Old Coaster's List of Bank Regulators around the World

From aa419
Jump to: navigation, search

Most Countries have web-sites set up by their regulators that can be searched to find any regulated financial entity. If it is missing from the regulator's list , it is a fake and this information is not open to any doubt at all. However, please be careful, since it is easy to get a false negative.

Here is a list of the various regulators we have found so far. If a Regulator is not on the list, please either pm me or post it in the forum thread. I will check it out and add it as soon as possible.

Please note that this list is published here for the benefit of anyone trying to check whether a bank or other 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 the author.

Countries A - C

Albania Regulated by the Bank of Albania, a full list of authorised banks is to be found here. http://www.bankofalbania.org/ Click on "English" and then "Banks in Albania" under "Banking Supervision". information provided by Baitonastick

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

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 http://www.inaf.ad/angles/index.php (only works on IE, go to Bodies, Banks, Authorized Banks)

The same list can be found here: http://www.andorra.be/en/3.5.htm information provided by Captain Igloo

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 scrollable 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 scrollable menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Armenia Regulated by the Central Bank of Armenia, the full registry can be found here http://www.cba.am/bankmenu.asp?bankleft information provided by Rage

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 searchable website is http://www.apra.gov.au/adi/ADIList.cfm 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/asic/asic.nsf

Australian Business Registration http://www.abr.business.gov.au/(4zdd3255jlvfu555sc3efnvs)/main.aspx contains the publicly available information provided by businesses when they register for an ABN" (Australia Business Number). information provided by Capt Ahab

Austria The Financial Market Authority produces regular downloadable pdf files of approved banks, insurance companies and stockbrokers which can be obained from their website here. http://www.fma.gv.at/en/fma.htm Unless an institution is brand new it should be there.

Azerbaijan Regulated by the national Bank of Azerbaijan, a full list of authorised banks in Word can be downloaded from here http://www.nba.az/eng/analitic/. information provided by Baitonastick

The Bahamas The Central Bank of The Bahamas produces regular downloadable pdf files which can be obained from their website here http://www.centralbankbahamas.com Unless an institution is brand new it should be there.

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 Swamismurf

Bahrain Regulated by the Bahrain Monetary Authority, a full list of authorised banks is to be found here. http://www.bma.gov.bh/ . information provided by Baitonastick

Bangladesh The central bank is Bangladesh Bank, which supervises and regulates all other banks in the country (a detailed description of their activities and responsibilities is here: http://www.bangladesh-bank.org/fnansys/fnansys.html ). The list of legal banks is here: http://www.bangladesh-bank.org/other/bank-finan.html
information provided by Pfiesty

Barbados The Central Bank of Barbados produces regular downloadable pdf files which can be obained from their website here. http://www.centralbank.org.bb/Financial/finance.shtml Unless an institution is brand new it should be there.

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 authorised banks are on the website here:- http://www.nbrb.by/engl/system/banks.asp

Belgium The Banking Finance and Insurance Commission regulates banks. It has a website in English, but the List of banks here http://www.cbfa.be/fr/ki/ki.asp is in French. Unless an institution is brand new it should be there.

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

Bermuda The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) is responsible for regulation: http://www.bma.bm They have an online list of Licensed Banks and Deposit Companies: http://www.bma.bm/Banking/Licensed_Banks_and_Deposit_Companies

And a warning list with non-licensed companies and banks who claim to be in Bermuda: http://www.bma.bm/Home/Warning_List information provided by loPloP

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 bank directory specifically: http://www.bvifsc.vg/findir_banksdir.php information provided by Pfiesty

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

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 http://www.beac.int . However, http://www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Cameroun go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Cameroun. with thanks to SolidJoe

Canada Regulated by the Office of the Superintendant of Financial Institutions and they are listed on this website. http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/osfi/index_e.aspx?DetailID=568

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/

Swamismurf adds http://www.offshore-bank-list.com/offshore_banks_cayman_islands.html gives the street addresses of most Cayman Islands banks, and therefore is much more helpful than the regulator's site which does not. However, do not rely on this latter site, as it may not be updated regularly.

