Old Coaster's List of Bank Regulators around the World

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Most countries have websites set up by their financial regulators that can be searched to find any regulated financial entity. If an encountered financial institution (such as a bank) is missing from the particular regulator's list for the country it is claiming to be based in, it is highly likely to be fake. However, please be careful, since it is easy to get a false negative.

Here is a list of the various financial regulators we have found at this time. There are numerous online 'lists' of banks and financial institutions available, but the accuracy or legitimacy of these are not always clear. Therefore, we have tried to only post links to actual authoritative bodies in our list. If a regulator is not on the list, or a link has changed, please make a post in this thread in the AA419 Fake Banks forum and someone will edit this page: http://forum.aa419.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=573

Please note that this list is published here for the benefit of anyone trying to check whether a bank or financial institution is genuine or a fake being used for fraudulent purposes. It is, however, copyright and should not be copied without written permission from Artists Against 419.

(As of March, 2016 - All links are functioning unless otherwise noted)

Countries A - C

Afghanistan Afghan banks are regulated by Da Afghanistan Bank the central bank of Afghanistan. A link of licensed financial institutions (in English) can be found here: http://dab.gov.af/en/page/financial-supervision/licensed-financial-institutions/banks

Albania Regulated by the Bank of Albania, a full list of authorized banks is to be found here. http://www.bankofalbania.org/ Click on "English" and then "Banks in Albania" under "Supervision". List is currently here: https://www.bankofalbania.org/web/Commercial_Bank_Register_50_2.php

Algeria Regulated by the Banque d'Algérie, a full list of authorized banks and financial institutions is to be found here. http://www.bank-of-algeria.dz/html/banque.htm It is in French, but fairly easy to follow.

Andorra The Andorran financial system is, contrary to appearances, highly regulated. Several laws have been introduced to provide a solid legal framework for the system. A list of regulated banks can be found on the pages of the Institut Nacional Andorra de Finances at https://www.inaf.ad/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=category&id=6&Itemid=76&lang=en

Angola Angolan banks are regulated by the Banco Nacional de Angola. On the website, only the link in Portuguese works for the moment. Authorized financial institutions are listed here: http://www.bna.ao/Conteudos/Artigos/lista_artigos_medias.aspx?idc=142&idsc=834&idl=1

Anguilla The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Antigua & Barbuda The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Argentina Regulated by the Banco Central de la República Argentina (Spanish-only) here: http://www.bcra.gob.ar . The current list can be found here: http://www.bcra.gov.ar/pdfs/comytexord/B10290.pdf

Armenia Regulated by the Central Bank of Armenia, the full registry of banks can be found in English here https://www.cba.am/en/SitePages/fscfobanks.aspx

Aruba This small island just off Venezuela is within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it functions independently and has its own banking regulator Centrale Bank van Aruba. The list of regulated financial institutions is here http://www.cbaruba.org/cba/getPage.do?page=SUPERVISION_LIST . For recent additions, there is a contact page easily accessible on the site. information provided by The Smiley Cancer

Australia The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. Their website is http://www.apra.gov.au/adi/Pages/adilist.aspx and lists out all banks

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is responsible for consumer protection laws in financial services and products covering investments, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance and bank deposit-taking (but not lending). Its website covering investment institutions is here http://www.asic.gov.au

Australian Business Registration http://www.abr.business.gov.au/Index.aspx contains the publicly available information provided by businesses when they register for an ABN" (Australian Business Number).

Austria The Financial Market Authority produces regular downloadable pdf files of approved banks, insurance companies and stockbrokers which can be obtained from their website here: https://www.fma.gv.at/en/companies/banks.html

Azerbaijan Regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a full list of authorized banks in English is provided here: http://en.cbar.az/lpages/links/banks-of-azerbaijan/

The Bahamas The Central Bank of The Bahamas produces regular downloadable pdf files which can be obtained from their website here http://www.centralbankbahamas.com Unless an institution is brand new it should be there. It also lists fake sites known to it here http://www.centralbankbahamas.com/legal_notices.lasso This may be useful for inclusion in a kill letter.

However this unofficial site lists on-line all the banks operating in the Bahamas http://www.geographia.com/bahamas/investment/bankng01.htm and is easier to use.
information provided by The Smily Cancer and Swamismurf.

Bahrain Regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, a full list of authorized banks is to be found here: http://www.cbb.gov.bh/iis/register

Bangladesh The central bank is Bangladesh Bank, which supervises and regulates all other banks in the country. The list of legal banks is here: https://www.bb.org.bd/links/links.php

Barbados The Central Bank of Barbados provides a list of licensed financial institutions which can be obtained from their website here: http://www.centralbank.org.bb/banking-supervision/licensed-financial-institutions

Belarus The regulatory authority for banks in Belarus is the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus. Their website (in English) is here:- http://www.nbrb.by/engl/ Details of all authorized banks are on the website here:- http://www.nbrb.by/engl/system/banks.asp

Belgium The Financial Services and Markets Authority regulates banks. It has a website in English, but the list of banks here http://www.fsma.be/nl/Site/Repository/lijsten/ki1.aspx is in Dutch.

Belize Lists and warning notices are provided by the Central bank of Belize here http://www.centralbank.org.bz/ There is also a list of warnings about companies not registered to do financial work here http://www.ifsc.gov.bz/ information provided by aarrdvark and Nap Oleon

Benin In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Benin (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Benin-2330.html

Bermuda The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) is responsible for regulation: http://www.bma.bm They have an online list of Licensed Entities here: http://www.bma.bm/banking/SitePages/Licensed%20Entities.aspx There is also a warning list with non-licensed companies and banks who claim to be in Bermuda: http://www.bma.bm/SitePages/warning-list.aspx

Bhutan The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan is responsible for regulation: http://www.rma.org.bt At the bottom of the page, five financial institutions are currently listed:

Bolivia Banks are regulated by the Autoridad de Supervisión del Sistema Financiero. Lists of authorized financial institutions can be found here (in Spanish): https://www.asfi.gob.bo/EntidadesFinancieras/%C3%81mbitodeSupervisi%C3%B3n/ConLicenciadeFuncionamiento.aspx

Bosnia & Herzegovina Banks in Bosnia & Herzegovina are regulated by the Centralna Banka Bosne I Hercegovine. See here for a link (in English) of banks operating in BH: http://www.cbbh.ba/index.php?id=7&lang=en

Botswana Bank of Botswana is responsible for the regulation of financial institutions in Botswana. A list of commercial banks licensed to conduct business in Botswana can be found here: http://www.bankofbotswana.bw/content/2009103015021-banks

Brasil Financial institutions are regulated by the Banco Central do Brasil. While their website does not currently post a complete list of authorized banks, a list of supervised foreign institutions can be downloaded here: http://www.bcb.gov.br/en/#!/n/SUPERVINSTIT There are various reports available here regarding information on supervised banks (including Brazilian banks): https://www3.bcb.gov.br/informes/relatorios?lingua=en Additionally, it may be helpful to check with the BM&F Bovespa (stock exchange) which provides a member search here: http://www.bmfbovespa.com.br/en_us/services/membership/member-search/

British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (FSC) is responsible for the regulation, supervision and inspection of all financial services in and from within the BVI. Such services include insurance, banking, trustee business, company management, mutual funds business as well as the registration of companies, limited partnerships, intellectual property and ships. (So you can spot fake boats in addition to fake banks!)

