Halifax fraud checks

wigwam

Over the easter weekend I opened a halifax reward current account to budget better ie splitting bills from daily spending. And the £5 per month reward seemed like a nice addition. I also love online banking and never go into branches.

To save moving all my DD's I was planning on using this as a spending account. So account was activated - I duly moved £1000 across as per minimum income requirements.

Now I do not have £1000 per month to spend as am a DFW! so yesterday using faster payments tried to move money across to cover my DD's including my mortgage due out tomorrow.

At the last stage the screen said - account suspended we will call you. After 3 hours and no call I checked the account and it had changed to I must call them. So I called just now and to unfreeze the account I have to go to my nearest branch with 2 forms of ID.

After being used to banking for so many years with First direct this is very frustrating. I now need to go home from work get my ID and go to the branch just to have access to my money!!

If my mortgage bounces I go back to the SVR instead of the great tracker I am currently on so very inconvenient.

Thanks for reading - Is this normal practice with Halifax?

littlemissbossy

When I opened this account I had to go into the branch with ID before it was officially opened.

One month when I was moving my £1000 around I got the message you did, I just rang them and they reinstated me after some very odd security checks which were about when I lived with my parents (which is about 18 years age) and what was my brother called. Quite weird the info they have access to.

Sorry I waffled then, I think I got reinstated straight away becuase I had already done the branch thing.

HTH

JimmyTheWig

Yes, I think that's pretty standard.
We've been locked out of one of my wife's Halifax cards before, when she was overheard asking me the answer to a security question on the phone.

Just remember the fiver a month you're getting. Should be worth a bit of extra hassle!

wigwam

Thanks littlemissbossy and jimmythewig,
I have been to branch and waited in line for 30 mins and taken my cash out. All around a 1.5 hour trip!
Was going to close the account as not worth the hassle however think you are right, might as well get the £5 per month for my troubles. Account still showing as suspended, will call them again I suppose to see what they say next.
Definately would not trust them with my direct debits though - will keep this one strictly spending only!

jen245

It takes a few working days from account opening, for it to be fully active. If you try to withdraw money from it while its still in the opening stages, then yes your access will be suspended. It happened to me when I opened my account, my first deposit actually disappeared for 2 days, but from then it was fine and I could use my account as normal.