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 http://www.beac.int . However, http://www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Camaroun go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Centafrique. with thanks to SolidJoe

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.

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/

Here is a list of banks:-

  • c) Policy Banks
    • The establishment of the three policy banks was intended to relieve the Big Four of many of their social lending obligations, and to channel government financing to priority sectors irrespective of the projects' commercial viability. These are:
      • China Development Bank (CDB)
      • Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) http://www.eximbank.gov.cn
      • Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC).
  • d) Regional Banks
    • Regional banks, which can provide financial services within the borders of their respective regions, bear some policy-lending responsibilities but are becoming increasingly commercialized.
      • Shenzhen Development Bank,
      • Pudong Development Bank,
      • Fujian Development Bank, and
      • Guangdong Development Bank
      • China Merchants Bank, owned by the China Merchants Group, has a sister bank in Hong Kong and offers mainly trade finance services.
  • e) 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.


  • Summary of China's Banking System    (Data reference by the year end of 2000)
      •        1 Central Bank
      •        3 Policy Banks to channel long-term funds to target area
      •        4 State Owned Commercial Banks
      •      14 joint-stock commercial banks
      •        2 Housing and Savings Bank
      •    100 city commercial banks (the city government usually the single biggest owner)
      • 1,268 urban credit co-operatives
      • 3,900 agricultural credit co-operatives
      •    168 trust and investment corporations
      •      71 corporate group finance corporations
      •      12 finance lease companies
      •    191 foreign banks

China Banking Regulatory Commission This website is apparently belongs to the regulator, but I cannot find a list of regulated entities there. http://www.cbrc.gov.cn/english/index.htm

IMPORTANT: You should report your fake bank to CBRC first

China Securities Regulatory Commission http://www.csrc.gov.cn/en/homepage/index_en.jsp. Has impressive links to many other securities regulators. information provided by aarrdvark and Wilson 888

Comment by malleus 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.

Comores Islands (Comores Union) There is a huge problem here in that it is not presently clear who regulates the banks on the various Islands. We would strongly recommend anyone attempting to check out a Comores Islands bank to view all of them with extreme suspicion. The official Government Website appears to be http:??www.beit-salam.km and this page lists the position with banks operating there, but regretably, the page is only written in French http://www.presidence-uniondescomores.com/v3/us/ information provided by Frenchie & DSOK

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 http://www.beac.int . However, http://www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Congo go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Congo. with thanks to SolidJoe

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 at http://www.bcc.cd/banqueagree.htm . It is also a good idea to cc any abuse to <b.cabgouv@bcc.cd, (the governor of the BCC) information provided bymafrazou

Costa Rica The Superentendencia General de Entidades Financiera is the prime regulator of Financial entities in Costa Rica and has a searchable website here. http://www.sugef.fi.cr/index.asp The website is mainly in English, but point at the Entidades Financieras icon and click on Grupos Financieras and slide the left hand menu bar. All Costa Rican Banks are listed there.

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

Cyprus Regulated by the Central Bank of Cyprus and a full list of authorised banks is to be found here. http://www.centralbank.gov.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=31

Cyprus, Northern Northern Cyprus is under the control of Turkey and the bank regulator is to be found here http://www.kktcmb.trnc.net http://www.kktcmb.trnc.net/ENGLISH/defaultENG.htm

Bank list is here http://www.kktcmb.trnc.net/ENGLISH/banks/banks-eng.html http://www.kktcmb.trnc.net/ENGLISH/banks/offshore-banks-eng.html information provided by Sandy Beach

Czech Republic Regulated by the Czech Securities Commission, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.sec.cz/script/web/SubjectCategory.asp?Lang=EN

Countries D - G

Denmark Regulated by the the Danish FSA, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://ft-files.webhotel.net/ft/vut/default.asp?lan=2

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 scrollable menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Dominican Republic This site http://www.supbanco.gov.do/entidades/datos/index.html lists all the financial institutions in the country, but regretably, it is only in Spanish. Nevertheless it is easy to find your way around.information provided by ferret

Egypt Regulated by the the Central Bank of Egypt, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.cbe.org.eg/links.htm information provided by buried under 419 e-mails

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

Fiji Regulated by the the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.reservebank.gov.fj/Institution_lic.html information provided by The Smily Cancer

Finland Regulated by the the Finnish FSA, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.rata.bof.fi/Eng/About_us/List_of_supervised_entities_and_notifications/

France Regulated by the Banque de France, the full list of authorised institutions can be downloaded in pdf format from here http://www.banque-france.fr/gb/supervi/agrement/agrement.htm The list is updated quarterly.