Their site can be found here: http://www.bvifsc.vg and their list of regulated entities here: http://www.bvifsc.vg/en-gb/regulatedentities.aspx

Brunei Darussalam Banks in Brunei are regulated by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam. A financial institutions directory is here: http://www.ambd.gov.bn/regulatory/financial-institutions-directory

Bulgaria Bulgarian Banks are regulated by The Bulgarian National Bank. The list of licensed banks in Bulgaria can be found (in English) here: http://www.bnb.bg/BankSupervision/BSCreditInstitution/BSCIRegistrers/BS_CI_REG_BANKSLIST_EN

Burkina Faso In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Burkina Faso (in English) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Burkina,2331.html

Burundi The Banque de la République du Burundi is responsible for bank regulation in Burundi. A list of financial institutions can be found here (in French): http://www.brb.bi/fr/content/syst%C3%A8me-financier-burundais

Cabo Verde Islands In the Cape Verde Islands, the banks are regulated by the Banco Central de Cabo Verde. Authorized financial institutions are listed here: http://www.bcv.cv/vEN/supervision/informationonfinancialinstitutions/Paginas/EnderecosFAQs.aspx

Cambodia Cambodian banks are regulated by the National Bank of Cambodia. A list of commercial banks (in English) is here: http://www.nbc.org.kh/english/supervision/commercial_banks.php

Cameroun In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Cameroun go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_Cam_28oct2014.pdf

Canada Regulated by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and they are listed on this website: http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/wt-ow/Pages/wwr-er.aspx?sc=1&gc=1#WWRLink11

Cayman Islands In the Cayman Islands all financial institutions should be registered with the Monetary Authority which puts out regular bulletins on known fake bank websites. Their website is here http://www.cimoney.com.ky

Centrafrique In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Centrafrique go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_%20RCA%20_28oct14.pdf

Chad See under Tschad

Channel Islands Any banks operating out of the Channel Islands are either regulated by the Guernsey or the Jersey Authorities. See under these 2 countries.

Chile Financial institutions are regulated by the Superintendencia de Bancos e Instituciones Financieras Chile. A list of authorized financial institutions can be found here: http://www.sbif.cl/sbifweb/servlet/ConozcaSBIF?indice=7.5.1.1&idContenido=483

China (Peoples Republic of) Be aware that the central bank of the Peoples Republic is The Peoples Bank of China. The Central Bank of China is the central bank of Taiwan

The People's Bank of China is responsible for the implementation of numerous regulations concerning the operation and risk-management of banking institutions. They are also responsible for supervising and monitoring the operations and balance sheets of all financial institutions in China. Their main website is http://www.pbc.gov.cn/english/130437/index.html

There is now what appears to be a full list of domestic banks here http://www.cbrc.gov.cn/showindexlinks.do?s=dbi and most of the entries are links to the bank's own websites. However, unless you read Chinese, you may have problems, but most of these Chinese Language only banks are strictly local. The major ones all seem to have English Pages to allow non-Chinese Speakers to check out the details.

It is important to note that just because the bank exists, if you are unable to establish the address and telephone number from official sources, you should not assume that the other side is legitimate. Until you are able to establish the bona fides of the bank through an independent third party, treat the other party with extreme suspicion and do not rely on any information provided by them.

  • Savings Banks
    • China has only two major savings banks
      • Yantai Housing Savings Bank
      • Bengbu Housing Savings Bank
    • both of which focus specifically on facilitating the ongoing reforms in the housing market. The principal business activities of the banks include raising funds for home construction and promoting housing reform by providing low-interest mortgage financing for individuals in their respective cities. They bear some resemblance to Western-style building societies, though China still lacks a formal or legal structure for such organizations.
  • f) Joint-venture Banks
    • As of early 1995, about 30 joint-venture banks were operating in China. These banks are principally involved in providing merchant and investment banking services and trade finance for the non-State sector Joint-venture banks which include
      • Xiamen International Bank, established in 1985;
      • Tai Hwa International Bank, a Sino-Thai venture; and
      • China International Capital Corp. (CICC), a joint venture between Morgan Stanley Group Inc. and the China Construction Bank
    • These are helping to transfer international banking practices to China.
  • g) Foreign Banks
    • 24 cities in China are open to foreign banks and their branches, though the vast majority of these banks are concentrated in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. As of year-end 1995, there were more than 100 foreign bank branches operating in China, including Citibank Corp., Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo, Sanwa Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp.
    • Japanese banks have been especially aggressive in China, and have established more financial institutions in China than have Hong Kong and US banks combined. Many of these banks, however, are now facing serious loan repayment problems.
    • Representative Offices are restricted to non-profit activities such as providing financial advice, consultancy and negotiating services, as well as market research for foreign companies. They are forbidden to discount commercial bills or confirm letters of credit. Representative offices cannot initiate business, but can follow up on loans and L/Cs issued at licensed branches.

IMPORTANT: You should report your fake bank to CBRC first English version seems to be major banks only. Main list is in Chinese version of website. There are 1000s of local banks and co-operatives listed.

Colombia Financial institutions are regulated by the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia. A list of authorized institutions (in English) is downloadable here: https://en.superfinanciera.gov.co/jsp/loader.jsf?lServicio=Publicaciones&lTipo=publicaciones&lFuncion=loadContenidoPublicacion&id=10061694

Comores Islands (Comores Union) Financial institutions are regulated by the Banque Centrale des Comores. A list of authorized banks and establishments can now be found here: http://www.banque-comores.km/index.php?pg=etablissements-de-credit

Congo (Brazzaville) Do not confuse this country with the Republique Democratique du Congo below which was originally a Belgian Colony!!

In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Congo go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_%20Congo_28oct2014.pdf

Republique Democratique du Congo Do not confuse this country which is the old Belgian Congo with the old French Colony above. This country is not part of BEAC.

It is regulated by the Banque Centrale du Congo http://www.bcc.cd . The website is in French, however they have a list of licensed banks available here: http://www.bcc.cd/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=74

Cook Islands Banks in the Cook Islands are regulated by the Financial Supervisory Commission. A list of authorized banks can be found here: https://www.fsc.gov.ck/cookIslandsFscApp/content/business-contacts/banks

Costa Rica The Banco Central de Costa Rica is the regulator of financial entities in Costa Rica. Included in the links provided here are the authorized banks and financial institutions: http://www.bccr.fi.cr/bccr_home_page/links_of_interest/

Cote d'Ivoire In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Ivory Coast (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Cote-d-Ivoire-2333.html

Croatia Croatian Banks are regulated by the Hrvatska Udruga Banaka. Authorized banks (in English) are listed on their website here: http://www.hub.hr/en/list-banks-operating-republic-croatia

Cuba Regulated by the Banco Central de Cuba. Its website with a list of all authorized financial institutions (in English) is here: http://www.bc.gob.cu/english/fin_institutions.asp

Cyprus Regulated by the Central Bank of Cyprus and a full list of authorized institutions is to be found here: http://www.centralbank.gov.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=8154

Cyprus, Northern Northern Cyprus is under the control of Turkey and the bank regulator (and list of authorized institutions in English) is to be found here: http://www.bddk.org.tr/WebSitesi/english/Institutions/Institutions.aspx

Czech Republic Regulated by the Czech National Bank, the full lists of authorized institutions can be found here: http://www.cnb.cz/en/supervision_financial_market/lists_registers/

Countries D - G

Denmark Regulated by the the Danish FSA, this page (in English) gives all the regulated areas: https://www.finanstilsynet.dk/en/Tal-og-fakta/Virksomheder-under-tilsyn/VUT-database.aspx

Djibouti The Banque Centrale de Djibouti is responsible for bank regulation in Djibouti. A list (French only) can be found here: http://www.banque-centrale.dj/rubriques/18

Dominica The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp

The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

La República Dominicana The Superintendencia de Bancos de la República Dominicana regulates financial institutions. A list of authorized entities (in Spanish) can be found here: http://www.sib.gob.do/entidades

Ecuador The Superintendencia de Bancos del Ecuador regulates financial institutions. Various lists of authorized financial institutions can be downloaded here: http://www.superbancos.gob.ec/practg/sbs_index?vp_art_id=19&vp_tip=2

Egypt Regulated by the the Central Bank of Egypt, the full list of authorized institutions is found here: http://www.cbe.org.eg/English/Banking+Supervision/Licensing+Lists/

El Salvador Financial institutions in El Salvador are regulated by la Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero. There is a list (Spanish Only) of authorized institutions here: http://www.ssf.gob.sv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=283&Itemid=243

Estonia Regulated by the the Estonian FSA, the full list of authorized institutions is found here http://www.fi.ee/?id=593

