In 2025, the majority of citizens’ appeals to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) concerned account blockages and freezes. Complaints about restricted access to funds exceeded those related to fraud, credit disputes, and other banking sector issues.
Source: OBOZREVATEL
According to the NBU, last year the hotline received 4,014 oral inquiries and 2,409 written complaints specifically about account blockages or freezes. Ukrainians reported sudden blocking of payroll, social, and business accounts, delays in unblocking, and a lack of clear explanations from banks.
Other issues were reported less frequently: fraud – 1,284 written complaints, credit disputes – 1,140, problems with money transfers – 1,027 cases. Separately, bank clients complained about restrictions on foreign currency operations – 2,210 oral inquiries regarding the inability to withdraw or exchange foreign currency.
In non-bank financial institutions, the majority of complaints concerned debt issues and loans: overdue debt settlement – 7,388, lending – 1,598, loans for military personnel – 1,385, non-payment of insurance compensation – 716, partial payment of insurance sums – 508.
The NBU explains that account blockages occur in cases of suspicious financial operations that do not correspond to a client’s income, type of activity, or financial profile. In such cases, banks may request additional documents, explanations of the source of funds, or confirmation of the economic purpose of transactions. If the client does not provide the information, the account may be blocked and the business relationship with the bank terminated.
What to do if your account is blocked:
- Provide all requested documents as quickly as possible;
- Contact the bank directly if the account was blocked without prior requests;
- File a complaint with the NBU if you disagree with the bank’s decision or actions.
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