Financial Crime Prevention and Other Initiatives
Financial Crime Prevention
Mizuho has implemented various measures to prevent damages from fraudulent withdrawals, remittance solicitation, money laundering, and other such criminal activity as part of the social responsibility of a financial institution.
Measures against Fraudulent Withdrawals and Remittance Solicitation
As measures against fraudulent withdrawals, Mizuho has implemented the use of IC and biometric identification technologies in cash cards, and one–time passwords, EV SSL Certificates*1, and Risk–based Authentication*2 for Internet banking transactions, to provide customers with exceedingly safe services.
For remittance solicitation, as well, we are focusing on preventing customers from being victimized by verbally reminding them at the teller counters and ATMs to be wary, and through active PR campaigns using posters, flyers, videos, and other media to encourage customers to be on the lookout for remittance solicitation.
If a customer does fall victim to fraudulent withdrawals or remittance solicitation., personnel from a special unit will personally speak with the customer to determine what happened and then take appropriate measures provided by law, to help arrange for damage compensation or a damage recovery distribution and other steps.
- *1An "EV SSL Certificate" makes it easier for customers to tell who operate a website. When the address bar turns green, it is indicating that the website has instituted EV SSL certificate–based security and, therefore, can be trusted. In addition, the name of the website operator and certifying organization are also displayed, therefore, it is clearly indicated to the user that the website he or she is viewing can be trusted.
- *2"Risk–based Authentication" is a structure in which the customer's computing environment (Information on personal computer settings, IP address of the Internet provider, etc.) is comprehensively analyzed and it's risk is calculated, with real–time monitoring of usage conditions to detect possible unauthorized use. If unauthorized use is suspected, additional authentication using a preset password is implemented to reconfirm that the user is who he or she purports to be.
Signage Calling Attention to Remittance Solicitation Fraud
Security Guide Book Describes the Explanation of How a Crime is Committed.
Money Laundering Prevention
As measures to prevent money laundering, we have implemented strict personal identification measures in accordance with the law and, since December 1998, have been employing an advanced Anti–Money Laundering (AML) Monitoring System that is also being used by European and U.S. major banks in an effort to uncover suspicious accounts as early as possible.
Through these initiatives, Mizuho is continuously and proactively working to prevent financial crime and maintain a financial network that customers can be secure in using.
Initiatives Against Anti–Social Forces
In order to continue to maintain society's confidence, Mizuho firmly confronts anti–social forces that pose a threat to the order and safety of civil society. In accord with the "Guidelines for Companies to Prevent Damage by Anti–Social Forces" (agreed upon by the Council of Ministries for Crime Countermeasures, June 19, 2007), which was formulated by the government, each company in the Mizuho group will strengthen its initiatives more than ever before to cut off relations with anti–social forces.