Ethiopia Ethiopian banks are regulated by the National Bank of Ethiopia. A list of authorized banks is found here: http://www.nbe.gov.et/financial/banks.html Micro finance banks here: http://www.nbe.gov.et/financial/microfinanceinstitutes.html

Fiji Regulated by the the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the full list of authorized institutions is found here: http://www.rbf.gov.fj/Left-Menu/Regulatory-Framework/Licensed-Institutions.aspx

Finland Regulated by the the Finnish FSA, the full list of authorized entities can be searched or viewed in its entirety here: http://www.fin-fsa.fi/en/About_us/Supervised/Pages/supervisedentities.aspx

France Regulated by the Banque de France, the full list of authorized banks and financial services providers can be found here: http://acpr.banque-france.fr/en/licences-and-authorisations/registers-and-lists/regafi-and-list-of-banks-and-financial-services-providers.html

Reunion, Mayotte, Guadelope are also regulated by Banque de France. This is also true for some of the other obscure, tiny ex colonies (and offshore centers) that dot the pacific that seem to be missing links to central banks. They are usually regulated by the central bank of its particular colonial power with thanks to malleus

Gabón In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Gabón go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_Gab_28oct2014.pdf

The Gambia Gambian banks are regulated by the Central Bank of The Gambia. A list of authorized commercial banks can be found here: http://www.cbg.gm/finance_systems/banking.html

Georgia Regulated by the National Bank of Georgia here: https://www.nbg.gov.ge This may not be a complete list of financial institutions in Georgia, but there is a list (in English) provided for banks participating in Georgia's Real Time Gross Settlement System. List can be found here: https://www.nbg.gov.ge/index.php?m=600&lng=eng

Germany Now regulation is shared by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht and by the Deutsche Bundesbank, there is a search faclity for all regulated banks, financial institutions and Insurance companies (in German) here: https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/sucheForm.do?sucheButtonInstitut=Suche&RAP=-1dbcc871%3A1533d076c77%3A-1b07

Ghana The Bank of Ghana regulates all banks operating in the country. A list of licensed banks can be downloaded here: https://www.bog.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=124

Gibraltar Regulated by the the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission the list of regulated banks and institutions. Looks like the government website is very good- may well be able to find other businesses as well. The site is here: http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi . This leads to the Gibraltar Bankers Association website, which lists authorized banks here: http://www.gba.gi/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=106

Greece Regulated by the the Bank of Greece, the full list of authorized institutions can be found here: http://www.bankofgreece.gr/Pages/en/Supervision/SupervisedInstitutions/default.aspx

Grenada The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Guatemala Banks in Guatemala are regulated by the Banco de Guatemala. They provide a list of nationally recognized Guatemalan banks (Spanish only) here: http://www.banguat.gob.gt/inc/main.asp?id=1853&aud=1&lang=1

Guernsey The Financial Services Commission is responsible for regulating banks, Insurance and Investment Companies which are listed on this website http://www.gfsc.gg/
If a financial institution is not on the list, it is either very recent (in which case e-mail the commission for confirmation) or it is a fake. NB branches also have to be regulated, so if the bank purports to have a Guernsey Office, it should be on the list.

Guinée Bissau In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Guinée Bissau (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Guinee-Bissau,2332.html

Guinée Equitoriale In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Guinée Equitoriale go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_Guin_28oct2014.pdf

Guyana Guyanese banks are regulated by the Bank of Guyana. They provide a list of authorized commercial banks and branches here: https://www.bankofguyana.org.gy/bog/supervised-institutions/list-of-commercial-banks

Countries H -M

Haïti Haitian banks are regulated by the Banque de la République d'Haïti. A list of authorized banks operating in Haiti (French only) can be found here: http://www.brh.net/liste_banques.html

Honduras Banks are regulated by the Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros. A list of authorized financial institutions can be found here: http://www.cnbs.gob.hn/index.php/estados-financieros-auditados-de-las-instituciones-menu/140-estados-financieros-auditados-de-las-instituciones

Hong Kong The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is responsible for regulation and all authorized institutions - there site here: http://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/ They don't have an easily-accessible list of authorized banks at present, but they do have a list (which they update regularly) of fraudulent websites here: http://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/other-information/fraudulent-bank-websites.shtml The Hong Kong Association of Banks provides a list of member banks which should suffice as a reference for checking if a bank is legitimate or not: http://www.hkab.org.hk/DisplayMemberAction.do?sectionid=4&subsectionid=0

Hungary Regulated by the the Magyar Nemzeti Bank, the full list of authorized institutions is found here: http://www.mnb.hu/en/supervision/licensing-and-institution-oversight/market-participants/search-of-market-participants

Iceland Regulated by the the Icelandic FSA, the full list of authorized institutions is found here: http://en.fme.is/supervision/supervised-entities/

India Regulated by the the Reserve Bank of India, the full list of authorized institutions is found here https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/banklinks.aspx

Indonesia Regulated by the the Central Bank of Indonesia here: http://www.bi.go.id/en/ There does not appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized financial institutions posted at this time.

Iran Regulated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran - English home page here: http://www.cbi.ir/default_en.aspx List of authorized banks and credit institutions: http://www.cbi.ir/simplelist/1462.aspx

Iraq Regulated by the Central Bank of Iraq, official website at: http://www.cbiraq.org (There does not currently appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized institutions posted. Coalition Provisional Authority has a list at: http://www.iraqcoalition.org/economy/iraq_private_banks.html

Ireland (Eire) Regulation duties are shared by the the Central Bank of Ireland and the European Central Bank. Links to authorized institutions can be found here: http://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/industry-sectors/credit-institutions/Pages/default.aspx Currently, page 7 at this link lists the "significant supervised entities" in Ireland: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/ssm-listofsupervisedentities1409en.pdf?59d76de0c5663687f594250ebf228c6b Note that NB Eire (Southern Ireland) is an independent country whereas Northern Ireland (Ulster) is governed the UK - see under United Kingdom.

Companies All Eire companies have to be registered at the Companies Registration Office and whilst consulting the details of each company requires a payment, certain information such as the company name, registered address, activities, date of incorporation and accounting dates are available on line for free at this website. http://www.cro.ie/search/
information provided by Bog

Isle of Man The Isle of Man Financial Supervision Authority is responsible for regulating Banking, Investment and other Corporate Service Providers Business on the Isle of Man. There is a search function on their website here: http://www.iomfsa.im/licenceholders/?menuid=25486&status=current

Companies The Isle of Man Government website also has a Companies Registry search which can be found here: https://services.gov.im/companies-registry/

Israel Banks in Israel are under the control of the Bank of Israel. A list of authorized banks and branches can be found here: http://www.boi.org.il/en/BankingSupervision/BanksAndBranchLocations/Pages/Default.aspx

Italy The Bank of Italy regulates financial institutions in Italy. The part of the site responsible for regulating banks is here: https://infostat.bancaditalia.it/giava-inquiry-public/flex/Giava/GIAVAFEInquiry.html# Click on the English option, and then you will have tabs at the top for "Intermediaries", "Groups", and "Branches" which each provide search options. Every legitimate Italian Bank should be a member of the Associazione Bancaria Italiana - http://www.abi.it/Pagine/default.aspx Currently it appears to only have an Italian language option.

Ivory Coast See under Cote d'Ivoire

Jamaica Jamaican banks are regulated by the Bank of Jamaica. A current list of authorized commercial banks operating in Jamaica can be found here: http://boj.org.jm/financial_sys/commercialbanks.php

Japan Regulated by the the Japanese FSA, the full list of authorized institutions can be searched or downloaded in pdf format from here http://www.fsa.go.jp/en/regulated/licensed/index.html and it is now all readable in English information provided by Bunko

Jersey The Financial Services Commission is responsible for regulating banks which are listed under Regulated Entities on this website http://www.jerseyfsc.org/ If a bank is not on it it is a fake. NB branches also have to be regulated, so if the bank purports to have a Jersey Office, it should be on the list.

aarrdvark adds "I ran across this site for the Jersey Bankers Association. http://jerseybankersassociation.com. This is a membership organization, but the site gives useful e-mail addresses for senior bankers on the Island."

