RBI Penalises HSBC Bank for Non-Compliance With Directions on inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits

It was alleged that HSBC did not provide a searchable database of unclaimed deposits on its website, and it did not assign a UDRN to some deposits that were transferred to the DEA Fund.

HSBC Fined Rs 31.8 lakh by RBI

Nidhi | Mar 21, 2026 |

RBI Penalises HSBC Bank for Non-Compliance With Directions on inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits

RBI Penalises HSBC Bank for Non-Compliance With Directions on inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has levied a penalty of Rs 31.8 lakh on Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) over the non-compliance with some directions on inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits.

The levy of penalty is followed by a statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of the bank with reference to its financial position as of March 31, 2025. During the inspection of HSBC, it was found that the bank was not following the provisions of RBI directions.

There were two main allegations against HSBC Bank. First it was alleged that HSBC did not provide a searchable database of unclaimed deposits on its website. Second, it did not assign a unique Unclaimed Deposits Reference Number (UDRN) to some deposits that were transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.

Before imposing the penalty, RBI had sent a notice to the bank asking for an explanation. After reviewing the bank’s reply and hearing its side, RBI decided that the violations were valid and imposed the fine.

RBI also clarified that this penalty is only for not following rules and does not question any transactions between the bank and its customers.

StudyCafe Membership

Join StudyCafe Membership. For More details about Membership Click Join Membership Button
Join Membership

In case of any Doubt regarding Membership you can mail us at [email protected]

Join Studycafe's WhatsApp Group or Telegram Channel for Latest Updates on Government Job, Sarkari Naukri, Private Jobs, Income Tax, GST, Companies Act, Judgements and CA, CS, ICWA, and MUCH MORE!"


Tags: RBI


Author Bio
My Recent Articles
ROC Levies NIL Penalty As Company Corrects Default on Time ITAT Quashes Penalty for Non-Filing of ITR Due to Bona Fide Delay in Obtaining Probate ITAT Quashes Faceless Assessment Proceedings Over Lack of Jurisdiction by NFAC Maharashtra GST Department Announces Relief from Late Fees amid Tax Portal glitches CBDT corrects 76 mistakes in New Income Tax Rules 2026 [Read Notification]View All Posts