Banking scandals tend to erupt suddenly, but many of them build quietly over years. When a major financial institution is caught breaking rules or harming customers, it shakes public trust in the entire system. From fake accounts to money laundering and massive trading losses, these controversies have cost banks billions in fines and settlements.
Even worse, they sometimes affect ordinary consumers through fees, credit damage, or lost investments. Here are five banks whose repeated scandals have kept regulators—and customers—on high alert.
