card in your or someone else’s name
- Transferring login ID and password information for online banking
- Receiving login ID and password information for online banking
Violation of Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds
Imprisonment for not more than one year
Fine of not more than 1,000,000 yen
- Opening an account for assignment to a non-account holder
- Opening an account under a non-account holder’s or fictitious name
Fraud
Imprisonment for not more than ten years
- Withdrawing cash from someone else’s account at an ATM
Theft
Imprisonment for not more than ten years
Fine of not more than 500,000 yen