Former US intelligence officer says he was de‑banked without explanation

A long‑time customer suddenly cut off

When Scott Ritter logged into his online banking one morning this week, he found something he never expected: his accounts at Citizens Bank, where he had done business for 26 years had been shut down and emptied without any warning. Ritter, a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer turned journalist and foreign policy critic, says the move feels less like routine business and more like personal targeting by authorities.

“This was my primary banking relationship for over two decades,” Ritter wrote on his own website after the accounts were closed. “One day I have access to my money, the next they’ve declared the relationship over and given no reason.”

Questioning the why: bank choice or federal pressure?

The abrupt closure has ignited alarm and debate among online commentators across social platforms.

Some users sympathize with Ritter’s concerns about civil liberties being eroded if financial institutions shut accounts without transparency a topic that has sparked broader discussions about “de‑banking” as a tool for political or legal pressure. Others, however, are sceptical of Ritter himself, pointing to his contentious media profile and past legal issues as reasons why banks may view him as a higher risk.

Ritter believes there may be more to the story than ordinary bank risk assessment. He notes that in August 2024, a grand jury was empanelled in the Northern District of New York reportedly in connection with a probe into suspected violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). He suggests that the bank may have received a tip or “Suspicious Activity Report” (SAR) from authorities based on access to his financial data through that grand jury’s subpoenas.

Cash, Russia trips and digital disconnection

A key part of Ritter’s explanation focuses on his travel and donations. In 2025, he made three trips to Russia, each time carrying roughly $10 000 in cash because, as he puts it, “Russia is disconnected from the Western digital economy” and he couldn’t rely on digital banking there. Ritter says this pattern of large withdrawals may have triggered the bank’s actions.

On Reddit, some observers noted how vulnerable individuals can feel when their digital financial lifelines are abruptly cut, highlighting just how dependent most people have become on electronic banking and the stress that comes when it’s suddenly taken away.

A backdrop of legal tension

This isn’t the first time Ritter has sparred publicly with US authorities. In June 2024, his passport was seized when he tried to board a flight to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia an episode he described as a denial of his rights. Later that year, FBI agents searched his home in New York amid a probe that he claims was meant to intimidate him over his commentating work and alleged ties to foreign media. Ritter denied any wrongdoing in those encounters.

Ritter insists he is not acting on behalf of any government, and says the point of his latest account closures feels like harassment rather than a lawful step connected to a crime.

What this debate reveals

Whether Ritter’s claims are accurate or not, his story has touched a nerve in discussions about personal financial freedom, government oversight, and how intelligence investigations intersect with everyday life.

His case raises questions about transparency when financial institutions suddenly cut ties and about the balance between national security investigations and individual rights. As Ritter has urged his supporters and the public to speak up, the broader conversation about de‑banking, civil liberties, and due process is only just beginning.

{Source: IOL}

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