Jordan Regulated by the the Central Bank of Jordan, the full list of authorized banks is here: http://www.cbj.gov.jo/pages.php?menu_id=34&local_type=0&local_id=0&local_details=0&local_details1=0&localsite_branchname=CBJ The bank also maintains a list of money exchangers. Current list is here: http://www.cbj.gov.jo/uploads/Exch_Dir_Nov2015_En.pdf

Kazakhstan Banks are regulated by the National Bank of Kazakhstan. A list of institutions authorized to conduct banking and other financial operations can be downloaded here: http://www.afn.kz/?switch=eng&docid=480

Kenya The Central Bank of Kenya regulates financial institutions in Kenya. A list of authorized commercial banks can be found here: https://www.centralbank.go.ke/index.php/bank-supervision/commercial-banks-mortgage-finance-institutions Micro finance institutions are listed here: https://www.centralbank.go.ke/index.php/microfinance-institutions

Kiribati Kiribati has no central bank or national currency. The only commercial banks are the Bank of Kiribati Limited (no website) and ANZ. For more information see: https://www.anz.com/kiribati/en/about-us/anz-in-kiribati/country-information/

Korea (North) The Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the authoritative body, but it has no website. Any banking website encountered which claims to be based in North Korea should be treated as highly suspicious.

Korea (South) The Korean Financial Supervisory Service regulates banks and other financial institutions. A list (in English) of authorized banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://english.fss.or.kr/fss/eng/wpge/eng211.jsp

Kosovo Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo - website here: http://bqk-kos.org/?id=1 They currently do not appear to have a list of authorized institutions.

Kuwait Banks operating in Kuwait are regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait. Their website lists (in English) authorized Kuwaiti banks here: http://www.cbk.gov.kw/en/supervision/financial-units/kuwaiti-banks.jsp Authorized foreign banks here: http://www.cbk.gov.kw/en/supervision/financial-units/foreign-banks.jsp

Kyrgyzstan Banks are regulated by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic. The list of regulated banks is to be found (in English) here: http://www.nbkr.kg/index1.jsp?item=69&lang=ENG

Laos Banks in Laos are regulated by the Bank of the Lao P.D.R. Authorized banks in Laos are listed (in English) here: http://www.bol.gov.la/english/other_banks.html

Latvia Regulated by the the Latvian Securities Market Commission, the full list of authorized institutions can be found here http://www.fktk.lv/en/

Lebanon Banks in Lebanon are regulated by the Banque du Liban. A complete list of authorized banks can be downloaded here: http://www.bdl.gov.lb/downloads/index/4/248/Banks.html

Lesotho Banks in Lesotho are regulated by the Central Bank of Lesotho. A list of banks operating in the country is here: http://www.centralbank.org.ls/supervision/default.php

Liberia The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for bank regulation. Commercial banks operating in Liberia can be found here: http://www.cbl.org.lr/doc/superdoc/commercialbanksadd.pdf

Libya In Libya, banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Libya. A list of authorized commercial banks can be found here: http://cbl.gov.ly/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=264&Itemid=167

Liechtenstein Financial Institutions are regulated by Financial Market Authority and the lists of approved institutions are to be found (in English) here: https://www.fma-li.li/en/financial-centre/financial-market-participants.html

Lithuania Regulated by the the Bank of Lithuania, the full list of authorized banks is to be found here: http://www.lb.lt/banks

Luxembourg
In common with most European Banking Centers, Luxembourg has tight financial regulations which are administered by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. Currently registered banks and financial institutions (in English) are searchable here: http://supervisedentities.cssf.lu/index.html?language=en&type=BNK#AdvancedSearch

Macau All banks operating here must be registered with the Monetary Authority of Macau. Their website is here: http://www.amcm.gov.mo The main authorized institutions list (in English) can be found here: http://www.amcm.gov.mo/en/banking-sector/institutions-list

Macedonia Regulated by the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia. List of banks (and their websites) can be found here: http://www.nbrm.mk/default.asp?ItemID=73C123A25B3BE546BAB84EC620D02AD0

Madagascar Banks in Madagascar are regulated by the Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara. Current list of operating banks (French only) is here: http://www.banque-centrale.mg/index.php?id=m8_4_2

Malawi Banks are regulated by the Reserve Bank of Malawi. The current list of authorized banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://www.rbm.mw/Supervision/BankSupervision?activeTab=BASURegisteredBanks

Malaysia Malaysia has a central Bank (The Bank Negara) which is responsible for supervising all the Malaysian banks, Their website is to be found here http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=13&cat=banking information provided by malleus

Maldives Financial institutions in the Maldives are regulated by the Maldives Monetary Authority. A current list of licensed banks can be found here: http://www.mma.gov.mv/banking/bankregister.pdf

Mali In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Mali (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Mali-2334.html

Malta In common with most offshore banking centers, Malta has tight financial regulations which are administered by the Maltese Financial Services Authority. Authorized banks and financial institutions can be searched for here: http://www.mfsa.com.mt/pages/licenceholders.aspx NB branches also have to be regulated, so if the bank purports to have a Maltese Office, it should be listed.

Marshall Islands The only authorized banks in the Marshall Islands are the Bank of Marshall Islands (website here: http://www.bomi.biz ) and the Majuro branch of the Bank of Guam (website here: http://www.bankofguam.com/locations.html#rmi )

Mauritania Banks are regulated by Banque Centrale de Mauritanie. A list of authorized banks (French only) can be found on their website here: http://www.bcm.mr/Supervision%20bancaire%20et%20financi%C3%A8re/Aper%C3%A7u%20sur%20le%20secteur%20bancaire%20Mauritanien/Pages/default.aspx

Mauritius (and Rodrigues) Banks in Mauritius are regulated by the Bank of Mauritius. A downloadable list of authorized banks is available here: http://www.bom.mu/?id=60007 Many other financial institutions - stock brokers, insurance companies, investment companies, etc. are regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission - website here: http://www.fscmauritius.org

Mexico Banks in Mexico are regulated by the Banco de Mexico, the country's central bank. Their website can be found here: http://www.banxico.org.mx While there is a lot of information (in English as well), there does not appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized financial institutions at present.

Federated States of Micronesia The FSM is a sovereign nation and also a United States associated state. Therefore, banks are insured by the FDIC and can be found by searching here: https://research.fdic.gov/bankfind/results.html?name=&fdic=&address=&city=&state=FM&zip= At present, the only two authorized banks in Micronesia are The Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia (no website) and the Bank of Guam - website here: http://www.bankofguam.com/locations.html#fsm

Moldova Banks in Moldova a regulated by the National Bank of Moldova. A list of authorized banks (in English) can be found here: http://www.bnm.org/en/content/authorized-banks-republic-moldova?open=all_banks

Monaco Financial institutions in Monaco are regulated by Commission for the Control of Financial Activities (CCAF). A list of accredited entities can be found here: http://www.ccaf.mc/en/the-ccaf-in-one-click/fund-entity-and-approved

Mongolia Bank of Mongolia is the central bank which regulates banking for the countries. A list of authorized banks can be found at the bottom of the page here: https://www.mongolbank.mn/eng/aboutus.aspx?id=1

Montenegro The Centralna Banka Crne Gore (Central Bank of Montenegro) is responsible for bank supervision. A list of authorized banks (in English) can be found here: http://www.cb-mn.org/eng/index.php?mn1=bank_supervision&mn2=banking_system&mn3=licensed_banks

Montserrat The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country. Additionally, the Financial Services Commission Montserrat has lists of regulated entities here: http://www.fscmontserrat.org/regulated-entities/international-offshore-banking/

