MOSCOW, March 5 - RAPSI. The Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) has reported a growing number of fraud attempts against AMT Bank (previously known as BTA Bank) depositors on Monday.

The DIA reported that unidentified individuals posing as the DIA and Central Bank employees have promised AMT Bank depositors to return their money quickly for a 7-10 percent premium.

For example, one depositor was offered his 380,000 ruble ($13,000) deposit back in exchange for a 30,000 ruble ($1,000) premium. He was asked to transfer the sum to an individuals bank account, the DIA said.

The DIA said it considers such activities to be fraud.

The Moscow Commercial Court sided with the Central Bank on October 17, 2011 in its application to close AMT Bank. The court appointed the DIA to carry out the bankruptcy procedure.

AMT is a deposit insurance program member. The bank actively raised its deposit portfolio, offering individuals the opportunity to deposit funds at an annual rate of 7.5-8 percent. The banks deposit portfolio was 15.367 billion rubles ($524.5 million) on April 1. The Central Bank earlier reported that AMT invested in high risk assets without providing sufficient reserves to offset possible losses.

According to AMT's website, Kazakh businessman Mukhtar Ablyazov owns a 19.7 percent stake in the bank.

A criminal case against Ablyazov was initiated in 2009 after the state acquired a stake in BTA and the bank slipped under the control of Kazakhstan's Samruk-Kazyna sovereign fund.

Ablyazov then fled the country and now lives in the UK. He considers the charges against him to be politically motivated.

Ablyazov's alleged misappropriations while serving as BTA's CEO are estimated at $4.5 billion. Nine lawsuits have been filed against him.

A criminal case in Russia has also been opened against Ablyazov. A Moscow district court issued an arrest warrant for Ablyazov in absentia in October 2010 on charges of large-scale fraud.

AMT is a multipurpose financial institution with nine branches and 26 offices.