Number changed on my online banking. Faster payment was made not aware off *Fraud*

gloryninja

Hello,

I need some advice on this situation i am in with my bank. This bank (i do not want to give out the name) is a well known bank.

This happen 4 month ago. Someone changed the home number on my account and attempted to make a payment or something over the phone. They suspended my online banking asking me to go to the branch which i did. I noticed that my home number was changed and promptly asked them to fix this. I was in the branch that time and on the phone to the fraud department where they assured me that they will change the home number to my own number.

After 2 weeks, it was still the same and again called up the fraud department to ask for it get changed. I get alot of money going in and going out every day.

Yesterday i called up because there was a debit to a company called Catalogue Club which i did not sign up for. Since there was evidence towards this, they refunded me. This lead me to believe that there may be some other unauthorised transactions (I hardly go through my statement which was a big mistake)

Today i logged into my bank to see that on 29th june there was a faster payment made to an unknown company for £550. I will remember something like this. I tried doing research on the name but found nothing. When speaking on the phone, i was directed to the fraud department again but the women stated that this was a DEBIT even though it states on my online banking that it was a Transfer but on her system it says debit meaning either someone paid using online or over the shop which is impossible as my card is always with me.

I asked my bank to change the number on my banking several times and it has not been changed which is a vital security issue as they probably can use this number to transfer money over.

What can i do? I do not recognise the recipient of this account that the money was sent to, HOWEVER, the recipent is saved on my payee list but the fraud team stated that this was a debit which is confusing me.

Can i claim these back? The fact that i asked several times for my number to get changed going to the branch plus with the fraud department yet they still have not changed anything and i am not allowing my self to be £550 out of cash.

I need help. Where do i stand?

masonic

Firstly, any transaction that involves money flowing out of your account is a debit (as opposed to a credit).

If some of your personal information was changed without your authorisation, then that really should have been investigated when you notified the bank. Either the bank has mixed your details up with those of another customer, or someone has impersonated you in order to make the change - both of which are serious issues.

If the fraud department claimed they would correct your personal details, but failed to do so, that's grounds for complaint by itself.

Here is what the regulator says about unauthorised payments: https://www.the-fca.org.uk/consumers/unauthorised-payments-account

colsten

I would do a number of things:

1. print off all statements/transactions in order to have a lasting record of them
2. open a new account at a different bank and transfer all the money, SOs and DDs to that new bank. You might want to consider switching your existing account though that will close it
3. make a written complaint to the "well known bank"
4. report the fraudulent transactions to ActionFraud
5. think hard who may have access to my personal & banking details. Knowing a phone number is not enough to set up new payees and make payments to them. Stop those who you suspect may be behind the fraud if they are family / friends.

Dobbibill

gloryninja wrote: »

Hello,

I need some advice on this situation i am in with my bank. This bank (i do not want to give out the name) is a well known bank.

Why do you not want to say?

This happen 4 month ago. Someone changed the home number on my account and attempted to make a payment or something over the phone. They suspended my online banking asking me to go to the branch which i did. I noticed that my home number was changed and promptly asked them to fix this. I was in the branch that time and on the phone to the fraud department where they assured me that they will change the home number to my own number.

How was your number changed?
Why did they suspend your online banking if someone tried to make a payment over the phone? What did they say was their reasoning.

After 2 weeks, it was still the same and again called up the fraud department to ask for it get changed. I get alot of money going in and going out every day.

Where was it still the same? On the phone, in the branch or online?

Yesterday i called up because there was a debit to a company called Catalogue Club which i did not sign up for. Since there was evidence towards this, they refunded me. This lead me to believe that there may be some other unauthorised transactions (I hardly go through my statement which was a big mistake)

Today i logged into my bank to see that on 29th june there was a faster payment made to an unknown company for £550. I will remember something like this. I tried doing research on the name but found nothing. When speaking on the phone, i was directed to the fraud department again but the women stated that this was a DEBIT even though it states on my online banking that it was a Transfer but on her system it says debit meaning either someone paid using online or over the shop which is impossible as my card is always with me.

How did it appear on your statement....eg
23June DEB payee name, account details £550.00

what is this 'unknown company' called?

I asked my bank to change the number on my banking several times and it has not been changed which is a vital security issue as they probably can use this number to transfer money over.

some banks allow you to change your telephone on online banking, if you share which bank you are with, we can give more tailored advice.

What can i do? I do not recognise the recipient of this account that the money was sent to, HOWEVER, the recipent is saved on my payee list but the fraud team stated that this was a debit which is confusing me.

The name of a recipient means very little on your payee list as you can save it as anything. eg - I could set a payment up to my savings account and put it as Argos, it will still go.

Can i claim these back? The fact that i asked several times for my number to get changed going to the branch plus with the fraud department yet they still have not changed anything and i am not allowing my self to be £550 out of cash.

I need help. Where do i stand?

If it is fraud then, yes you can claim it back. The bank is obliged to refund the money immediately and if they find from their investigations that it isn't fraud they can re-debit the money. The fraud team should have made you aware of this.

What have the fraud team said to you exactly? More information will help with a more tailored response.

chris_m

colsten wrote: »

I would do a number of things:

1. print off all statements/transactions in order to have a lasting record of them
2. open a new account at a different bank and transfer all the money, SOs and DDs to that new bank. You might want to consider switching your existing account though that will close it
3. make a written complaint to the "well known bank"
4. report the fraudulent transactions to ActionFraud
5. think hard who may have access to my personal & banking details. Knowing a phone number is not enough to set up new payees and make payments to them. Stop those who you suspect may be behind the fraud if they are family / friends.

I would be inclined to precede all those by changing my online banking password to ensure that if someone does have access they won't any more.