Frozen account due to fraud

LCarruthers

Hi I'm hoping for some advice regarding fraud and the freezing of our accounts.

About a month ago my husband tried to use his card and it got eaten, HSBC couldn't explain why then when he tried to transfer his money to our joint account they said they couldn't with no explanation. Through a lot of phone calls and frustration it became apparent there was fraudulent activity hence the freezing but we had to fight for this information they wouldn't tell us. It transpired somebody had been using his identity to take out 2 loans from other companies and also tried using his account to make online payments.
Obviously they had not made the monthly payments on the loans they had fraudulently taken and this led back to my husbands account. We then got letters from HSBC and Sainsburys telling us we had not made payments on these loans which were not ours so we informed HSBC.
We then went into branch meetings gave our side of the story got a crime number etc etc. They told us our account would be unfrozen soon. This was over a month ago and they still won't release his money even though they accept it is fraud and the police think they have found the person. They have now frozen our joint account, again with no explanation.
We have no money to buy food, petrol or pay our bills. We were already behind due to my husband being made redundant in January and this being his first full months wages! So we now have warning letters from creditors warning that bailiffs will be arriving if we don't pay by Wednesday! HSBC can give us no explanation of what is taking so long and won't even release some of his money so we can buy nappies for our son! They have promised on 3 occasions that the money would be released and each time they say they can't and we need to patient.
We've complained and taken it the financial ombudsman but still nothing has been resolved. Things are desperate as we have no family to turn to for help and my credit card is now maxed out. If I don't get the money from our meeting today I won't have petrol to get to work on Monday.
Has anybody got any help or experience? Everybody else I know has said how helpful the bank has been when their identity was stolen - not the case here!
Thanks

A very Stressed L!

dalesrider

Can you start this again.
Stating what type of fraud we are looking at?

As freezing a account is not a usual course of action for card fraud.

LCarruthers

dalesrider wrote: »

Can you start this again.
Stating what type of fraud we are looking at?

As freezing a account is not a usual course of action for card fraud.

Thanks Dalesrider, Have updated the information. Hope it's a bit clearer!

anotheruser

I would go in every day until it is fixed.
Not practical but probably effective.

bengal-stripe

LCarruthers wrote: »

It transpired somebody had been using his identity to take out 2 loans from other companies and also tried using his account to make online payments.

Were these loans paid into your husband's account?

LCarruthers

Nope they weren't paid into the account at all. We just received final warning letters stating we were behind with payments!

LCarruthers

We've been ringing up every day but can't go in due to work. My husband has already had a verbal warning from his company about the time he's had to have off and make personal calls over this matter. It's ridiculous!

grumbler

Stop ringing. Complain formally and in writing. Keep a record of everything to claim compensation later.

Send Your Story to BBC Watchdog. They might be interested as they had a similar program recently: BBC Watchdod: Banks freezing out innocent customers and blacklisting them

dalesrider

LCarruthers wrote: »

Thanks Dalesrider, Have updated the information. Hope it's a bit clearer!

Sorry but given that the forums have been down. I have no idea what you have added.
Always better to put additional info in a new post.

pqrdef

LCarruthers wrote: »

We have no money to buy food, petrol or pay our bills. We were already behind due to my husband being made redundant in January and this being his first full months wages! So we now have warning letters from creditors warning that bailiffs will be arriving if we don't pay by Wednesday! HSBC can give us no explanation of what is taking so long and won't even release some of his money so we can buy nappies for our son!

Bank staff think this sort of thing is hilarious. They've been made a law unto themselves, and they love their power.

Have they told you they're only protecting you?

They won't unfreeze your accounts, they'll close them. You might get your money when they feel like it, but reckon on months. Don't reckon on opening another bank account anywhere, because they'll give you CIFAS flags. It's a well-trodden path.

JuicyJesus

pqrdef wrote: »

Bank staff think this sort of thing is hilarious. They've been made a law unto themselves, and they love their power.

Yes. That's exactly it.

/facepalm