Visa, Mastercard Deny Litany of Allegations in Home Depot Complaint
Home Depot’s complaint asserts that Visa and Mastercard “unlawfully” fixed interchange fees at high levels.
Features
Dodd-Frank Overhaul Plan Goes before Financial Services Committee
The House Financial Services Committee will meet Sept. 13 to mark up a bill that would overturn major provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Initially proposed in June by Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the Financial CHOICE Act would strip significant authority away from the CFPB, renaming it the Consumer Financial Opportunity Commission and tasking the agency with the dual mission of protecting consumers and ensuring competitive markets.
Fintechs and banks, collaborate to succeed!
Banks and fintech companies need to collaborate to succeed, argue Saxo Bank’s global COO, Søren Kyhl, and Stig Tørnes, head of business management. And that requires a change of mindset on both sides, the sooner the better. Fintech has become the buzzword for a diverse group of companies whose ambition is to bring efficiency to financial […]
CFPB Levees Record $100 Million Fine on Wells Fargo
The CFPB on Sept. 8 announced a $100 million fine against Wells Fargo for what the agency called “widespread unlawful sales practices.” The agency said the fine is the largest such penalty it has ever issued.
N.Y. DOL Issues Strongly Opposed Final Rule on Payroll Cards
A New York Department of Labor (DOL) rule that has been bitterly opposed by a major prepaid card association is being implemented anyway. The N.Y. DOL has issued its final rule regulating methods and payment of wages, including the use of payroll cards, in the state and includes no substantive changes from its second revised proposal in June.
FinCEN Gives Iran a Bit of Financial Breathing Room
Iran has won a slight reprieve in FinCEN’s latest advisory for anti-money laundering and countering terrorism measures.
Rash of Email Fraud Schemes Prompt FinCEN to Issue Advisory
A spate of email fraud schemes involving stolen consumer information and financial institutions being duped into conducting wire transfers has prompted the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to issue an advisory Sept. 6 in an effort to thwart the illegal activity.
Officers Use Prepaid Card Reader to Seize $10 Million
A handheld card reader released last year has helped U.S. law enforcement agencies seize or recover about $10 million in fraudulent prepaid funds, according to the Dept. of Homeland Security.
Shadow data – robbing cloud’s silver lining
Welcome to the dark, scary world of “shadow data”, which can easily turn into a nightmare for enterprises from data governance, compliance, reputation and financial losses points of view… Are you sitting comfortably? Yamini Kona, principal consultant, financial services at Infosys, is going to tell a chilling tale. Imagine a scenario where an employee shares […]
Report: Mobile Payments Surge, Banks Could Play Larger Role as Wallet Providers
Consumer adoption of mobile payments is on the upswing, according to a new report by First Annapolis Consulting, which found that 74 percent of respondents had made at least one mobile-based payment in the preceding 12 months—up significantly from just 40 percent a year earlier.
Virtual bank accounts: forget what you thought you knew
Virtual bank accounts (VBAs) are a hot topic among the treasury community today. While you may have heard of VBAs before, their usage is rapidly evolving – and their benefits for treasurers continue to grow. Dick Oskam, global head of sales for transaction services at ING Bank, explains what VBAs are all about. In an increasingly […]
CFPB: Prepaid Complaints Continue Decline in July
Prepaid card-related complaints to the CFPB ticked down in July, the bureau announced in its latest monthly consumer complaint report. The month saw 211 complaints about prepaid products, down 5 percent from 223 prepaid complaints in June and slightly below the monthly average of 215 since the CFPB began tracking prepaid complaints in July 2014.
Apple, Aussie Bank Battle Heats Up Down Under
Apple is pushing back against a bid by a group of Australia’s major banks to be allowed to negotiate collectively with the U.S-based tech giant over contactless payments. In a filing with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released Aug. 30, Apple called upon the regulator to reject a request by the banks to collectively bargain with Apple in negotiations to offer Apple Pay to their customers.
U.S. Regulators Outline Steps Taken after SWIFT Heist
In the wake of the cyberattack that struck international financial messaging network SWIFT earlier this year, U.S. banking regulators say that they are assessing cybersecurity threats facing the country’s financial institutions and the controls in place to defend against attacks.
Thousands and thousand of times: a tale of an insider data breach
Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, RedOwl field data scientist, ponders the curious case of Galen Marsh, who stole masses of data from his former employee, Morgan Stanley, by using a very simple hack of the client data management system. In a climactic conclusion to an insider threat story that has been developing since 2015, Morgan Stanley agreed to […]
NBPCA Criticizes Arbitration Proposal from CFPB
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s proposal prohibiting financial services firms from including class action waivers in arbitration agreements has another critic: The Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA) has sent a letter to the federal agency about the “negative” impacts the rule would have on the prepaid industry.
Viewpoint: Does the CFPB Expect Payment Processors to Enforce State Regulatory Requirements?
Are payment processors for consumer financial service providers required to understand the complex regulatory regimes to which their clients are subject, and verify that clients are complying with those requirements?
Infographics: real-time payments – the odyssey
Banking Technology, ACI Worldwide and Nets have joined forces to survey the global market about the highs and lows of its current journey towards real-time payments. From individual institutions’ readiness to key market drivers, obstacles and fraud concerns, and everything in between – survey participants from across the globe share their views.
Digital games banks got to play – part 2
Today, most banks want to be digital leaders because that is where the customers are! This has brought in a change in the attitude of many traditional banks. Arun S. Padaki, a seasoned corporate banker, credit risk and business process management consultant, explores what it takes to become a digital leader and who is already […]
SWIFT Knew About Security Issues, Did Little about Them
SWIFT, a Belgium-based, bank-owned co-op and provider of financial messaging services, has been aware of flaws in the way smaller banks used SWIFT’s messaging terminals, thus compromising the security of the system, but the organization did little to address the matter. Those are the assertions of more than a dozen current and former high-ranking Swift officials, according to a Reuters report on Aug. 17.
