The Ministry of Digital Development sees an opportunity for banks to interact with customers through instant messaging programs.

EKATERINBURG, February 16 – RIA Novosti. Vladimir Bengin, Director of the Cyber ​​Security Department of the Ministry of Digital Development, said that the Russian Ministry of Digital Development sees an opportunity for banks to interact with customers through messengers, but for this, interaction channels must be reliable. Ural Forum “Cybersecurity in Finance”.

“Do we see the possibility of engaging with customers through instant messaging tools? Absolutely yes. It is first and foremost the job of banks, us and regulators and society at large to make sure these channels are trustworthy. We don’t see it. “We need to find some kind of concept that we’re going to find,” he said.

According to him, scammers have moved to WhatsApp and many attacks are happening through this source. Bengin said, “Of course, we cited WhatsApp as an example when talking about the problem of providing service via messenger.”

Bengin, in his speech at the same forum the previous day, said that banks do not need to provide services with instant messaging tools. He explained his call to banks by the fact that the habit of citizens to receive banking services through instant messengers can be exploited by scammers.

In January, VTB launched an online bank on Telegram. The bank planned that at the initial stage it will be possible to view the balance on cards and accounts, transfers via SBP and payment for mobile communications. Alfa-Bank says they have been working with Telegram since 2020 and announced a banking project in it at the end of 2022, and Promsvyazbank (PSB) launched a business assistant for entrepreneurs on Telegram as early as 2021.

Later, the Roskomnadzor press service told RIA Novosti that Telegram is on the list of foreign messengers and that from March 1, some organizations in Russia will be prohibited from using it to transfer payment documents and personal data when providing services. In December, the President of the Russian Federation signed a law that, from March 1, restricts the use of foreign messengers by banks and state-owned enterprises in the provision of public services and the sale of services and goods.