Barclays closed my account/Possible CIFAS Marker

msr_cfc

Hi everyone, around 4 weeks ago I got a message from a designer clothing seller on Instagram saying if I wanted to make money quickly. As I am still in School (6th Form) and studying my A levels I was desperate to get some cash during exam season. The seller told me that money would be sent to my account and I would send that money to an account he had given me. I gave him my account details and he began to send money. I would send it to the account he stated until Wednesday 19th May. I tried to log in to my Barclays mobile banking but I was stopped by a message stating that my account had been blocked. After numerous visits to the Barclays branch and helplines I received a letter stating my account had been closed with immediate effect. After looking on forums and other pages I began to learn about the possibility of me having a CIFAS marker on my credit history and the possibility of not being able to open a bank account for 6 years! I have emailed the CIFAS for a SAR and have submitted an application to NatWest to open a student current account as I couldn’t bank with Barclays anymore.

I feel as if I am a victim as a money “mule” and been tricked into money laundering without me knowing. I have text messages with the guy in which it is clear I have no idea what is truly going on and my lack of common sense is evident. Can I use this evidence with the bank to prove my innocence?

I just wanted to know before I receive my SAR what steps should I take to remove a CIFAS marker if i do have one?

Candyapple

https://www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/new-data-reveals-stark-increase-young-people-acting-money-mules

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-6367319/Can-open-new-bank-account-shut-fraud.html

I don't think pleading ignorance to a crime is going to help your defence. You should be more worried about if Barclays report you to the police and the repercussions from that.

If you have a CIFAS marker then your Natwest account you have applied for will likely be closed and you'll have to look into basic bank accounts or accounts that charge for banking services such as below:

https://www.thinkmoney.co.uk/no-credit-check/
https://www.cashplus.com/

If you do have a CIFAS marker, you'll just have to wait it out for the 6 years and take it as a lesson learned.

[Deleted User]

You can’t remove a CIFAS marker.

If you can’t do the time....

eskbanker

msr_cfc wrote: »

Can I use this evidence with the bank to prove my innocence?

Trouble is, you're not innocent.

That may sound harsh, but your undoubted naivety doesn't absolve you from this, so don't be under any illusion that you can simply unwind this and pretend it never happened....

robatwork

msr_cfc wrote: »

I feel as if I am a victim as a money “mule” and been tricked into money laundering without me knowing. I have text messages with the guy in which it is clear I have no idea what is truly going on and my lack of common sense is evident. Can I use this evidence with the bank to prove my innocence?

You put "mule" in quotes but not "tricked".
Nobody here KNOWS what was in your head.

Most reasonable people will consider you knew what you were doing.

msr_cfc

Is there no way at all for it to be removed. I have seen that writing to the bank and explaining everything that’s happened helps

Kentish_Dave

msr_cfc wrote: »

I feel as if I am a victim as a money “mule” and been tricked into money laundering without me knowing. I have text messages with the guy in which it is clear I have no idea what is truly going on and my lack of common sense is evident. Can I use this evidence with the bank to prove my innocence?

Yes, it certainly looks as though you’ve been complicit in money laundering, so there’s pretty much no chance of you being able to prove that you weren’t.

You are not the victim here, you were part of the crime, no-one’s going to believe that you did not know what was going on.

As others suggest above, the very best outcome is that the police don’t take an interest in you. Whichever way it goes, though, you can probably wave goodbye to bank accounts, loans or mortgages for a few years, and most definitely won’t be working in Finance or Law when you graduate.

msr_cfc

That is because I have only learnt now what has happened to me. At the time I had no idea and was desperate and naive.

ColdIron

If someone said you could "make money quickly" by carrying a package on a plane and you got caught would you describe yourself as a victim who had been tricked as you didn't know what you were doing?

18cc

There is not much I can do to help - in truth there was not much anybody on this forum can do to help you

try not to feel too bad about yourself this kind of fraud is increasing significantly you are not the first to fall for it and certainly will not be the last

to answer your specific question the Marker will not be removed from your file and this means you will most likely be unable to open any account for probably the next 6 years

if you try for example to open a new bank account it will get refused because of the Marker

you therefore need to think what to do about your finances for the next few years - Google is your friend here

As I say try not to be too upset and if nothing else take it as a hard-earned lesson which hopefully will stand you in stead for the rest of your life

msr_cfc

Can I open a basic account or account isn’t affected by the marker