Reunion, Mayotte, Guadelope are also regulated by Banque de France. This is also true for some of the other obscure, tiny ex coloniess (and offshore centres) 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 http://www.beac.int . However, http://www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Gabón go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Gabón. with thanks to SolidJoe

Gambia Gambian banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Gambia. However, they do not have a Web site. The Gambian government's site http://www.gambia.gm has a list of banks and other companies on it http://www.gambia.gm/Directory/Page_1/page_1.html information provided by Pfiesty

Germany Regulated by the the Deutsche Bundesbank, the full list of authorised institutions can be downloaded in pdf format from here http://www.bundesbank.de/bankenaufsicht/bankenaufsicht.en.php The list is in German only.

Ghana The Bank of Ghana regulates all banks operating in the country which are split into National banks like SSB and also community banks which are much smaller. This website gives the full list http://www.bog.gov.gh/supervision/liistbanks.htm

I found this list, which unlike the main list, provides addresses and phone numbers: http://www.bog.gov.gh/notices/notice03/banksaddress.htm information provided by aarrdvark

Here's another more complete list of banks in Ghana for downloading in pdf format: http://www.bog.gov.gh/supervision/LicensedBanksaddresses.pdf information provided by Captain Igloo

Gibralter 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/external_website_link/financial_comm.htm 9> information provided by aarrdvark

Greece Regulated by the the Bank of Greece, the full list of authorised institutions can be downloaded in pdf format from here http://www.bankofgreece.gr/en/epopteia/Epopteia-D.asp

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 scrollable menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

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 http://www.beac.int . However,http:// www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Guinée Equitoriale go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Guinée Equitoriale. with thanks to SolidJoe

Countries H -M

Hong Kong The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is responsible for regulation and all authorized institutions are to be found on their website: http://www.info.gov.hk/hkma/index.htm You can also check the status of any entity in Hong Kong which solicits deposits from the public by calling its public enquiry hotline +852 2878 8222.

Hungary Regulated by the the Hungarian FSA, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://english.pszaf.hu/engine.aspx?page=pszafen_supinst

Iceland Regulated by the the Icelandic FSA, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.fme.is/fme-eng.nsf/form/eftirlitsskyldiradilar.html?open&market=Credit%20Market

India Regulated by the the Reserve Bank of India, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.rbi.org.in/personalised/personalisation.asp?filename=rbiaboutuslat.html&secid=10#

Indonesia Regulated by the the Central Bank of Indonesia, the full list of authorised institutions is found here http://www.bi.go.id/web/id/Links/daftarbank.aspx.htm information provided by Sandy Beech

Iraq Central Bank of Iraq official list at: http://www.cbiraq.org/cbs4.htm Coalition Provisional Authority list at: http://www.iraqcoalition.org/economy/iraq_private_banks.html Be sure to scroll all the way down I did not compare them for agreement. information provided by MaxModality

Ireland (Eire) Regulated by the the Irish FSA, the full list of authorised institutions will shortly be found here http://www.ifsra.ie In the meantime, the site gives a phone number where the bona fides of any bank can be checked. NB Eire (Southern Ireland) is an independent country whereas Northern Ireland (Ulster) is part of the UK and so governed by the UK FSA 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 Commission is responsible for regulating Banking, Investment and other Corporate Service Providers Business on the Isle of Man. They also administer the Isle of Man Companies Registry. Genuine licensed banks are listed on their website http://www.fsc.gov.im/licence/ .

