美国国家公共电台 NPR--Big Bank CEOs answer questions from lawmakers on banking fraud protections

Big Bank CEOs answer questions from lawmakers on banking¹ fraud protections

Transcript²

Lawmakers grilled³ the CEOs of some of the country's biggest banks this week, on everything from cryptocurrencies to overdraft⁴ fees to their business relationships with China.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

As many people know, it's convenient to send and receive money to people you know using apps on your phone. But many of those apps have fraudsters, which is why the CEOs of some big banks face questions from Congress. Here's NPR's David Gura.

DAVID GURA, BYLINE⁵: Several senators want to know what retail⁶ banks are doing to prevent people from getting scammed using Zelle. Like Venmo or PayPal, it's a popular way for people to transfer money using their smartphones. And Zelle is owned by many of the big banks represented at this week's hearings. On Thursday, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said banks market it as a fast, safe and easy way to send and receive money.

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ELIZABETH WARREN: But Zelle is not safe. Last year alone, Zelle users were defrauded⁷ out of about a half a billion dollars - that we know of.

GURA: Fraudsters convince Zelle users to send them money using the service. And then, Warren says, the victims have little to no recourse. No one can say how much fraud is committed with Zelle, which is used by millions of Americans who sent nearly half a trillion dollars through the network last year. And that was Warren's point. She told the CEOs she's disappointed with how little data they've provided on fraud complaints.

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WARREN: I'm sorry. Your credibility right now is riding at zero.

BILL DEMCHAK: We will...

SHERROD BROWN: Senator Rounds...

WARREN: You created the perfect weapon for criminals...

BROWN: Senator Warren...

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WARREN: ...To use, and they have used it, and you have not stood behind your customers.

GURA: Executives said there's less fraud than on rival networks, and they committed to get Warren more data. Later, PNC CEO Bill Demchak made another promise.

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DEMCHAK: We'll fix Zelle.

GURA: Peer-to-peer payments represent the future of banking. And members of the House and Senate had lots of questions about what's known as fintech, or financial technology, along with crypto. On Wednesday, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, said he's a major skeptic⁹ of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

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JAMIE DIMON: They are decentralized Ponzi schemes, and the notion that's good for anybody is unbelievable.

GURA: Dimon pointed⁸ out two-thirds of crypto's total value, about $2 trillion, evaporated in the last year, and it's also used for criminal activity. And he downplayed the significance of crypto again on Thursday, when Republican senator and Bitcoin booster Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming asked him about it. The senator noted¹⁰ that JPMorgan is experimenting with its own cryptocurrency to settle transactions faster. The executives applauded themselves for how their banks have performed during the pandemic. And several of them, including Dimon, weighed in on the Federal Reserve's fight against high inflation.

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DIMON: The most important thing is to avoid stagflation. Stagflation is the most damaging to every part of society, every industry, all income levels.

GURA: Dimon signaled his approval of the Fed's aggressive interest rate hikes, saying it's critical the Fed moves fast to get inflation under control.

David Gura, NPR News, New York.

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1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

4 overdraft   

n.透支，透支额

参考例句：

• Her bank warned that unless she repaid the overdraft she could face legal action.银行警告她如果不偿还透支钱款，她将面临诉讼。
• An overdraft results when a note discounted at a bank is not met when due.银行贴现的支票到期而未能支付就成为透支。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

7 defrauded   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He defrauded his employers of thousands of dollars. 他诈取了他的雇主一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He defrauded them of their money. 他骗走了他们的钱。 来自辞典例句

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 skeptic   

n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者

参考例句：

• She is a skeptic about the dangers of global warming.她是全球变暖危险的怀疑论者。
• How am I going to convince this skeptic that she should attention to my research?我将如何使怀疑论者确信她应该关注我的研究呢？

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。