Problems with the Halifax.

crazy_cat_lady2

When my mum died unbeknownst to me and my brothers my aunt stole my mum's debit card, gained access to her online banking facilities and between her and my grandmother emptied the accounts. I have been trying for several months to get the halifax to investigate this but all they seem to do is pass me from dept. to dept. and no one wants to either take responsibility for this or investigate. My brother has been to the bank on a couple of occasions but all they say is 'we can't deal with this in branch' and give him telephone numbers which takes me right back to being given the runaround once more. I am at my wits end on how to deal with this and if it was only a few quid I would be tempted to just let it go but it is nearly £10,000 and I don't see why they should get away with it. Can anyone give me any advice on what I can do? Thanks.

~Beanie~

I think you will have to report your aunt to the Police for fraud. Were the Halifax aware that your mum had died at the time your aunt was emptying the account? If they were, shouldn't the account have been frozen?

How did your aunt get the log-in details for the online banking?

Paul_1977

Go straight to the police

pvt

Do have any evidence that it was your Aunt and Grandmother that did this?

Did they have power of attorney to manage your Mum's affairs. If they did that might explain why the bank let them operate the account and gave them online credentials, however, once she passed away they should have informed the bank and stopped using the account. PoA does not give someone the right to remove money from a bank account once the account holder has died.

Did Mum have a Will? If so does it say who the Executor is? Strictly speaking it is for the executor to inform the Police what has happened, and to attempt recovery of the money.

jonesMUFCforever

In what way do you think the bank is at fault here?

Is it for a customer to let a 3rd party have her log on details?
Is it for a customer letting a 3rd party know their PIN details?
Did a member of the family tell the bank that mum passed away - and failed to act on it? If so this is the only way they have anything to investigate.
You have been given good advice - go to the police.

crazy_cat_lady2

Wow..nice replies!!!
Beginning to regret asking you lot!!!

1: We have been to the police, we have a crime number, they said first stop the bank.

2: Of course I have proof it was them, do you think I would just make it up!!!

3:I think the bank are at fault for refusing or not wanting to investigate.

4: Without knowing the full story of which I am not going to put on here it is irrelevant to any of you how she acquired the account details and passwords. No there was no will and my aunt and my grandmother did every thing obstructive you can possibly think of to stop my brother from becoming administrator and dealing with my mother's affairs.

No the account wasn't frozen, my brother had no idea of which bank she was with because the relatives from hell refused to be of any assistance whatsoever and it took him trawling the high street banks to find out which one. As soon as my brother was able to he went to the bank and reported them got the accounts frozen and went to the police. We have done everything in the right order re the police and reporting it. I don't need to know any of that, that wasn't the question I asked. I asked what can we do if the bank keep giving us the runaround about this matter who do I turn to next.

pinkdalek

Sorry to hear your distress.
You have to realise if you put an item on here you will get replies that you don't want to hear or read or agree with.

From an impartial point of view.
There was no will written up you said.
So from an impartial view how does the bank know that your side of events are true? It is your side against the others.
It's something you need to get professional and legal advice on.
You won't get much other help on here other than either sympathy or abuse.

planteria

and with that in mind, accept that some of the replies, even if not what you want to read, are actually very informative.

crazy_cat_lady2

Pinkdalek...thankyou

We know it was them because we have mum's statements and there are several transfers from her account to both of theirs, there are transactions by debit card before and after transfers have been made and some debit card transactions that have been traced back to my aunt after calling the vets where she took my mum's cat.
I will give the bank one last attempt before I go down the road of getting solicitors involved because that could well work out more costly and not be worth it. Perhaps I will try the ombudsmen.
Planteria....perhaps the posts are informative but what has been said I have done already and as I already pointed out that wasn't what I asked. I accept that those who have answered could not have known this but again I reiterate those were not the questions I asked.
I haven't come here looking for either sympathy or abuse just an answer to my question if anyone knows.

pvt

Thank you for your clarifications and generous use of the ! marks. "Us lot" are only trying to help you.

If anyone transferred or withdrew money from the account after your Mum died, I believe fraud has very clearly been committed. Until an executor is appointed and the bank presented with the appropriate paperwork, nobody can access the accounts, even if they previously held PoA. The one exception, I believe, being that the bank may pay funeral expenses.

Was all the money transferred or withdrawn after Mum died?

crazy_cat_lady2

PVT....yes it was all done after mum had died, as I said before I'm not going into details but suffice it to say mum and her sister were close and although mum never gave her permission or disclosed her card details my aunt gained access to her laptop and acquired what she needed. I appreciate that you are only trying to help but some 'helpful' remarks and the way they are put are not really helpful at all. My brother now has the letter of administration to sort my mum's affairs which is how all of this has come to light.