They also publish Public Warnings and Lists regarding bogus institutions of which they are aware. If your bank appears on the list of known fakes, this can be used as extra ammunition when notifying hosters.

Israel Banks in Israel are under the control of the Bank of Israel. There is a good summary of the Israeli banking law (in English) at: http://www.bankisrael.gov.il/abeng/abeng.htm

There is also an online list of banks here http://www.bankisrael.gov.il/deptdata/pikuah/snifim/snifhane.htm information provided by M_Saeed_Al_Sahhaf

Italy The Bank of Italy website is often restricted in the mornings. The part of the site responsible for regulating banks is here http://www.bancaditalia.it/vigilanza_tutela/vig_ban/int_vig;internal&action=middleFrame.action Click on the text box on top right reading "Albo delle Banche" which throws up the regions of Italy and then search by region. 9> information provided by malleus

Every legitimate Italian Bank should be a member of the Associazione Bancaria Italiana, http://www.abi.it/jhtml/home/aboutABI/englishVersion/englishVersion.jhtml), in fact the ABI code is something that shows up on every document for every financial institution here. At the moment there are 1026 members, that should cover a wide range of legal activities.

You can easily search for members here: http://www.abi.it/jhtml/home/conoscereBanche/sistemaItaliano/datoQuantitativo/datoQuantitativo.jhtml

Ricerca azienda -> look for single institute Ricerca gruppo -> look for a group. If your bank doesn't show up it's not a member of the ABI and therefore cannot be considered a legitimate bank information provided by Swamismurf

Ivory Coast See under Cote d'Ivoire

Japan Regulated by the the Japanese FSA, the full list of authorised institutions can be downloaded in pdf format from here http://www.fsa.go.jp/en/index.html comment by malleus The english section of the JFSA lists the main banks only. Smaller local banks and co-ops in japanese only. Theres a pdf in the japanese section.

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 organisation, but the site gives useful e-mail addresses for senior bankers on the Island."

Korea (South)The Korean Financial Supervisory Service regulates banks and Other Financial Institutions. Their website is in English and Korean and is to be found here. http://english.fss.or.kr/en/abou/fin/finsrh_intro.jsp

Kyrgyzstan Banks are regulated by The National Bank. The list of regulated banks is to be found here www.nbkr.kg/web/interfeis.outmenu?id=35<=ENG under "Banking System" information provided by malleus

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

Lithuania Regulated by the the Bank of Lithuania, the full list of authorised banks is to be found here http://www.lb.lt/eng/institutions/index.html

Luxembourg
In common with most European Banking Centres, Luxembourg has tight financial regulations which are administered by theCommission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. A list of currently registered Banks and Financial Institutions in English may be downloaded in PDF format from here http://www.cssf.lu/fr/entites/index.html

Macau All banks operating here must be registered with the Monetry authority of Macau. Their website is here: http://www.amcm.gov.mo/ information provided by Wilson888

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

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

Malta In common with most Offshore Banking Centres, Malta has tight financial regulations which are administered by the Maltese Financial Services Authority. A list of currently registered Banks and Financial Institutions may be downloaded in PDF format from here http://www.mfsa.com.mt/mfsa/ 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 Maltese Office, it should be on the list. information provided by MaxModality

Mauritius (and Rodrigues) Banks, money changers and currency dealers in Mauritius are regulated by the Bank of Mauritius. Their list of authorised bodies is at http://bom.intnet.mu/banksup_Communique.pdf

Lots of other financial institutions - stock brokers, insurance companies, investment companies etc. etc. are regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission. Their registers are at http://www.fscmauritius.org/registry.html

The most useful one is probably the "Entities Licensed under Section 14 of FSDA 2001" - http://www.fscmauritius.org/reg.html . These are NON-BANK Financial Institutions - i.e. investment companies that don't hold your money on deposit but invest it (and banks that offer investment services - although they are in the Bank of Mauritius list too).> information provided by Bog

Monaco It might be small, but it has a modern computer based system which lists all the banks allowed to operate in the country here. http://www.gouv.mc/devwww/wwwnew.nsf/1909$/607f54a31a14184fc1256a130075eb71gb? There is a box on the right of the page which seperately lists Banks and Financial Companies. If a bank is not listed it is fake information provided by MaxModality

Montenegro It might be small, but it has a modern computer based system which lists all the banks allowed to operate in the country here. http://www.cb-mn.org/Linkovi_E/Linkovi_e.htm#Banks%20in%20Montenegro.