Morocco Bank Al-Maghrib is responsible for regulating banks in Morocco - see: http://www.bkam.ma Current list of financial institutions is listed here in English: http://www.bkam.ma/wps/portal/net/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKL94o3CvQHSZnFe8QbebvqR2KIuSDEfD3yc1P1g1Lz9L31A_QLckMjyh0dFQEkMNaC/delta/base64xml/L0lDU0NUTzdvSko3dWFDU1lKQ2dwUkNncFJBISEvWUNVRUFBQUlJQ0lBQU1NTU1NTU1LS01NTUtNTUdHTUlPQkpCSk9CRk5GTk9GQSEhLzRKRmlDT3NUbEU2Q3VBMkp5aWRCWGZyQ0Zac09ZYmhIWWNvM0dJQSEvN19JXzlMRy8xL3NwZl9BY3Rpb25OYW1lL3NwZl9BY3Rpb25MaXN0ZW5lci9zcGZfc3RydXRzQWN0aW9uLyEyZkxpc3RlRXRhYkNyZWRpdFNlYXJjaCEyZk1hbmFnZS5kbyEzZmNydWQ9cHJlbG9hZA!!#7_I_9LG And here in French: http://www.bkam.ma/wps/portal/net/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKL94o3CvQHSZnFe8QbebvqR2KIuSDEfD3yc1P1g1LzgLKR5vGe8ZY-7voh-t76AfoFuaER5X4mjgD3amzK/delta/base64xml/L0lKWWttUSEhL3dITUFLc0FFVUFOby80SUVhREFBIS9mcg!!?Lien=V

Mozambique Financial institutions are regulated by the Banco de Moçambique. A list can be found (in English) here: http://www.bancomoc.mz/fm_instituicoes.aspx The previous link is correct, however when checking it sometimes gives an error because of how the website is set up. To find the list, go to http://www.bancomoc.mz and under the 'Supervision' tab, select 'Banking System'.

Myanmar (Burma) The Central Bank of Myanmar regulates banks in Myanmar. List of state-owned banks is here: http://www.cbm.gov.mm/content/state-owned-banks List of foreign banks operating in Myanmar is here: http://www.cbm.gov.mm/content/1228

Countries N - S

Namibia Banks in Namibia are regulated by the Bank of Namibia. A list of authorized banking institutions can be found here: https://www.bon.com.na/Bank/Banking-Supervision/The-Banking-System-in-Namibia.aspx

Nauru Information on banking in Nauru is very limited as the country currently rebuilding its banking system. In theory, the Bank of Nauru is the central bank, but it does not have a website. Any bank websites encountered which claim to be based in Nauru should be treated with suspicion. Here is a link to the country's government website: http://www.naurugov.nr

The Netherlands The Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) is the regulator for financial institutions in Holland. A listing as well as search of authorized institutions is available here: http://www.dnb.nl/en/supervision/consumer-and-supervision/registers/WFTKF/index.jsp

Any Corporate Entity
The Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KvK) lists all Dutch companies in its trade register and gives their addresses and their KvK-number. Their website has a section in English here: http://www.kvk.nl/english/

Caribbean Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles) The Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) is the regulator for financial institutions in Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius (Statia), and Sint Maarten. A list of authorized financial institutions can be downloaded here: http://www.cn.dnb.nl/en/supervision/supervision_of_money_transactions_offices/registers

Nepal Banks in Nepal are regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank here: http://nrb.org.np The current list of list of banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://nrb.org.np/bfr/pdffiles/List_of_BFIs_Jan_2016_English.pdf

Nevis The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country. It also appears that there is a separate Nevis Financial Services Regulatory Commission, which currently provides a more complete listing of authorized institutions here: http://www.nevisfsrc.com/regulated-entities

New Zealand All banks operating here must be registered with the Reserve Bank and are required by law to disclose their financial condition each quarter. Here is a current list of these banks: http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/regulation-and-supervision/banks/list-of-registered-banks-in-new-zealand-past-and-present

Additionally, a search for registered New Zealand companies can be found here: https://www.business.govt.nz/companies/

Nicaragua Regulated by the Superintendencia de Bancos y de Otras Instituciones Financieras. Authorized banks and institutions are currently listed here: http://www.superintendencia.gob.ni/index.php?web=contenido&idd=1&idw=8

Niger In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Niger (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Niger,2335.html

Nigeria Nigerian Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria and all approved banks are listed on ther website here. http://www.cenbank.org/Supervision/finstitutions.asp Nigeria has undergone a major consolidation of its banking system and the bank has finally managed to update its website to reflect this. The various types of regulated institutions are listed on line and it is easy to search for them by name from the lists of different types of institution. However being Nigeria, the site can have spelling mistakes (eg Standard Chatered Bank Nigeria Ltd). You are advised to search all the categories carefully to ensure you do not miss a genuine institution. The site lists telephone numbers and web addresses which may help identify fraudsters using legitimate bank information.

Stock Exchanges
The Nigerian Stock Exchange is quite large with many listed companies. Its website is here http://www.nigerianstockexchange.com and can be used to check information given out by potential fraudsters.

Licensed Oil Service Companies
The Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources requires all Oil Service Companies to be licensed. Their website can be found here: https://dpr.gov.ng/index/ Towards the bottom of the page (in the center) there is a link to the current List of Private Licensed Refineries which takes you to: http://centurionglobalsoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/List-of-Private-Refineries-Licences.pdf

Norway Financial institutions are regulated by the Finanstilsynet (The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway). To search (in English) authorized institutions by name or organization number, see: http://www.finanstilsynet.no/en/Secondary-menu/Finanstilsynets-registry/

Northern Cyprus See under Cyprus, Northern

Oman Banks in Oman are regulated by the Central Bank of Oman Lists with banks and other stuff here: http://www.cbo-oman.org/related.htm information provided by The Smily Cancer

Pakistan The State Bank of Pakistan regulates and supervises all banks and other financial companies in the country. A list of licensed banks and their correct web sites (if any) is at http://www.sbp.org.pk/about/banks_nbfis/index.htm
information provided by Pfiesty

Palau Banks in Palau are regulated by the Financial Institutions Commission. A list of approved banks can be found here: http://www.ropfic.org/approved-banks.html

Palestine The Palestine Monetary Authority here http://www.pma.ps regulates financial institutions in Palestine. Their current list of authorized banks is here: http://www.pma.ps/Default.aspx?tabid=379&language=en-US

Panama The Panama banking regulator is the Superintendency of Banks of Panama. A list of authorized state-owned banks can be found here: https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/en/gen-info-banks/state-owned-banks A list of authorized general license banks can be found here: https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/en/gen-info-banks/general-license A list of authorized international license banks here: https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/en/gen-info-banks/international-license

Papua New Guinea Banks in PNG are regulated by the Bank of Papua New Guinea (and there are currently only 4). Here is a list of the current commercial banks in PNG: http://www.bankpng.gov.pg/commercial-banks/

Paraguay Financial institutions in Paraguay are regulated by the Banco Central del Paraguay. Their website is here (Spanish only): https://www.bcp.gov.py ) At this time, it does not appear they have an easily-accessible list of authorized banks or financial institutions.

Perú Banco Central de Reserva Perú regulates financial institutions for the country. A list of authorized banking and financial institutions (in English) can be found here: http://www.bcrp.gob.pe/other-webs/banking-and-financial-institutions.html

The Phillipines Regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Their directory "contains the directory of banks and quasi-banks and the listings of financial institutions a with special authorities/authorized to engage in specialized functions." http://www.bsp.gov.ph/banking/directory.asp information provided by TSC

Poland Regulated by the National Bank of Poland. Authorized financial institutions can be searched at their website (in English) here: http://www.ewib.nbp.pl/?lang=en

Portugal Regulated by the National Bank of Portugal, the full list of authorized banks is to be found here: http://www.bportugal.pt/en-US/Supervisao/Pages/Instituicoesautorizadas.aspx

Qatar Banks are regulated by the Qatar Central Bank. Lists of authorized banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://www.qcb.gov.qa/english/supervisionapproach/licensingandregistration/pages/registration.aspx

Romania The National Bank of Romania is responsible for regulating Romanian banks; its website is here: http://www.bnro.ro/Home.aspx It does not however appear to have an easily-accessible list of authorized institutions at this time. This list may or may not be complete, but authorized members of the Romanian Banking Association are posted here: http://www.arb.ro/en/about-rba/member-banks/

Russia The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is responsible for regulating Russian banks; its (in English) website is here http://www.cbr.ru/eng/ If there is a search or a list of authorized banks, it is currently unavailable on the English language part of the site.

