Bank Fraud

Carlyxx

Hi, I really don’t know where to turn for advice. Yesterday I had around £3000 of fraudulent transactions on my account. I called the bank to report the fraud and was advised that the fraud investigation takes around 10 days, and I won’t be refunded until that is completed. I now have no money to my name, and payments due on Monday. I called the bank again today crying and pleading with them to help me sooner. I told the lady I spoke to that I am a single parent, I have mental health issues, and we have no money left etc. she replied “thank you, have a nice day”. I have no one to turn to and am appalled really that I have banked with HSBC since I was 16, and when I desperately need them, they don’t care. 

soolin

Carlyxx said:

Hi, I really don’t know where to turn for advice. Yesterday I had around £3000 of fraudulent transactions on my account. I called the bank to report the fraud and was advised that the fraud investigation takes around 10 days, and I won’t be refunded until that is completed. I now have no money to my name, and payments due on Monday. I called the bank again today crying and pleading with them to help me sooner. I told the lady I spoke to that I am a single parent, I have mental health issues, and we have no money left etc. she replied “thank you, have a nice day”. I have no one to turn to and am appalled really that I have banked with HSBC since I was 16, and when I desperately need them, they don’t care. 

This is not my field at all I just transferred your thread to a more appropriate board and others will be able to advise you properly. However, what transactions, how many and what type. IE shop purchases, online transfers, cash withdrawals etc?
If the payments were via bank card do you still have your card and have you ever shared your pin with anyone ? If online do you use a secure log in, and does anyone else have access to that?

As it stands there is something missing from this summary, the bank , if they were as flippant as you suggest sound as though they do not believe this to be fraud - is there anything else you have missed out that may help those who can advise you better? 

Carlyxx

Thank you for your response. There were over 20 online purchases, various sites. I was at work when this happened and the card, although it has now been cancelled, was in my possession. No one else has access to my accounts etc. 

Robin9

Go back to the Fraud line - it operates 24 hours a day

soolin

Carlyxx said:

Thank you for your response. There were over 20 online purchases, various sites. I was at work when this happened and the card, although it has now been cancelled, was in my possession. No one else has access to my accounts etc. 

Online purchases - so potentially the scammer has access to your log in details for your bank. Does anyone else have your details- and do you use a card reader or any other form of 2 line log in?

Have you had any emails from the bank recently asking you to log in for any reason as this could be the result of a phishing email. I echo the above, I would go back to the fraud department , try and stay calm, don't get cross or upset just ask them to refund you pending their investigation. 

Shakin_Steve

Unless they suspect fraud, you bank should be refunding you as soon as possible, not in ten days. If you don't get anywhere when you contact them, tell them you want to start a complaint.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/banking/banking-security-and-fraud/

Carlyxx

Thank you everyone. I have called the fraud team 3 times today and they won’t budge. I have also used online chat several times and told the same thing. I’ve been on the phone to the bank again and the lady I’m currently speaking to (not from the fraud team) is speaking to her manager about whether I could have a temporary credit on my account. Still not good enough. I have already raised a complaint, again they weren’t bothered. I only have weekends off work and I’ve wasted today trying to sort this. I keep ranting but thank you for listening.

Carlyxx

soolin said:

Carlyxx said:

Thank you for your response. There were over 20 online purchases, various sites. I was at work when this happened and the card, although it has now been cancelled, was in my possession. No one else has access to my accounts etc. 

Online purchases - so potentially the scammer has access to your log in details for your bank. Does anyone else have your details- and do you use a card reader or any other form of 2 line log in?

Have you had any emails from the bank recently asking you to log in for any reason as this could be the result of a phishing email. I echo the above, I would go back to the fraud department , try and stay calm, don't get cross or upset just ask them to refund you pending their investigation. 

Hi, no one else has my log in details and and I no longer use a card reader. I have received some dodgy emails but have never opened them. I have reported to action fraud, but again, still doesn’t get my money back any sooner. I’m still on hold with the bank waiting for a temporary credit to be provided. 

eskbanker

The steer from the regulator at https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/unauthorised-payments-account is that you should be refunded by close of play on Monday, so if HSBC aren't adhering to that then push them to ascertain why:

In most cases the bank must refund the payment without undue delay and by the end of the business day following the day on which it became aware of the problem, unless it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that you have acted fraudulently. 

Carlyxx

eskbanker said:

The steer from the regulator at https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/unauthorised-payments-account is that you should be refunded by close of play on Monday, so if HSBC aren't adhering to that then push them to ascertain why:

In most cases the bank must refund the payment without undue delay and by the end of the business day following the day on which it became aware of the problem, unless it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that you have acted fraudulently. 

Thank you, that’s helpful. The way the fraud team spoke to me, it was if they believed I had made the purchases. Anyway, after lots of phone calls today, I spoke to someone who was not from the fraud team, and she agreed with her manager, to transfer the money from my account, into another account, so at least I could go into branch and withdraw. This now leaves my current account in minus, until my money is refunded. I’m hoping it is sorted Monday, because if not, it will get to pay day and because I am now in -£3k, I will not be able to pay my bills etc. 

DebtHurricane

Carlyxx said:

eskbanker said:

The steer from the regulator at https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/unauthorised-payments-account is that you should be refunded by close of play on Monday, so if HSBC aren't adhering to that then push them to ascertain why:

In most cases the bank must refund the payment without undue delay and by the end of the business day following the day on which it became aware of the problem, unless it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that you have acted fraudulently. 

Thank you, that’s helpful. The way the fraud team spoke to me, it was if they believed I had made the purchases. Anyway, after lots of phone calls today, I spoke to someone who was not from the fraud team, and she agreed with her manager, to transfer the money from my account, into another account, so at least I could go into branch and withdraw. This now leaves my current account in minus, until my money is refunded. I’m hoping it is sorted Monday, because if not, it will get to pay day and because I am now in -£3k, I will not be able to pay my bills etc. 

Just a thought, I’ve had lots of different jobs over the years where the deadline for payroll changes such as amending bank details have fallen on all sorts of different times of the month. I reckon if you urgently explained the issue with your bank account to your payroll department, they should definitely be able to pay your salary into a different account in time. 

That’s if you get paid at the end of the month though and obviously some employers’ cut off times have passed now. But worth a try to mitigate that risk.