Fraud on my account - bank can't do anything!?!?

Badger_Lady

I opened a new bank account in June this year, but after having difficulties with online banking / paying for stuff / customer service generally, decided to go back to my original account (which was still open and still had all my DDs etc).

So, at the end of August, I went into my branch and asked to close my account. I handed in my Debit card, collected the remaining balance and left happy (if a little surprised that they hadn't checked my ID).

Since then, I've moved house, and over the weekend the new owners kindly forwarded me a batch of post. Among them was a letter from said bank stating that a direct debit had bounced on 20th September, and to get in touch.

So I phoned the number on the letter, gave my account number, and explained that no direct debits should have bounced because the account was closed.

The (very nice) lady on the phone said that the account is still showing is open, and that there has been recent activity! :eek: But she could only get access if I gave her my debit card number. Since I handed my debit card in at the branch, there was no way for me to find this out!

All she could do was apologise and leave a message with my branch to "look into it".

Is it me, or is this ridiculous??? There is fraudulent activity happening in my name, potentially drawing up a debt but yet the bank can't treat it as a priority to cancel / freeze / investigate because I don't know my debit card number? :mad: They couldn't even find out what the current balance is.

Is there any way I can push these people into action?

mandi

Hya,,, call them back as soon as they open today. Ask for a supervisor, get his/here name, and refuse to hang up till this is cleared up .

. Failing that tell them your going to call the police.. If they dont take immediate action :mad:

jonesMUFCforever

Do you know whether this is fraud?
It could have been a late debit card transaction going through after you thought you had closed the account.
You left the bank with the balance but they may have been unable to formally close it because of this.
It could also be that a direct debit has gone through.

The transactions going through may be interest and charges since I presume you have not paid any money into it since you though it was closed.
Did you receive a closing statement?

My advice is to go back into the branch and find out exactly what has been going on.
Any transactions which are genuine - you need to arrange to pay off - any interest and charges the bank should refund.

Iamthesmartestmanalive

Dont be silly ejones
Its far more obvious to blame everyone else and actually not try and resolve the problem

Why give the card back? what about statements etc

You'd be quick enough to moan if your bank started discussing it with anyone who asked

jonesMUFCforever

Iamthesmartestmanalive wrote: »

Dont be silly ejones
Its far more obvious to blame everyone else and actually not try and resolve the problem

Why give the card back? what about statements etc

You'd be quick enough to moan if your bank started discussing it with anyone who asked

Sorry I don't get your point.

I wasn't moaning about anything merely pointing out that it might not be fraud just a mistake.
Until OP visits the bank we will not know the full story.

Badger_Lady

ejones999 wrote: »

Sorry I don't get your point.

I wasn't moaning about anything merely pointing out that it might not be fraud just a mistake.
Until OP visits the bank we will not know the full story.

He was having a go at me, ejones, not you. Allow me to respond:

I called again yesterday, and this time asked to cancel the debit card. The lady in "lost and stolen cards", funny enough, could see my balance and confirmed that it is still £0.

So the account is still officially open but no, there hasn't been any activity. I don't know what the first girl was on about - perhaps she just meant the account was "active" (as in "open").

So now I'll just revisit the branch and ask them to close it properly.

Iamthesmartestmanalive, you're clearly not. Before closing the account, I did confirm that there were no pending transactions ( I stopped using the card 2 weeks beforehand) and there were no DDs / SOs on the account.

This is why I was convinced of fraud when I was told there had been "activity".

I trusted my bank branch to dispose of my card correctly. You were right to ask, but please don't make assumptions on my intelligence! In this case, I think you'll agree that the "blame" is someone elses, although the consequences are now known to be negligible.

Voyager2002

Badger_Lady wrote: »

He was having a go at me, ejones, not you. Allow me to respond:

I called again yesterday, and this time asked to cancel the debit card. The lady in "lost and stolen cards", funny enough, could see my balance and confirmed that it is still £0.

So the account is still officially open but no, there hasn't been any activity. I don't know what the first girl was on about - perhaps she just meant the account was "active" (as in "open").

So now I'll just revisit the branch and ask them to close it properly.

Iamthesmartestmanalive, you're clearly not. Before closing the account, I did confirm that there were no pending transactions ( I stopped using the card 2 weeks beforehand) and there were no DDs / SOs on the account.

This is why I was convinced of fraud when I was told there had been "activity".

I trusted my bank branch to dispose of my card correctly. You were right to ask, but please don't make assumptions on my intelligence! In this case, I think you'll agree that the "blame" is someone elses, although the consequences are now known to be negligible.

I think this whole experience highlights the importance of contacting the special "lost and stolen" part of the bank when you suspect fraud. If you call the general customer service line you get people who probably do not have access to up to date information.

It does sound as if the attempted fraud was not related to your debit card, but was simply someone who knew your account number and sort code and attempted to set up a new direct debit instruction.