Rwanda The National Bank of Rwanda here http://www.bnr.rw is responsible for bank regulation. A current list of licensed banks can be downloaded here: http://www.bnr.rw/index.php?id=317

St Kitts & NevisThe countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

St Lucia The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

St Vincent & The Grenadines The countries comprising the old British West Indies have a joint central bank - The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which links with the local regulators in the various countries of this community. Its website is here http://www.eccb-centralbank.org/Financial/index.asp The easiest way to find the regulated institution is to use the scroll-able menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country. That said, it only regulates local banks. The international financial sector is regulated by the International Financial Services Authority of St Vincent & The Grenadines. Licensed Financial Institutions can be found here: http://svgfsa.com/fin_institutions.html

Samoa The Central Bank of Samoa is in charge of regulation, and there are currently only four commercial banks registered in the country. These can be found here: http://www.cbs.gov.ws/index.php/banking-system/supervison-and-regulation/commercial-banks/

San Marino The Banca Centrale della Repubblica di San Marino maintains a list of authroized banks operating in the republic here: http://www.bcsm.sm/site/en/home/functions/statutary-functions/payments-system/authorized-banks.html

Sao Tome and Principe The Central Bank of Sao Tome and Principe maintains a register of banks and other financial institutions which can be found (in Portuguese) here: http://www.bcstp.st/InstituicoesFinanceiras.aspx

Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority regulates banks operating in the Kingdom. Authorized Saudi banks can be found here: http://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/License/Pages/SaudiBanks.aspx Authorized foreign banks can be found here: http://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/License/Pages/InternationalBanks.aspx

Sénégal In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Banks in Sénégal (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Senegal-2336.html

Serbia and Montenegro (Former Yugoslavia) See also separate entry for Montenegro Regulation is done by the Narodna Banka Srbije. Information on authorized banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://www.nbs.rs/internet/english/15/index.html

The Seychelles The financial institutions operating in the Seychelles are regulated by the Central Bank. Its website is here http://www.cbs.sc However, at this time it does not appear to have an easily-accessible list of authorized institutions.

Sierra Leone Banks and financial institutions are regulated by the Bank of Sierra Leone. A current directory of authorized banks and financial institutions can be found here: http://www.bsl.gov.sl/financial_institutions.html

Singapore The Monetary Authority of Singapore regulates financial institutions. They have an overview of different types of institutions which can be found here: http://www.bsi.si/en/banking-supervision.asp?MapaId=105 However, at present there does not appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized financial institutions.

Slovakia Banks are regulated by the Národná banka Slovenska - website (in English) here: http://www.nbs.sk/en/home They don't appear to have a list of authorized banks, but a list of authorized banks can be found on the Slovenská Banková Asociácia website here: http://www.sbaonline.sk/en/banking-sector/banks-in-slovakia/

Slovenia Regulated by the Bank of Slovenia, authorized banks and financial institutions can be found (in English) here: http://www.bsi.si/en/banking-supervision.asp?MapaId=105

Solomon Islands Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands here: http://www.cbsi.com.sb There is not currently a posted list of authorized banks, however the main commercial banks in the country are Bank of South Pacific, National Bank of Solomon Islands, ANZ, and Westpac. If a bank website is encountered claiming to be from the Solomon Islands, and it is not one of these, it is highly likely to not be legitimate.

Somalia Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Somalia. For a list of authorized banks, see: http://www.centralbank.gov.so/banks.html

South Africa All banks operating in South Africa (whether local or foreign) are regulated by The Reserve Bank of South Africa. Here is a link to the current list of authorized banks: https://www.resbank.co.za/RegulationAndSupervision/BankSupervision/Pages/SouthAfricanRegisteredBanksAndRepresentativeOffices.aspx *Note - previous link is correct, but gives an error if visiting for the first time. To get to the list, go to https://www.resbank.co.za , under 'Regulation and Supervision' select 'Bank Supervision' => 'South African Registered Banks and Representative Offices'

Company Registration The Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office register can be searched on line and gives details of all companies registered in SA Its website is http://www.cipro.co.za/Home/. The search facility is bottom left.

Financial Services Board This regulates financial advisers in SA and its website http://www.fsb.co.za/ is a useful jumping off place to check many things. For example for Stockbrokers operating in South Africa whether local or foreign, click on Useful Links. Click on Securities Exchange South Africa. Finally Click on "Find a Broker" and if it is not there its a fake. You can also check on Insurance Brokers and Financial Advisers in the same way!

South Sudan Bank of South Sudan in the new country's central bank, and in theory regulates financial institutions in South Sudan. There website is here (though it currently does not provide any list of authorized financial institutions as of March, 2016): https://bosshq.net

Spain In Spain these are regulated by the Banco de España. Their main website is in English, but for a search of authorized banks it is Spanish-only. Simply select "Bancos" for "Tipo de Entidad" and then enter the name of the bank being searched in the "Nombre de la Entidad" field - website here: http://app.bde.es/ren/app/GetData?CFG=ConsultaTipos.xml&TipoFormato=XSL&Paginate=OPEN&HIST=N

If the company is not on the list it is a fake, and that includes branches of overseas institutions.

Sri Lanka Financial institutions in Sri Lanka are regulated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka here: http://www.cbsl.gov.lk You can currently view a list of licensed entities here: http://www.cbsl.gov.lk/pics_n_docs/01_home/docs/banner_2_e.pdf

Sudan Central Bank of Sudan is responsible for regulation for Sudan. There is a list of operating banks in Sudan here: http://www.cbos.gov.sd/en/node/452

Suriname The Centrale Bank van Suriname regulates banks and financial institutions. A list of authorized financial institutions can be found here: https://www.cbvs.sr/financial-system/payments-systems/339-suriname-financial-institutions

Swaziland Banks in Swaziland are regulated by the Central Bank of Swaziland. A list of authorized commercial banks can be found here: http://www.centralbank.org.sz/functions/banksupervision/index.php

Sweden Regulated by the Swedish Finansinspektionen. The website has an English version here: http://www.fi.se/Folder-EN/Startpage/Gamla-strukturen/Authorisation/Search-company/ However, company searches currently need to be done in Swedish only here: http://www.fi.se/Register/Foretagsregistret/ It should be straightforward enough with "namn" being the name field, and "organisationsnummer" being the organization/company number field.

Switzerland These are regulated by the Swiss Federal Banking Commission. Lists of authorized institutions are downloadable in Excel and PDF format and are updated regularly. They can be found here: https://www.finma.ch/FinmaArchiv/ebk/e/institute/index.html IMPORTANT NOTE Some Swiss banks have an online form for APPLYING for an account, and then the customer receives a "welcome package" in the mail, with documents that have to be signed and notarized etc. before the account is OPENED. NO SWISS BANK OPENS ACCOUNTS ONLINE. They can't. If a website is encountered which claims it opens a Swiss Bank Account Online - Instantly all they are doing is collecting information from you that is confidential (who knows why they want it) and then they collect a fee. If you discover a Swiss Fake Site set up for fraudulent purposes, report it to this federal police site as well as to the registrar and hosting service provider: https://www.cybercrime.admin.ch/kobik/en/home/meldeformular.html

Syria Syria is in the process of rebuilding their banking system. In theory, the Central Bank of Syria is the regulator - website (not currently functioning) here: http://www.banquecentrale.gov.sy If a bank website is encountered which claims to be based in Syria, be cautious.