All other banks are fake according to a law passed in 2002.<

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 scrollable menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

Countries N - S

The Netherlands The Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) http://www.dnb.nl/dnb/pagina.jsp?pid=tcm:13-45525-64 has a section in English and downloadable pdf-files listing all licensed banks and other financial institutes in The Netherlands. Go to the page and download the ASCS register. All banks are listed alphabetically.

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, explaining how to access the trade register. The problem is that the web-site does not work with all browsers and it is in Dutch. Go to this page http://www.kvk.nl/handelsregister/zoekenframeset.asp?register=1 and type in the first 2 0r 3 words of the company name in the Handelsnaam field. Hit "Start Zoeken" and a list of companies with similar names will appear. From this list, you can get the full address, telephone numbers etc. ( If anyone uses this resource, please pm me with comments)

Netherlands Antilles The central bank is responsible for regulation; its website is here http://www.centralbank.an/financial/ information provided by malleus

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 scrollable menu in the middle of the page and select the appropriate area. Once there look under each country.

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's a list of these banks: http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/nzbanks/index.html
information provided by Captain Igloo

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

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/bank_search.asp

However,Nigeria is currently undergoing a major consolidation of its banking system and the list is not being updated. The linked pdf file with the legit banks also does not appear to work. The Nigerian Central Bank is also moving its website and redesigning its web pages, so be extra careful if looking to establish the bona fides of any Nigerian Bank at present.

Stock Exchanges
The Nigerian Stock Exchange is quite large with some 260 listed companies. Its website is here http://www.nigerianstockexchange.com and can be used to check information given out by mugus.

Norway Regulated by the Kredittilsynet, the full list of authorised banks is to be found here http://www.kredittilsynet.no/wbch3.exe?p=2110

Northern Cyprus See under Cyprus, Northern

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

Panama The Panama banking regulators are here http://www.superbancos.gob.pa/home_eng.asp The actual banks are listed here http://www.superbancos.gob.pa/aspec_igee/bgenerales.asp (Spanish only. but easy to understand) There is also a list of known fraudulent sites here http://www.superbancos.gob.pa/advertencia/advisory.asp

The financial and securities regulators are here: http://conaval.gob.pa/ and the brokers and investment managers are listed here http://conaval.gob.pa/principal.asp?id=inv&sb=ent. information provided by Nao Oleon

The PhillipinesRegulated 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/resources/bankdir/default.htm information provided by Pfiesty

Poland Regulated by the National Bank of Poland, the full list of authorised banks is to be found here http://www.nbp.pl/Homen.aspx?f=en/onbp/informacje/nadzor_bankowy.html

Portugal Regulated by the National Bank of Portugal, the full list of authorised banks is to be found here http://www.bportugal.pt/servs/fininst/scripts/fstpage_e.asp

Russia The central bank is responsible for regulating Russian banks; its website is here http://www.cbr.ru/credit/ You need to enter searches in cyrillic! Not that easy to find anything. information provided by malleus

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 scrollable 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 scrollable 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 scrollable 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 at http://www.stvincentoffshore.com/fin_institutions.htm information provided by loPloP

Sao Tome and Principe The Central Bank of Sao Tome and Principe maintains a register of banks and other financial institutions here, http://www.bcstp.st/inst_financ/inst_financ1.htm

Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority maintains a list of banks operating iin the Kingdom here http://www.sama.gov.sa/en/link/ I am not certain whether this is all the banks. I have sent an enquiry to SAMA and will post the information as soon as I get it. information provided by w3jn