Two’s the Charm: FinCEN Trying for a Cross-Border Reporting Rule Again
After a previous attempt by FinCEN to implement an anti-money laundering rule stalled and was withdrawn, the agency is planning to reintroduce a version of the rule. A FinCEN spokesman told Reuters the rule is being revised and could be submitted next year.
Prepaid International Forum Rips into Proposed EC Prepaid Rules
The European Commission’s proposed changes to anti-money laundering rules would place an “immense burden on the regulated e-money sector,” the Prepaid International Forum argues in a new position paper.
Office Depot Sues Delaware over Unclaimed Gift Card Law
Office Depot and an associated gift card program manager are suing Delaware officials in federal court, challenging the state’s unclaimed property law. The Florida-based retail chain and Virginia-based North American Card and Coupon Services LLC, Office Depot’s gift card operator, said Delaware’s escheat law violates the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable search and seizures.
Midnight Deal to Buy Bitcoin Goes Bad
A Florida man should have gotten his bitcoin through a reputable virtual currency exchange instead of some guys meeting in a Boston Market restaurant parking lot in the middle of the night. Likely surprising no one, a deal to exchange $28,000 for the equivalent in bitcoin went bad, leading to one arrest.
Shell Pays $762K To California For Misleading Payments Advertising
Shell Oil is coughing up civil penalties, investigative costs and restitution after being accused of tricking consumers with payments ads for various Shell fuel rewards and gift card programs.
Australian Banks Seek Power to Negotiate with Apple over Payment Apps
They want permission from national anti-trust regulators to negotiate as a bloc with Apple over putting their own mobile payment technologies on iPhones.
Merchants File Cert with Supreme Court Challenging State Surcharge Laws
A group Texas merchants wants to take its battle against a Texas law prohibiting them from imposing a surcharge on customers paying with a credit card to the Supreme Court, arguing that the statute violates the merchants’ free speech rights.
U.S. Senators Go to Bat for Credit Unions and Community Banks
In this contentious presidential election cycle, it’s hard to imagine anything getting 70 percent of the Senate to back it. But 70 U.S. Senators want the CFPB to lay off credit unions and community banks when it comes to certain, unspecified rules.
U.K. Court to Hear Brexit Case in October
A U.K. hearing scheduled for October will consider if Brexit can happen without parliamentary approval. The U.K.’s June 23 vote to leave the union has led to confusion and much speculation in the payments world, as the industry wonders about such issues as licenses and passporting, along with other financial services regulations.
Cloud tech: how to support cross-border M&A
Merging tech, avoiding “turf wars”, embracing change, careful planning and ensuring alignment between the companies – there is plenty to think about in any merger and acquisition (M&A) deal to ensure its success. Some relief, however, might come in the form of a cloud. When and how should this technology be applied? Banking Technology contributor, Graham Jarvis, […]
Santander Enforcement Could Preview CFPB’s Overdraft Intentions
The CFPB’s recent enforcement action against Santander Bank over the bank’s overdraft practices underscores federal regulators’ focus on holding regulated institutions responsible for the actions of third-party vendors, and could provide a preview of the CFPB’s upcoming rulemaking on overdraft.
Congressional Report Accuses FDIC of Covering up, Misrepresenting Data Breaches
A critical congressional report was released this week claiming the FDIC has been hacked several times over several years and regulators have been covering up or misrepresenting breaches. In an ongoing investigation by the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee, the report implicates FDIC employees, as well as the Chinese government, as responsible for some of the breaches.
FDIC Guidance on Brokered Deposits Does Little to Ease Prepaid Industry Concerns
The latest FDIC guidance on brokered deposits, released on June 30, has done little to alleviate industry concerns about the treatment of prepaid card loads as brokered deposits.
People on the Move: Beverly Cole, OCC
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has named Beverly Cole as deputy comptroller for compliance supervision. In the role, Cole will be responsible for developing and instituting compliance operational protocols, examination strategies and schedules.
People on the Move: Robert Cook, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority board of governors has appointed Robert Cook as president and CEO, effective the second half of 2016.
U.K. Financial Regulator Offers Guidance on Cloud Services
Hoping to encourage fintech innovation, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has issued a 17-page document that offers guidelines for how financial services firm can use outsourced Web-hosted services without running afoul of regulators.
Privacy Shield Deal Wins European Approval
A transatlantic data-transfer deal has won approval from European Union officials, giving official life to what’s known at the Privacy Shield pact.
EC AML Proposal Would Ban Anonymous Use of Prepaid Cards Online, Lower CDD Thresholds for In-Store Use
Following up on its promise to tighten rules for prepaid cards and virtual currencies in an effort to thwart terrorism financing and money laundering, the European Commission has released a proposal this week to lower the threshold that triggers cardholder identification requirements for prepaid cards and ban the use of anonymous prepaid cards online.
CFPB: Prepaid Complaints Spike in May
Although the overall number of prepaid card-related complaints continues to represent less than 1 percent of total complaints the CFPB receives, prepaid complaints were up 28 percent in May to 226 from 177 the previous month, according to the federal consumer protection agency’s latest monthly complaint report.
MasterCard Faces U.K. Suit over Interchange
MasterCard faces a $24.5 billion class action suit in the U.K. over its cross-border interchange fees. The suit arrives two years after the European Union labeled the interchange charged by the payment card network as unfair. European interchange caps went into effect in December of 2015.