Countries T - Z

Taiwan For Taiwan the Financial Authority is the Central Bank of China (Do not confuse with the Peoples Bank of China which is the Central Bank of Mainland China). The list of authorized financial institutions is found here: http://www.cbc.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=495&CtUnit=210&BaseDSD=7&mp=2

Tajikistan Banks are regulated by the National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan. A list of organizations (in English) can be found here: http://nbt.tj/en/banking_system/list-of-the-credit-organizations.php

Tanzania Regulation is by Bank of Tanzania. Directory of authorized banks operating in Tanzania can be found here: http://www.bot-tz.org/BankingSupervision/RegisteredBanks.asp

Thailand Thai Banks are regulated by the Bank of Thailand and this web-page lists the approved financial institutions: https://www.bot.or.th/English/FinancialInstitutions/WebsiteFI/Pages/InstList.aspx

Timor-Leste Banks in Timor are regulated by the Banco Central de Timor-Leste. A list of authorized financial institutions (in English) can be seen here: https://www.bancocentral.tl/en/bcregistry.asp

Togo In the countries comprising the old French West Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Togolese bank (in French) are listed here http://www.bceao.int/Togo-2337.html

Tonga The National Reserve Bank of Tonga regulates banks (there are currently only 5 listed). The list of authorized banks can be found here: http://www.reservebank.to/index.php/affiliations

Trinidad & Tobago The Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago is the bank regulator, and they have a list of authorized banks and financial institutions here: http://www.central-bank.org.tt/content/banking-sector

Tschad In the countries comprising the old French Central Africa, all financial institutions should be registered with the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centale. The website of BEAC is not as advanced as that of BCEAO and is only in French https://www.beac.int/index.php/supervision-bancaire/lexique-des-banques-de-la-cemac . For a complete list of banks in Tschad go to https://www.beac.int/download/Liste_Banques_Tchad_28oct2014.pdf

Tunisia Financial institutions are regulated by the Banque Centrale de Tunisie - website (in English) here: http://www.bct.gov.tn/bct/siteprod/index.jsp?la=AN At present, there does not appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized banks.

Turkey The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency list is to be found here: http://www.bddk.org.tr/WebSitesi/english/Institutions/Institutions.aspx

Turkmenistan Banking is regulated by the Central Bank of Turkmenistan. A list of authorized banks can be found here: http://www.cbt.tm/en/banklar.html

Turks & Caicos Islands Authorized banks in T&C are regulated by the Turks & Caicos Islands Financial Services Commission. A current list of licensed banks can be found here: http://www.tcifsc.tc/departments/banks-trust-companies-money-transmitters2/banks/licenced-banks

Tuvalu There are only two authorized banks on the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu (and neither currently have their own websites). These are the National Bank of Tuvalu and The Development Bank of Tuvalu. If a website is found claiming to be a Tuvalu-based bank, it is likely not legitimate.

Uganda Financial institutions are regulated by the Bank of Uganda. Lists of bank and authorized financial institutions can be downloaded here: https://www.bou.or.ug/bou/supervision/financial_institutions.html

The Ukraine The National Bank of Ukraine serves as the Ukrainian banking regulator - http://www.bank.gov.ua/control/en/index It does not appear there is currently an easily-accessible list of authorized banks.

United Arab Emirates In the countries comprising the United Arab Emirates, all financial institutions should be registered with the Central Bank of the UAE. Their website (in English) is here: http://www.centralbank.ae/en/index.php There are a number of bank lists- please check all in doing research under Banks and Other Financial Institutions. A good place to start: http://www.centralbank.ae/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=117&Itemid=97 or here:http://www.centralbank.ae/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=74

Be aware of false negatives, since there are several lists and the lists are updated infrequently. If a bank claims to have been set up after the date of the list one can e-mail the Bank Supervision Dept here Banking Supervision and Examination Department - bsed@cbuae.gov.ae or the Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit amlscu@cbuae.gov.ae

United Kingdom In the UK financial institutions are now regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and can be searched for on this web-site: https://register.fca.org.uk

This site previously listed known fakes, but is no longer updated: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/internet.shtml

Companies In the UK all companies have to be registered at Companies House and whilst consulting the details of each company requires a payment, certain information such as the company name, registered address, activities, date of incorporation and accounting dates are available on line for free at this website. http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/info/

United States

Bank Regulators

Financial institutions include banks, savings and loans, savings banks and credit unions and thrift companies. Each state has its own regulatory agency with the authority to charter, license, or regulate various types of financial institutions. No two states regulate financial institutions in the same way. Not all financial institutions within each state are listed on their state web sites. Some state pages will give web sites of the banking institutions. Some states list only State Charter Banks and other States list all banking institutions. Included is the Business Entity Search that should locate all financial institutions within the state. All sites do not have a direct link and you must copy and paste the address.

Banks in the US can have either a Federal charter, or a State Charter (or both) The Office of the Comptroller of Currency is the federal regulator and its website is here http://www.occ.treas.gov/ This might be a better entry point: http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm

Banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations may choose either a Federal or a State charter. This applies to foreign banks as well. So in the US, one must first look at the Federal regulator and then look at the particular state regulator. Federally chartered are identified by "national", "N.A.", or "national association" appearing in their titles.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Banks can choose to be insured by the FDIC deposit insurance or some other deposit insurance. It is not a requirement to have FDIC deposit insurance but where a bank is insured by the FDIC, they must display its very distinctive logo. Some fake banks have stolen this logo claiming to be insured by the FDIC. However, if you search the FDIC website https://www.fdic.gov only the genuine banks will be revealed. If a bank website is claiming FDIC membership AND claiming to be based in somewhere other than the United States - it is fake.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
Regulates, charters, and insures the nation's federal credit unions. In addition, NCUA insures state-chartered credit unions that desire and qualify for federal insurance. In some states, state-chartered credit unions are required by state law to be federally insured. The Federally chartered credit unions often have the word Federal in their names. NCUA website in found here: https://www.ncua.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Some USA states list USA companies or corporations branch offices as Foreign due to their headquarters being out-of-state. A business with their head quarters in another country is always a Foreign Company and must be registered with the USA state that they want to do business in.

List of State Regulators

Alabama: State Banking Department Website here: http://www.bank.state.al.us All banks chartered in Alabama must have FDIC deposit insurance - search here: https://www5.fdic.gov/idasp/main.asp

Alaska: Department of Commerce Directory of all banks and financial institutions can be downloaded here: https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/dbs/Banking.aspx

Arizona: Department of Financial Institutions All banks chartered in Arizona have FDIC deposit insurance Financial institutions: http://azdfi.gov/Licensing/Licensing-FinInst/Licensing-FinInst.html

Arkansas: State Bank Department, Securities Department Financial institutions lists can be found here: http://banking.arkansas.gov/financial-institution-info/financial-institution-lists

California: Bank on California Financial institutions: http://www.bankoncalifornia.ca.gov/Financial_Institutions.html

Colorado: Department of Regulatory Agencies Financial institutions can be searched here: http://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/real/bidS_Search.Search_Page

Connecticut: Department of Banking Authorized banks currently listed here: http://www.ct.gov/dob/cwp/view.asp?a=2228&Q=296954

Delaware: Bank Commissioner Financial institutions listed here: http://banking.delaware.gov/pdfs/financialinstitutions/DEFinInstitutions.pdf

District of Columbia: Federal Capital of the United States List of banks in DC is here: http://disb.dc.gov/page/list-banks-district-columbia

Florida: Office of Financial Regulation: Search of authorized financial institutions listed here: https://real.flofr.com/ConsumerServices/FinancialInstitutions/InstSrch.aspx

Georgia: Department of Banking and Finance There is an available search for banks and financial institutions here: http://dbf.georgia.gov/banking-information-and-searches

Hawaii: Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Website is here: http://cca.hawaii.gov/dfi/ Currently, main authorized banks are listed here: http://cca.hawaii.gov/dfi/files/2012/11/Financial-Institutions-09.15.2015.pdf

Idaho: Department of Finance Information view-able/downloadable at bottom of the page here: http://www.finance.idaho.gov/Banking/Banking.aspx

Illinois: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Financial Institutions (DFI) Information can be found here: http://www.idfpr.com/DFI.asp

Indiana: Department of Financial Institutions: Depository institution listing is currently available here: http://extranet.dfi.in.gov/Depository/DepositoryListing

Iowa: Division of Banking: List of regulated entities can be found here: http://www.idob.state.ia.us/bank/docs/regenty.aspx

