Santander blocked account- help! 23 August 2019 at 9:23PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Budgeting & Bank Accounts 109 replies 6K views

Mozart33

Hi there, looking for advice from people with similar experiences or knowledge. My husband took out a loan £30k for house related expenses. This was paid from M&S Bank to his Santander current account. We had agreed we’ll keep the money in my Barclays account. The day after he tried to transfer the sum and got stopped, he called them and they told him he needed to go to the branch with ID to do transfer there. Which he did today. The transfer did not go through and they told him the account’s been blocked due to ML suspicion. They scanned his passport, took his signature to verify with the one they have on file from when he opened the account. He also gave them the copy of the loan contract which they scanned. The Barclays account is in my name and I also have a Santander account and we have a joint mortgage with them- so they can easily see my details being the same, I mean clearly that he’s sending the money to my account not just random person’s. I am concerned because I’m going to be out of work in 2 weeks time so won’t have any income and we were meant to transfer all DDs to his account. Can we still do that? And what about DDs that are already set up on his account, or his wages- will all that be allowed in and out? Apparently they told him he can’t make transfers but can still go to the bank to take money out with ID and that he can use his card to pay. He did in fact go shopping and his card payment went through fine. Surely this isn’t too complicated to resolve with all the facts black on white? I’m just very concerned as I myself will be without income in 2 weeks time.

BoGoF

You will just have to let the process rum it's course - it seems like you are able to prove the source of the funds.

Look at it from their point of view - a large sum of money goes into his account which is quickly transferred out (or attempted to be).

For the life of me I can't ser the logic in transferring it to your Barclays. An unneccessary step that has triggered AML enquiry?

Mozart33

We had agreed previously that we would manage these funds from that account as they are for specific purposes. So we wanted to separate them from any other accounts we have. I’m wondering, since apparently he’s able to use his debit card, surely they’re not massively concerned? Can he set up DDs for bills from there?

BoGoF

Only Santander can answer that.

18cc

in my opinion there is far too much of this going on

at the very least you should (after it has all be resolved) complain to them and ask for substantial compensation

following that i would switch accounts although avoid lloyds they are even worse than santander when it comes to blocking payments

xylophone

For the life of me I can't ser the logic in transferring it to your Barclays. An unneccessary step that has triggered AML enquiry?

Surely people are entitled to move their cash to any account they wish in order to control management of their affairs?

In this case, one imagines that the transfer was out of the normal pattern so that some algorithm has been triggered to security check the transaction.

I am very surprised that the OP's husband was told

the account’s been blocked due to ML suspicion.

as I had thought that no such comment should ever be made to the customer?

I imagine that as the husband has all necessary documentation to support any "source of funds" enquiry, the account will not long be blocked.

If it is, I'd be inclined to make a formal complaint.

worried_jim

xylophone wrote: »

Surely people are entitled to move their cash to any account they wish in order to control management of their affairs?

In this case, one imagines that the transfer was out of the normal pattern so that some algorithm has been triggered to security check the transaction.

I am very surprised that the OP's husband was told



as I had thought that no such comment should ever be made to the customer?

I imagine that as the husband has all necessary documentation to support any "source of funds" enquiry, the account will not long be blocked.

If it is, I'd be inclined to make a formal complaint.

Yep, tipping off the customer is a big no with AML. As with most of these threads we only hear half the story, banks don't hinder their customers accounts for sh1ts and giggles.

jonesMUFCforever

From M&S to Santander and then on again to Barclays - it looks like money laundering (I know from reading on here it is not) but your bank does not have access to here to read what you are doing.

Why not send it in the first place from M&S to Barclays?

You will have to wait until they are satisfied the monies are legit.

18cc

If santander block a transfer of funds from a source which is a marks and sspecer personal loan then their anti money laundering systems are not fit for purpose.

[Deleted User]

18cc wrote: »

If santander block a transfer of funds from a source which is a marks and sspecer personal loan then their anti money laundering systems are not fit for purpose.

The source was a bank transfer.
Santander don't know that it was a loan.

deadendwaterfall

Mozart33 wrote: »

Hi there, looking for advice from people with similar experiences or knowledge. My husband took out a loan £30k for house related expenses. This was paid from M&S Bank to his Santander current account. We had agreed we’ll keep the money in my Barclays account. The day after he tried to transfer the sum and got stopped, he called them and they told him he needed to go to the branch with ID to do transfer there. Which he did today. The transfer did not go through and they told him the account’s been blocked due to ML suspicion. They scanned his passport, took his signature to verify with the one they have on file from when he opened the account. He also gave them the copy of the loan contract which they scanned. The Barclays account is in my name and I also have a Santander account and we have a joint mortgage with them- so they can easily see my details being the same, I mean clearly that he’s sending the money to my account not just random person’s. I am concerned because I’m going to be out of work in 2 weeks time so won’t have any income and we were meant to transfer all DDs to his account. Can we still do that? And what about DDs that are already set up on his account, or his wages- will all that be allowed in and out? Apparently they told him he can’t make transfers but can still go to the bank to take money out with ID and that he can use his card to pay. He did in fact go shopping and his card payment went through fine. Surely this isn’t too complicated to resolve with all the facts black on white? I’m just very concerned as I myself will be without income in 2 weeks time.

Something doesn't add up here, I thought banks aren't allowed by law to tell their customers that? :huh: