Feb 3, 2022
Letter from Mizuho Bank; activity/work/income status form
I've had an account with Mizuho Bank for some years now and I can't recall ever having received mail from them. The other day though, I got some letter asking me to fill out a form detailing a whole bunch of stuff in the name of preventing fraud, money laundering etc. Info being asked for includes: Purpose of holding the account, Employment status, place of work, Annual income, How often do I make withdrawals, How much do I withdraw on average per withdrawal, The letter also asks for me to send a copy of my gaijin card. Is this just another step toward forcing us all to get a My Number card - like, card holders won't be asked these kind of questions in the future? Is it a continuation of the Mizuho yakuza scandal of a few years ago? I don't know, but it feels a little invasive, especially after having had the account and used it appropriately for some years now. Anyway, has anyone else out there received the same kind of letter or request from their bank recently? Did you fill in the form and send it back?
A foreign salaryman in Japan, documenting life from somewhere near 'salaryman town' Shimbashi, Tokyo. Way out of my depth!
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on Feb 4
Haven't personally received a letter from our bank yet, but my husband was emailed by one of his freelance clients requesting for him to update all his information about payment details, address info, etc. They told him that Japan's money laundering laws have become more strict (at least that was the gist of the conversation), and I guess they're just dotting their I's and crossing their T's to make sure everything is above board. Not sure if new legislation was passed or what, exactly, but it might be a sign of things to come.
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on Feb 4
@genkidesu Thanks. Yes, that sounds like something similar perhaps. As far as I can tell there is nothing on the letter I received detailing any consequences in the case that the form is not filled out and returned so, I don't know, maybe I'll let it sit for a few days and see if they get back in touch somehow.
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on Feb 6
I did receive this type of request from a bank a couple years ago. I'm not aware that it's related to the My Number card, although it was before I had one. I wasn't sure what was going on either, it did seem weird and invasive, so I went into the bank. I realize just popping into a bank during their open hours is usually inconvenient, but that confirmed that it wasn't some kind of fraud. The bank employees also copied my ID for me while I was there and I don't remember if they accepted the completed form or I mailed it. I understood it was a way to check that my residence status was up to date.
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on Feb 7
@helloalissa Thanks. I see, so maybe it could be the bank wanting to check up on my status of residence.
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on Feb 18
That's a lot of specific information. Just FYI, I bank with two different institutions. Both ask for proof of my status of residence for legal reasons. My suggestion is, if you want to avoid such intrusive questions and you're willing to change banks, try Shinsei. They only ask for proof of status of residence.
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on Feb 20
@TonetoEdo Thanks for the tip.
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on Mar 18
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on Apr 6
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on Apr 7
@Eli Good to know. Thanks. In the end I filled in the form and posted it to Mizuho. Like you, I haven't heard anything since.
9 Answers