new account from nowhere

791alexis

hi. i was just wondering if it was legal for a bank to open a new account in your name without your consent. i have got no paper work for this account, and no card. they also have taken £20 out of my usual account and put it into the new one???

DeeMarie89

It sounds very unusual. Have you tried phoning the bank and finding out where this account has come from?

791alexis

yes, i went in today, but they didn't seem to have any idea. he said he is closing it for me

Evilm

I would contact the bank call center number and get them to provide copies of the opening instructions for the account. And check your credit records.

Just to make sure that no one is trying to use your identity.

savagej

Which bank was it, out of interest?

CuckooToo

This happened to me (sort of)

My bank - Natwest - opened several deposit accounts for me after I sold my flat and deposited the proceeds into my current account. When I discovered the money was missing from my current account following a holiday, they told me they had opened the accounts for me to protect the money in case somebody tried to fraudulently remove cash from my account. This seemed reasonable to me, so I was happy and in fairness, they said they had been trying to contact me to ask for permission.

Evilm

CuckooToo wrote: »

This happened to me (sort of)

My bank - Natwest - opened several deposit accounts for me after I sold my flat and deposited the proceeds into my current account. When I discovered the money was missing from my current account following a holiday, they told me they had opened the accounts for me to protect the money in case somebody tried to fraudulently remove cash from my account. This seemed reasonable to me, so I was happy and in fairness, they said they had been trying to contact me to ask for permission.

I did have that with Barclays in a similar circumstance... they took it on themselves to move my large reciept from my current account to a high interest savings account "to protect my interests". Considering their letter took a week to reach me I wasn't happy since I'd already been in the branch by then wondering where it had gone!

(However in OP's case this doesn't seem likely since it was only £20).