SoFi unit fined $1.1M by FINRA for fraud prevention failures

SoFi’s brokerage unit will pay a $1.1 million fine to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for fraud detection weaknesses that allowed thieves to create SoFi Money accounts using fake or stolen identities.

SoFi Securities failed to establish and maintain reasonable customer identification and identity theft programs for SoFi Money, its cash management brokerage account that also contained features like a debit card and check writing capabilities, FINRA said in an order released Thursday.

SoFi used a largely automated process to verify customers’ identities and approve the opening of SoFi Money accounts, a system that was vulnerable to fraud, FINRA said. Among the alleged problems was that SoFi failed to prevent former customers whose loan or investment accounts had been closed for potential fraud from opening accounts.