Fraud

KAD

Guys just looking for a bit of advice. Last week someone pinched two of my husbands bank cards (BoS) along with his passport and my driving licence while he was working away from home.

The people who took them then went into 3 different Halifax branches and with drew over the counters £340 from one account, £1700 from another and managed to get £1200 from a 3rd account that they didn't even have a card for, leaving our accounts just under the overdraft limits (which they obviously asked about while they were there!) £3240 in total!

All the money was paid back into the accounts the same day and we had to close all accounts and open new ones. Our local branch have been fantastic and couldn't have been more helpful, but we're still raging at the other branches for their negligence.
The police officer who is dealing with the case has suggested that we make a complaint but I'm not sure how or who to complain to, any ideas who we'd get a better response from???

stclair

You could start by following the bank complaints procedure:

http://www.bankofscotland.co.uk/contactus/complain/

KAD

Do I complain to Halifax or Bank of Scotland?

rb10

KAD wrote: »

Do I complain to Halifax or Bank of Scotland?

They are the same bank - so no difference.

I'm not sure what you're hoping to get out of this though, as it sounds to me as though they've acted fantastically to help you out.

Unfortunately if you lose your card and ID documents, and don't notify the bank straight away, these things happen. At least the bank was happy to take the hit themselves with little questioning.

meer53

What is your complaint about ? If someone manages to get cash from a bank with all the ID which is asked for, what have the bank done wrong ? Where have they been negligent ? How soon were the cards reported as stolen ?

Always best to keep personal documents separate from bank cards really to avoid things like this.

ChiefGrasscutter

I'd also suggest the OP keeps rather quiet.

The bank might easily have said no refund as you were keeping all your ID documents and bank cards together in an unsecure manner....so its your fault.

It's a bit like leaving the keys in the ignition of your car and then expecting the insurance to pay up when its stolen - they won't.

agrinnall

I think there might be a case to complain that the branch staff failed to carry out proper ID checks, unless the thief was a double of the OP's husband. But I would doubt if there's much chance of anything other than an apology and maybe some minor compensation, given the response by the bank already and the lack of care shown by the husband in the first place.

KAD

agrinnall wrote: »

I think there might be a case to complain that the branch staff failed to carry out proper ID checks, unless the thief was a double of the OP's husband. But I would doubt if there's much chance of anything other than an apology and maybe some minor compensation, given the response by the bank already and the lack of care shown by the husband in the first place.

This is the point exactly, they never made the proper checks - apart from irregular activity on the accounts they failed to do extra checks on the account that they accessed with no card! ie. checking DD's and last transactions etc.

Yes the bank have as I said been fantastic refunding all the cash and helping us sort everything else out but the only reason we were thinking of making a complaint is because the police had suggested it.

My husband was working away at the time and this is why they managed to get the passport etc. and he needed my licence to be verified for car insurance.

innovate

KAD wrote: »

My husband was working away at the time and this is why they managed to get the passport etc. and he needed my licence to be verified for car insurance.

Who nicked all the documents? What is the link with your husband working away?

James

Can I suggest that you take steps immediately to protect yourselves from ID Theft (Application Fraud). This is where crooks will use your personal information to open New Bank Accounts, apply for Credit or Store Cards or take out loans etc.

Check the following out (Click on links)

FREE ID PROTECTION.

CIFAS Protective Registration.


You should be able to get professional help/advice from Action Fraud.
Their free phone number is:

Click here for the Action Fraud Web Site.

Hope this helps.
Good luck.

Ben8282

Sorry, but I don't understand what you have got to complain about exactly. YOU HAVE SUFFERED NO FINALCIAL LOSS; YOUR BANK HAS. They may well have been negligent in handing over the money to the fraudsters, but they, in your own words, have been fantastic and couldn't have been more helpful and HAVE REPAID THE £3240. They have accepted a loss of £3240. And now you want more. Compensation culture gone mad. Just be thankful that the bank didn't try to hold YOUR HUSBAND responsible for the loss.