How Claude Detects and Bans Accounts Using VPNs and Unsupported Passports
Anthropic has ramped up automated account bans for Claude users, blocking over 11 million accounts in the first half of 2026 alone. The system triggers KYC verification when an account accumulates too many fraud signals, including VPN usage and payments from shared virtual cards. Users presenting Russian passports during verification are automatically rejected because the KYC script checks the Issuing_Country field against supported regions and flags any unsupported code. Anthropic's Trust Score model evaluates device type, IP hygiene, account age, and payment patterns, with desktop clients scoring higher than browser sessions on Linux. Shared corporate cards and virtual cards from crypto exchanges lower the score significantly and can lead to mass bans across linked accounts. The company also updated its policies in 2025 to restrict entities more than 50 percent controlled by citizens of sanctioned countries. Official data shows only a 3.3 to 10.5 percent success rate for appeals, indicating the process is largely irreversible once triggered.
HabrOct 30, 2026Translated from Russian