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

Serbia and Montenegro (Former Yugoslavia) See also separate entry for Montenegro The Central Bank list is to be found here. Narodna Banka Srbije http://www.nbs.yu information provided by Master Yoda

Singapore The Central Bank list is to be found here. http://www.mas.gov.sg/masmcm/bin/pt1Bank_and_Other_Deposit_Taking_Institutions.htm <font size="2" information provided by aarrdvark

Slovenia Regulated by the National Bank of Slovenia, the full list of authorised banks is to be found at the bottom right of this page. http://www.bsi.si/html/eng/index.asp

South Africa

Banks All banks operating in South Africa whether local or foreign are regulated by The Reserve Bank of South Africa. website http://www.resbank.co.za/banks/banks.htm

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!

Spain In Spain these are regulated by the Banco de España. You can download Word or PDF files listing all banks etc from here http://www.bde.es/servicio/regis/regente.htm Also. if you are using windows, you can download software allowing you to search their database (in Spanish).

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

Sweden Regulated by the Swedish FSA. Foreign banks are listed under Bank, utlandska, However for non Swedish Speakers, it is probably easier to do a search.

The website has an English version here http://www.fi.se/Templates/Page____2631.aspx but then it goes pearshaped. However, Nam is pretty obvious (name), so enter the institution's name there and see if it is registered. They also have a list of disreputable companies (oseriösa företag) linked to on that page, 9> information updated by Daneel_Oliwav

Switzerland These are regulated by the Swiss Federal Banking Commission. Lists of authorised institutions are downloadable in Excel and PDF format and are updated regularly. They can be found here http://www.ebk.admin.ch/e/institute/index.html As with all lists, the latest additions and deletions may not show; in such cases, a phone number is provided to check with the Commission. information updated by Pilgrim

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. <

So when you see a website that says 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. This legitimate site has some interesting info- http://offshoretrustsbankingassetprotection.com information provided by Murdockh & aarrdvark

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 website is here http://www.cbc.gov.tw/EngHome/default.asp and the list of financial institutions is found here: http://www.cbc.gov.tw/EngHome/Ebankexam/List.asp information provided by aarrdvark and Wilson888

ThailandThai Banks are regulated by the Bank of Thailand and this web-page sets out the search pages. http://www.bot.or.th/bothomepage/BankAtWork/Financial_Supervision/FinInThailand/FinInThailandE.htm 9>information provided by Noxy

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. Their website (in English) is here http://www.bceao.int/internet/bcweb.nsf/pages/usys3

Trinidad and Tobago The Central Bank list is to be found here. http://www.central-bank.org.tt/financialsystem/licensed_institutions.html 9> information provided by aarrdvark

TschadIn 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 http://www.beac.int . However, http://www.izf.net/izf/FicheIdentite/BEAC.htm is a pretty good substitue and gives details of the nations comprising the francophone zone in Africa. For a complete list of banks in Tschad go to http://www.beac.int/cobac/cblexique.html Scroll down the page and click on Tschad. with thanks to SolidJoe

Turkey The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency is to be found here http://www.bddk.org.tr/english/mainpage/default.asp and this appears to be their list:http:// www.bddk.org.tr/english/links/bankalarveofklar_eng.htm with thanks to Sandy Beach

Turks & Caicos Islands There is a problem in that there appears to be no searchable list or Database for these Islands and the local government will not reply to e-mails. We would suggest that anyone searching for banks on this Island should take extreme care and preferably use another Off-Shore base for their banking operations.

The only database we can find is that provided by the local Business directory and we know that this is far from complete. It's website is here. http://www.tcimall.tc/BanksTrusts/index.htm

The UkraineThe National Bank of Ukraine serves as the Ukrainian banking regulator - http://www.bank.gov.ua/Engl/Bank_supervision. Choose "Banks licensed for performing bank transactions". Each month they add a zipped Excel file to this page - open the latest file for the list of currently registered banks information provided by Zen

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/banks&Oth.php This list of the central banks of the individual emirates is also useful: http://www.centralbank.ae/central_banks_links.php

Be aware of false negatives, since there are 2 separate 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 uaecbbsd@cbuae.gov.ae information updated by Daneel_Oliwav

United Kingdom In the UK these are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and can be searched for on this web-site http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/

This site lists known fakes http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/internet.shtml

CompaniesIn 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 Banks in the US can have either a Federal charter, or a State Charter (or both?) 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.

