TSB fraud reported and closed account

[Deleted User]

Hi all

I’ve been researching the past three weeks trying to find information on this mess that’s happened with TSB and I’m getting nowhere so I’m hopeful someone here can be my saviour!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

I have a personal account with TSB and three weeks ago I was victim of a scam whereby a person I’d just met for the first time, and in a romantic capacity, manipulated and scammed me over the space of 5-6 hours that I spent at his place, including not allowing me to leave his place, and ultimately he obtained access to my iPhone and thus access to my TSB banking app (both of which use Face ID), along with other bits of information he pulled from my phone and evidence he’d deleted (such as our conversations).

It’s a long and confusing story of how he gained access that I still don’t fully understand yet but what I have recognised is that it was a series of him being progressively invasive, leading up to him literally just grabbing my iPhone from my hand and fabricating some reason why he wouldn’t give it me back. I was super confused and to be honest, I was scared

I couldn’t leave the house as he invited a friend of his to join us (he hadn’t told me this in advance and I think it was to prevent me from physically leaving before he wanted me to), and whenever I went to the bathroom with the aim of actually leaving his flat, he would wait in the hallway. I’ve worked out that the time I left was around the time of the last transfer, so he’s run out of money to steal and maybe I didn’t serve any purpose being there anymore.

I looked at my phone when I left and that’s when I saw what he’d done. He had sent 6 transfers from my TSB account to three different banks, totalling £1,675. This was the max I had in my TSB account.

Two of the accounts were pre-paid/Monzo type accounts and the other was a Lloyds bank account  

He set up three different payee’s, changing the one he initially set up which was in his name (he changed the names of the other two payees).

And this tallied up with why he’d deleted his number from my phone and re-entered it under a fabricated name. Very strange.

Side note: He’d also taken screenshots of the transfer confirmation pages in the TSB app and then sent them to himself from MY WhatsApp. I’m not entirely sure why he’s done that, maybe it acts as a receipt?! But it’s a very very odd thing to do. He knew I’d notice it in WhatsApp as well so by the time I opened WhatsApp he’d already blocked me.

I immediately contacted the police and filed a report online and got a crime reference number and an email from my local police station saying it was being allocated to someone to take a look at and someone will call me within 24 hours (that was 3 weeks ago but I assumed maybe they’ve been piecing it together and investigating 🤷🏼‍♂️).

I also filed a report with Action Fraud, changed all of my logins for every single device and account, particularly my TSB account, and then I called TSB to explain what happened.

I gave them as much information as possible (along with the Action Fraud and police report crime reference numbers), and they advised me that the first two bank transfers they could see that they were fraudulent/not done by me so they will likely be returned to my account in the next day or two, and they were, which was great news. This was only totalling £310 out of the £1,675 though.

Those other four transfers he said were a little complex so the fraud team will call me back within a day (three weeks ago), and either they’ll claw the money back for me OR TSB will make a determination as to whether to refund me the value of the transfers.

I started to get concerned when I hadn’t heard from TSB at all, yet the four transfers still hadn’t been refunded and then my account access was reduced. I couldn’t use my card and I couldn’t make any transfers or do any banking.

I called TSB and they advised me that my fraud claim had been “denied” (for the four transfers that I  still hadn’t been refunded for), and that my TSB account was being “closed immediately”. And that they had no more information for me.

I was shocked and really confused and all they said I could do is appeal the decision in due course but they couldn’t give me any more information and if I want to withdraw my money then I have to go in to a branch with ID or they’ll send me a cheque.

I went to the branch to withdraw my money and the branch manager had to call the fraud department (to bypass a fraud department imposed restriction), but he came back with a no, that I can’t withdraw any money or transfer or use my account in any way and that he’d been advised that I’d receive a cheque in the post.

I’m now really frustrated because it’s been three weeks and I’ve been patient and tried to process what actually happened. As well as this, the guy that robbed me had been sending me threats on an app because he says his bank accounts have been “stopped temporarily” and the money has disappeared.

