An Open and Shut Option

You work at a large bank in the new accounts department where you open accounts for new customers. The bank has a policy that pays bonuses related to the number of new accounts opened. Your manager tells you that many of the accounts are for small depositors. He suggests that when opening a new savings account for customers, you can add another account, such as a credit card, without them being aware of it.

You know that opening an account without the approval of the customer is not proper, but you also know the person may never know who opened it. Anyway, your manager suggested it and bonus money sounds good. What are your alternatives? What would you do? Is that the ethical thing to do?