Kansas: State Bank Commissioner of Kansas Lists of authorized institutions are here: http://www.osbckansas.org/consumers/whoregulates.html

Kentucky: Department of Financial Institutions Website is searchable here: http://kfi.ky.gov/search/Pages/default.aspx

Louisiana: Office of Financial Institutions < Banks can be found here: http://www.ofi.state.la.us/newbkwebs.htm

Maine: Bureau of Financial Institutions Regulated financial institutions are listed here: http://www.state.me.us/pfr/financialinstitutions/regulated.htm

Maryland: Financial Regulation Lists of regulated banks, credit unions, etc. can be found here: http://www.dllr.state.md.us/finance/banks/

Massachusetts: Office of Consumer Affairs Authorized banks can be searched here: http://www.mass.gov/treasury/cash-management/bank-lists/

Michigan: Department of Insurance and Financial Services Authorized financial institutions can be found listed here: https://www.michigan.gov/difs/0,5269,7-303-13251---,00.html

Minnesota: Business & Lien System Business search is available here: https://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us

Mississippi: Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance Authorized financial institutions can be found here: http://www.dbcf.state.ms.us/banking.asp

Missouri: Secretary of State A search tool for all state business entities: https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/BESearch.aspx?SearchType=0

Montana: Secretary of State Search for authorized business entities here: https://app.mt.gov/bes/

Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance Lists and search available here: http://www.ndbf.ne.gov/searches/fisearch.shtml

Nevada: Department of Business and Industry Authorized financial institutions (and contact information) available here: http://fid.state.nv.us

New Hampshire: Banking Department Downloadable lists of authorized financial institutions can be found here: http://www.nh.gov/banking/bank-cu-trust/index.htm

New Jersey: Department of Banking and Insurance Financial institutions are listed here: http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/bankwebinfo.htm

New Mexico: Regulation & Licensing Department Authorized financial institutions can be found here: http://www.rld.state.nm.us/financialinstitutions/

New York: Department of Financial Services Lists of supervised entities can be found here: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/about/whowesupervise.htm

North Carolina: State Commissioner of Banks Authorized financial institutions are currently listed here: https://www.nccob.org/Online/brts/BanksAndTrusts.aspx

North Dakota: Department of Financial Institutions A search of authorized financial institutions is available here: http://www.nd.gov/dfi/regulate/reg/regulated.asp

Ohio: Department of Commerce: Division of Financial Institutions can be found here: http://www.com.state.oh.us/fiin/default.aspx

Oklahoma: Banking Department Regulated entities are listed here: https://www.ok.gov/banking/Who_We_Regulate/index.html

Oregon: Division of Finance Regulation Authorized banks and trust companies can be found here: http://www.dfcs.oregon.gov/banks_trusts.html

Pennsylvania: Department of Banking & Securities Banks, credit unions, and trust companies are listed here: http://www.dobs.pa.gov/Businesses/Banking/Pages/default.aspx#.VvT2i3pRLG4

Puerto Rico: Commissioner of Financial Institutions PR Website (in English) is here: http://www.ocif.gobierno.pr/index_eng.html Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) search available here: https://www5.fdic.gov/idasp/main.asp

Rhode Island: Department of Business Regulation A link to searchable institutions can be found here: http://www.dbr.ri.gov/divisions/banking/banks.php

South Carolina: Office of the Commissioner of Banking Regulated institutions are listed here: http://www.banking.sc.gov/regulatedinstitutions/Pages/default.aspx

South Dakota: Department of Revenue Website is here (though currently does not have an easily-accessible list of authorized institutions): http://dor.sd.gov

Tennessee: Department of Financial Institutions Regulated entities are listed here: http://www.tennessee.gov/tdfi/topic/who-we-regulate

Texas: Department of Banking Licensed financial institutions can be found here: http://www.dob.texas.gov

Utah: Department of Financial Institutions Authorized financial institutions are listed here: http://dfi.utah.gov/financial-institutions/

Virgin Islands US: Chairman of Banking Board FDIC: http://www2.fdic.gov/idasp/main_bankfind.asp
Government website here (but no list of authorized banks at present): http://ltg.gov.vi/welcome-2.html

Vermont: Department of Financial Regulation Lists of regulated entities are available here: http://www.dfr.vermont.gov/banking/find-company

Virginia: State Corporation Commission Regulated institutions are listed here: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/bfi/index.aspx

Washington: Department of Financial Institutions Authorized financial institutions are listed here: http://www.dfi.wa.gov/banks/who-we-regulate

West Virginia: Division of Financial Institutions Authorized financial institutions are listed here: http://www.dfi.wv.gov/banking/insitutions/Pages/default.aspx

Wisconsin: Department of Financial Institutions A search for authorized banking institutions is available here: http://www.wdfi.org/fi/banks/licensee_lists/

Wyoming: Division of Banking Website found here: https://sites.google.com/a/wyo.gov/banking/


The Office of the Comptroller of Currency is the federal regulator and its website is here http://www.occ.treas.gov/ This might be a better entry point: http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm

Regional OCC Offices'
Central District
Responsible for national banks headquartered in Illinois, Indiana, Eastern and Northwestern Iowa, Northern Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Eastern Missouri,
North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Southwestern Virginia, Southwestern West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Central District Office
One Financial Place -- Suite 2700
440 South LaSalle St. -- Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 360-8800 -- TDD (312) 360-8827

Northeastern District
Responsible for national banks headquartered in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Northern Virginia, and Northern West Virginia. Northeastern District Office
1114 Avenue of the Americas -- Suite 3900
New York, NY 10036
(212) 819-9860 -- TDD (212) 790-4084

Southern District
Responsible for national banks headquartered in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Southern Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Southern West Virginia. Southern District Office
500 North Akard Street -- Suite 1600
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 720-0656 -- TDD (214)720-7086

Western District
Responsible for national banks headquartered in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Western Iowa, Kansas,
Western Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Guam. Western District Office
1225 17th Street -- Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202
(720) 475-7600 -- TDD (720) 475-7697

Uruguay All banks are regulated by the Banco Central de Uruguay here: http://www.bcu.gub.uy . There does not appear to be an easily-accessible list of authorized banks at this time.

Uzbekistan Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Their website is here (but is currently not functioning): http://www.cbu.uz

Vanuatu All banks are regulated by the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu. They are listed here: http://www.rbv.gov.vu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143%3Alist-of-authorized-financial-institutions&catid=49%3Aauthorized-banks-and-supervised-institutions&Itemid=103&lang=en

Vatican City The only bank in the city-state is the Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR) - also known as the Vatican Bank. Their website is here: http://www.ior.va/content/ior/en.html

Venezuela In Venezuela, the banks are regulated by the Superintendente de Bancos and the list of banks (Spanish only) is here: http://sudeban.gob.ve/?page_id=151

Vietnam All banks are regulated by the State Bank of Vietnam. Authorized banks and financial institutions are listed (in English) here: http://www.sbv.gov.vn/portal/faces/en/enpages/creditis

Yemen The Central Bank of Yemen supervises the banking system. Its website is here http://www.centralbank.gov.ye There are seventeen commercial banks in the country, four of which are Islamic. These seventeen are all on this list here: http://www.centralbank.gov.ye/combanks.htm

Zambia All banks should be registered with the Bank of Zambia. They are listed here http://www.boz.zm under 'Supervision'. *Note - site goes on/offline at present.

Zimbabwe Zimbabwean banks are registered with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. They are listed here: http://www.rbz.co.zw/banking-institutions.html Additionally, micro fiance banks are listed here: http://www.rbz.co.zw/mfis.html

Useful International Sites

Web Searches

Bank for International Settlements Website In many countries, the organisation responsible for regulating banks is the local Central Bank.. This BIS website lists the individual central bank websites which can be used to check out the banks in the countries concerned. http://www.bis.org/cbanks.htm

The Bankers' Almanac
Lists the bank regulators around the world on its website http://www.bankersalmanac.com/addcon/infobank/bank-regulators.aspx However unless you are a subscriber, you then have to google search for the institution required.

Wikipedia
List of financial regulatory authorities by country can be found here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_financial_regulatory_authorities_by_country

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