I’m quite annoyed that if that’s true then where is the money? And why am I being penalised when I’m the victim in this disaster?

TSB advised me on the call to report the fraud that they’ve identified that I’m a vulnerable customer, based on what happened and also because I have depression and anxiety, and I was reassured that it meant whenever I called up telephone banking or went in to a branch then the staff would know.

To be honest, I will be fine but I’m lost at what to do here and I think I need some help please.

I’m scared of escalating things with the police as the guy who robbed me sent me threats and he only lives 8-10 minute walk from where I live (he doesn’t know my address or the street I live on though).

And I’m confused as to what to do next with TSB because I want to withdraw *my* money that’s in there to begin with, but they’re stopping me by not allowing me to even do it in branch with ID and that they’ll send me a cheque but it’s been three weeks.

I want to know where the money is that has certainly left my account, and apparently it’s not in the fraudsters accounts, so where is it?

And why has absolutely no-one at TSB contacted me at all, by phone or letter?

I don’t know what the next steps are to be honest but any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Deleted User]

How did you meet the person? is it via an app, if so can you contact them to recover the chats? did you make a backup of your phone? Was it not possible to call 999 when he prevented you from leaving?
How did he authorise the payments to the different accounts as each time you set up a new payee you have to complete verification? Have you contacted Lloyds to report the theft?

Ultimately this is clearly a serious crime and you need to chase the police. TSB are seemingly not convinced but if the police can investigate you could then send this on to TSB complaints or some other authority.

TheShape

OP, from your post it doesn't sound as though the police are taking a great deal of action at this stage.  Is this because you've just reported that you've been a victim of fraud?  If so, I would suggest you go back to them as it sounds as though you've been the victim of a far more serious crime (false imprisonment perhaps).  

Getting an email and a crime reference number doesn't sound like the response you would/should receive.

colsten

Go to Citizens Advice and ask them whether they can help you.

Teapot55

If the person has had his bank accounts frozen as well then this is a sign that the banks are taking this seriously. 

How are you managing for money? Can you afford to wait for the TSB to sort it out? When do you next get paid? 

Thrugelmir

danielstew22 said:

As well as this, the guy that robbed me had been sending me threats on an app because he says his bank accounts have been “stopped temporarily” and the money has disappeared.

Why hasn't this been reported to the police? 

born_again

danielstew22 said:

Hi all

I’ve been researching the past three weeks trying to find information on this mess that’s happened with TSB and I’m getting nowhere so I’m hopeful someone here can be my saviour!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

I have a personal account with TSB and three weeks ago I was victim of a scam whereby a person I’d just met for the first time, and in a romantic capacity, manipulated and scammed me over the space of 5-6 hours that I spent at his place, including not allowing me to leave his place, and ultimately he obtained access to my iPhone and thus access to my TSB banking app (both of which use Face ID), along with other bits of information he pulled from my phone and evidence he’d deleted (such as our conversations).

It’s a long and confusing story of how he gained access that I still don’t fully understand yet but what I have recognised is that it was a series of him being progressively invasive, leading up to him literally just grabbing my iPhone from my hand and fabricating some reason why he wouldn’t give it me back. I was super confused and to be honest, I was scared

I couldn’t leave the house as he invited a friend of his to join us (he hadn’t told me this in advance and I think it was to prevent me from physically leaving before he wanted me to), and whenever I went to the bathroom with the aim of actually leaving his flat, he would wait in the hallway. I’ve worked out that the time I left was around the time of the last transfer, so he’s run out of money to steal and maybe I didn’t serve any purpose being there anymore.

I looked at my phone when I left and that’s when I saw what he’d done. He had sent 6 transfers from my TSB account to three different banks, totalling £1,675. This was the max I had in my TSB account.

Two of the accounts were pre-paid/Monzo type accounts and the other was a Lloyds bank account  

He set up three different payee’s, changing the one he initially set up which was in his name (he changed the names of the other two payees).

