Securities Times reporter Liu Yiwen
After the heavy blow of supervision, although the mode of opening stock accounts by brokers through the diversion of online big V has basically stopped, some illegal online diversion problems still exist, and they have even begun to lurk in We-media public accounts.
The Securities Times reporter's investigation found that this hidden traffic diversion model is different from the previous common big V diversion account opening. This type of diversion does not directly place an account opening link in the We-media official account article or advertisement, but requires users to open an account through WeChat. After adding a specific contact, or letting the user leave the contact information, the other party will contact the user to open a stock account.
The reporter contacted one of the contacts, and the person said, "There are several securities companies I work with, and they are all top-ranked regular securities companies in the market. They will definitely not cheat their fans." The person also sent the reporter an account opening. QR code, after scanning the QR code, the account opening page of a brokerage company will appear.
Industry insiders said that although this diversion method does not directly put links, it is nothing more than an additional process, and the essence is still diversion and account opening.
Personal diversion account opening is a kind of customer solicitation. Only a securities broker can be entrusted to act as an agent for customer solicitation activities, and the securities broker should be a securities practitioner. Other entrusted solicitation of customers or account opening is illegal.
It is understood that the regulatory authorities have a normative attitude and will issue normative documents for the gray area model of securities companies opening accounts through third-party platforms.
It is prohibited for unqualified Internet big Vs or other natural persons to open accounts.
more hidden
online diversion account opening
The Securities Times reporter noticed that some articles on the We-Media Official Account stated that they could help fans to open stock accounts of listed brokerage companies. The trading commission charged after opening an account could be as low as 1.5 or 1.3/10,000, and the deposit was 30,000 yuan after account opening. For the above, you can also send relevant research reports from time to time.
Unlike the previous common practice, which is to let users directly click on the jump link to open an account to attract traffic, this method of opening an account does not directly divert traffic, but allows interested users to fill in their contact information on a specific page, and then there are special personnel. Contact the user for instructions on opening an account.
There is another form, that is, the official account with account opening information will leave contact information, so that interested customers can contact to open an account.
The reporter contacted one of the financial self-media bloggers, who sent the reporter a QR code and a manual for the account opening process.
After scanning the QR code, you will jump out of the download page of a brokerage software, and then you need to download the software to open an account according to the process.
During the operation, you need to enter the ID number of the recommender (provided by the aforementioned financial blogger).
Another situation mentioned above is that after the user leaves the contact information, a special person will take the initiative to contact the user and guide the account opening.
with third-party platforms
The diversion is significantly different
The aforementioned online diversion account opening method is significantly different from the process behind the diversion of securities companies from third-party platforms.
"The online account opening that brokers usually refer to refers to the broker's diversion of traffic on a third-party platform. After users click on the corresponding module on the third-party platform, they will directly jump to the broker's own page, and then further complete the account opening." One Senior brokerage business personnel of Northern Securities Company introduced to the Securities Times reporter.
The above-mentioned person said that the third-party platform only provides the entrance, and the various pages entered are actually owned by the brokerage.
This is a bit similar to commercial real estate. The entire shopping mall is a platform, and each store is specifically operated by the store itself.
The reporter noticed that a well-known stock trading APP and some financial portal APPs actually diverted the flow of securities companies in this way.
At present, the China Securities Regulatory Commission has begun to regulate the behavior of securities companies to divert traffic through third-party platforms.
In August 2020, the China Securities Regulatory Commission publicly solicited opinions on the "Regulations on the Administration of Securities Companies Leasing Third-Party Network Platforms to Carry out Securities Business Activities (Trial)", and now only the new regulations are officially implemented.
In contrast, the aforementioned method of diverting traffic through official account articles is not directed to brokerage websites or APP pages for users to open accounts, but merely to collect user information, and then contact users (actively or passively) to guide account opening, and It does not involve the issue of jumping to third-party platforms, nor does it provide technical services.
Therefore, it is completely different from the third-party platform diversion model.
In addition, it is not exactly the same as the way of cooperation between securities companies and big V as defined by regulation.
Previously, the definition of supervision was that an account opening link was posted through WeChat "big V", and investors clicked the account opening link to go to the relevant company's account opening page to open an account.
"I think this diversion mode is not so obvious and relatively hidden. Instead of directly posting the account opening link in the article, there is a process in the middle. After the user adds WeChat friends, the account opening link is released. The process has become more and more, But the essence has not changed." said a senior brokerage business person from a Beijing securities company.