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

Federal Reserve (FRB): Regulates state chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Website http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/complaints/

Regional OCC Offices (found on a commercial site)

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

Specialty OCC Offices
Large Banks
Responsible for the largest national banks including Bank of America Corporation, Countrywide Financial Corporation, Bank One Corporation, Banknorth Group, Inc., Barclays Global Investors, Charter One Financial Inc., Citigroup, Inc., Countrywide Financial Corporation, First Tennessee National Corporation, FleetBoston Financial Corporation, Hibernia Corporation, Huntington Bancshares, Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase & Company, KeyCorp, LaSalle Bank Corporation, MBNA Corporation, Mellon Financial Corporation, National City Corporation, National Commerce Financial Corporation, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., U.S. Bancorp, Union Planters Corporation, UnionBanCal Corporation, Wachovia Corporation, Wells Fargo & Company, and Zions Bancorporation.

Large Banks Office
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219-0001
(202) 874-4890

Mid-size/Credit Card BanksResponsible for banks that present unique supervisory challenges based on size, complexity and/or product line, but which are not part of the OCC's large bank program.

Mid-size/Credit Card Banks Office
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219-0001
(202) 874-4420

Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS): Charters and regulates thrifts and savings banks Website: http://www.ots.treas.gov/resultsort.cfm?catNumber=88&dl=17&edit=1 Email: consumer.complaint@ots.treas.gov

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Regulates and insures credit unions. Website http://www.ncua.gov

Below are listed the websites of the Individual States we have found and additional sites will be added as found
California http://www.dfi.ca.gov/about/financial.asp
New York http://www.banking.state.ny.us/supinst.htm
Washington http://www.dfi.wa.gov/banks/list.htm
information provided by aarrdvark and Swamismurf

Centralised reporting of Internet Fraud This website run by the FBI collects information on US based Internet Fraud (both victims and perpetrators and disseminates it to the appropriate law enforcement body. http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

Company Registrars
Florida Registry of Corporations.http://www.sunbiz.org/corpweb/inquiry/cormenu.html A nearly complete list of Florida based LLC, etc, can be found here. 9> information provided by Swamismurf

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Insures all genuine US banks which 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 http://www.fdic.gov only the genuine banks will be revealed. Report any case of abuse to the FDIC fraud department!

National Information Centre of the Federal Reserve System The National Information Center (NIC) provides comprehensive information on banks and other institutions for which the Federal Reserve has a supervisory, regulatory, or research interest including both domestic and foreign banking organizations operating in the U.S. The NIC includes the organizational structure of financial institutions and financial information for some of those institutions. Historical information is available on the structure of all the institutions. Financial information is available for selected time periods. The website is difficult to use. Go to Institution Search and use the Branch Locator Facility as it is less likely to give a false negative. http://www.ffiec.gov/nic/


Vanuatu All banks are regulated by the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu. They are listed here www.rbv.gov.vu/VanuatuBanks.htm [size=9] [color=green]information provided by MaxModality[/size][/color]

Venezuela In Venezuela, the banks are regulated by the Superintendente de Bancos and the list of banks is here http://www.sudeban.gob.ve/dir_bancos.php The Banking Council: http://www.cbn.org.ve/02.html also lists banks information provided by The False Italian


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
Eleven are more detailed here: http://www.centralbank.gov.ye/com_bank.htm information provided by loPloP

Zambia

All banks should be registered with the Bank of Zambia. They are listed here http://www.boz.zm/Supervision/Reg_comm_banks.htm information provided by Zen

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

AAA World Banks Directory
Lists most banks around the world. Its website is http://www.aaadir.com/banks/

Retrieved from "http://wiki.aa419.org/index.php?title=Old_Coaster%27s_List_of_Bank_Regulators_around_the_World&oldid=1630"