And this tallied up with why he’d deleted his number from my phone and re-entered it under a fabricated name. Very strange.

Side note: He’d also taken screenshots of the transfer confirmation pages in the TSB app and then sent them to himself from MY WhatsApp. I’m not entirely sure why he’s done that, maybe it acts as a receipt?! But it’s a very very odd thing to do. He knew I’d notice it in WhatsApp as well so by the time I opened WhatsApp he’d already blocked me.

I immediately contacted the police and filed a report online and got a crime reference number and an email from my local police station saying it was being allocated to someone to take a look at and someone will call me within 24 hours (that was 3 weeks ago but I assumed maybe they’ve been piecing it together and investigating 🤷🏼‍♂️).

I also filed a report with Action Fraud, changed all of my logins for every single device and account, particularly my TSB account, and then I called TSB to explain what happened.

I gave them as much information as possible (along with the Action Fraud and police report crime reference numbers), and they advised me that the first two bank transfers they could see that they were fraudulent/not done by me so they will likely be returned to my account in the next day or two, and they were, which was great news. This was only totalling £310 out of the £1,675 though.

Those other four transfers he said were a little complex so the fraud team will call me back within a day (three weeks ago), and either they’ll claw the money back for me OR TSB will make a determination as to whether to refund me the value of the transfers.

I started to get concerned when I hadn’t heard from TSB at all, yet the four transfers still hadn’t been refunded and then my account access was reduced. I couldn’t use my card and I couldn’t make any transfers or do any banking.

I called TSB and they advised me that my fraud claim had been “denied” (for the four transfers that I  still hadn’t been refunded for), and that my TSB account was being “closed immediately”. And that they had no more information for me.

I was shocked and really confused and all they said I could do is appeal the decision in due course but they couldn’t give me any more information and if I want to withdraw my money then I have to go in to a branch with ID or they’ll send me a cheque.

I went to the branch to withdraw my money and the branch manager had to call the fraud department (to bypass a fraud department imposed restriction), but he came back with a no, that I can’t withdraw any money or transfer or use my account in any way and that he’d been advised that I’d receive a cheque in the post.

I’m now really frustrated because it’s been three weeks and I’ve been patient and tried to process what actually happened. As well as this, the guy that robbed me had been sending me threats on an app because he says his bank accounts have been “stopped temporarily” and the money has disappeared.

I’m quite annoyed that if that’s true then where is the money? And why am I being penalised when I’m the victim in this disaster?

TSB advised me on the call to report the fraud that they’ve identified that I’m a vulnerable customer, based on what happened and also because I have depression and anxiety, and I was reassured that it meant whenever I called up telephone banking or went in to a branch then the staff would know.

To be honest, I will be fine but I’m lost at what to do here and I think I need some help please.

I’m scared of escalating things with the police as the guy who robbed me sent me threats and he only lives 8-10 minute walk from where I live (he doesn’t know my address or the street I live on though).

And I’m confused as to what to do next with TSB because I want to withdraw *my* money that’s in there to begin with, but they’re stopping me by not allowing me to even do it in branch with ID and that they’ll send me a cheque but it’s been three weeks.

I want to know where the money is that has certainly left my account, and apparently it’s not in the fraudsters accounts, so where is it?

And why has absolutely no-one at TSB contacted me at all, by phone or letter?

I don’t know what the next steps are to be honest but any help will be greatly appreciated!

You need to get the police involved. You have proof via the threats that you have been sent. Also the matter of the stolen money.

dj1471

Firstly stop using the word fraud; this is theft, not a fraud. Make that clear to the police (forget Action Fraud) and ensure you've provided all the pertinent information including details of the subsequent threats. Presumably you have the name and address of the perpetrator so they should be able to follow this up. Don't expect miracles though; it's still your word against his - he will probably claim you willingly sent him the money and you can't prove otherwise since everything was authorised using your device and 2FA.

The bank have probably decided that you're too high risk to have as a customer, since you allowed a third party access to your phone and banking app.