Big V diversion
The essence is to entrust others to open an account
In March last year, the Qingdao Securities Regulatory Bureau took a supervision and management measure against a securities business institution and its person in charge, Han Moujun, to make corrections. One of the punishments was that the branch violated regulations and engaged in customer marketing activities through a third-party official account.
The supervisory department believes that the above-mentioned problem violates Article 2 of the Interim Provisions on the Administration of Securities Brokers, that is, entrusting non-securities brokers to engage in marketing activities.
In November last year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued a regulatory notice prohibiting securities companies from cooperating with big Vs to open accounts.
The notice stated that opening an account through diversion is a kind of customer solicitation, which is a part of the securities brokerage business.
At present, the regulation only stipulates that securities companies may entrust securities brokers to act as agents for client solicitation activities, and securities brokers should be securities practitioners and be engaged in client solicitation and client service activities full-time.
Internet big Vs are not securities brokers specializing in securities brokerage business. It is not in compliance with regulatory requirements for securities companies to use Internet big Vs to divert accounts and open accounts to reward them, and securities companies should stop relevant cooperation.
The boundary of supervision is relatively clear. Account opening is a kind of customer solicitation. Only a securities broker can be entrusted to act as an agent for customer solicitation activities, and the securities broker should be a securities practitioner.
Other acts of entrusting to solicit customers or opening accounts are illegal. In fact, some acts of entrusting account opening have been punished by supervision.
According to the regulatory decision disclosed by the Guizhou Securities Regulatory Bureau in February this year, Capital Securities Guiyang Dusilu Sales Department received a warning letter due to the presence of marketers who passed the QR code of employees to others to assist in opening an account.
This is a regulatory penalty related to the issue of "account opening QR code".
According to industry insiders, "account opening QR code" is one-to-one correspondence and binding with employees. Its function is to link to the APP interface of the company's account opening by scanning the code, and at the same time, the customer and the employee can be linked directly in the management background. Brokerage relationship.
Giving the employee QR code to others to assist in opening an account can in essence be understood as entrusting others to solicit customers on their behalf, which is a violation.
The reporter found that this operation is similar to the aforementioned online diversion account opening method, because the blogger of the financial public account also sends a QR code to the user, and scanning the QR code can open an account at the corresponding brokerage.
This can be understood as brokers or brokers entrusting relevant public accounts to solicit customers.
A person from the compliance department of a securities company told reporters that with the popularization of Internet securities business, the brokerage business of securities companies has shifted to online in a large scale.
In terms of soliciting clients, the Interim Provisions on the Administration of Securities Brokers (revised in 2020) make it clear that securities brokers shall not entrust others to engage in client solicitation and customer service; .
"Prohibition" and "Regulation"
boundaries
It is understood that regulatory authorities have different attitudes towards different methods of network drainage and account opening.
Regarding the use of third-party platforms to open accounts and divert traffic, the supervision takes a normative attitude, and normative documents are issued.
Regulations prohibit account opening through unqualified Internet big Vs or other unqualified natural persons, and even impose fines.
Both are account opening and diversion, why is there such a difference?
"The third-party platform is rented by securities companies, and the main body of the exhibitor is the securities company itself, so it is possible. If the big V is diverted through the Internet, the main body of the exhibitor will become the big V himself. If the big V does not have the qualifications for securities business, then of course not Legal." A brokerage source said.
Entrusting a third-party natural person can only be done in the form of a broker.
Article 2 of the "Interim Provisions on the Administration of Securities Brokers" clarifies that securities companies may engage in activities such as customer solicitation and customer service through company employees or entrusting personnel other than the company.
The entrustment of persons other than the company shall be carried out in the form of a securities broker as prescribed in the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Securities Companies, and no other forms shall be adopted.
In accordance with the Draft for Comments on the Provisions on the Administration of Securities Companies Leasing Third-Party Network Platforms to Carry out Securities Business Activities (Trial), securities companies renting third-party platforms to attract traffic should follow the principles of business independence, technical security, and data confidentiality, and strictly abide by relevant regulations and business rules. Engage in business activities, maintain the normal operating order of the securities industry, and continuously track and evaluate the compliance and security of third-party network platforms.
Third-party institutions are limited to providing information technology services such as cyberspace business premises for securities companies, and are not allowed to intervene in any aspect of securities business activities such as investor solicitation, investor suitability management, and receipt of transaction orders.