NatWest First Party Fraud Restrictions - Please HELP!

tonyga421

NatWest Persona account access restricted: 3x personal accounts & 2x joint accounts with my wife 

I tried use my card at a shop it declined didn’t think much of it, tried sign into my online banking and was getting an error. I thought maybe my card was paused due to a recent purchase I made online, so I called the Fraud department and the response I got was to email First.Party.Fraud@rbs.co.uk. I also got a text to do the same when I was on the phone.

So, I emailed them but they take a day or 2 to reply. I got impatient so I called the normal business line, however they said that this would only be resolved via email with first party fraud. 

This was seven days ago, and my accounts are still restricted, and I don’t know why.

I have sent countless emails to first party fraud and had two responses – one asking form my account details, and the second asking for the four-digit security code sent to my mobile. Both responded to from me. Still no response on what is happening.

I can’t access my wages. I have missed credit card payments through this (same bank) and no one will speak to me or respond to me.

7 days and counting…

On day four I raised a compliant – NatWest offered my £100 compensation and promised to escalate the issue. I accepted, but by day 5 I emailed complaining again saying I was unsatisfied. They have yet to respond.

Have also tweeted them @NatWest_Help and no help has been forthcoming.

What can I do, and what are my rights?

Tonyga421

shiraz99

If there's a branch, visit it and make a fuss. Make sure you take some forms of ID with you too.

born_again

This is not a consumer rights issue. 

The bank can & will take as long as the investigation takes. Complaints etc will not speed it up. In fact may make it slower, as the teams will have to talk to each other, meaning someone is not investigation the reason for the account suspension.
So in the end you will need to sit back & wait till they complete their process. Which is something they are allowed & have to do if they feel something does not look right. Or they may face a massive fine from the regulator.

Branch staff will not be able to do anything. So making a fuss in a branch is only going to make matters worse. May even lead to removal of account if staff feel intimidated by it.

TBH, I'm amazed you got offered anything after 4 days. Normally you are looking at a couple of weeks. Even then complaints will not give anything as it is something banks have to do.

halibut2209

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

tonyga421

Update: Spoken to someone from the Complaints team. They were very helpful and understanding but couldn't do anything further. Apparently the First Party Fraud team have no telephone line and only correspond via email. Se they are emailing the team to escalate. "Hopefully they will contact me before the weekend'.

tonyga421

born_again said:

This is not a consumer rights issue. 

The bank can & will take as long as the investigation takes. Complaints etc will not speed it up. In fact may make it slower, as the teams will have to talk to each other, meaning someone is not investigation the reason for the account suspension.
So in the end you will need to sit back & wait till they complete their process. Which is something they are allowed & have to do if they feel something does not look right. Or they may face a massive fine from the regulator.

Branch staff will not be able to do anything. So making a fuss in a branch is only going to make matters worse. May even lead to removal of account if staff feel intimidated by it.

TBH, I'm amazed you got offered anything after 4 days. Normally you are looking at a couple of weeks. Even then complaints will not give anything as it is something banks have to do.

Really?

7 days to no access to wages to pay for groceries, travel to work or pay bills.

I haven't done anything wrong, in fact I have tried to positively engage with the Bank to find out what's wrong and what i can do to resolve it.

I wouldn't mind if it took 7 weeks, but to correspond only via email (even though the matter is fraud related) and then not to respond to emails is completely disgusting and illogical.

tonyga421

halibut2209 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

Hi thanks for this article - I hadn't seen this.

My accounts were frozen on Thur 15 Sep and its now Thur 22 Sep. Still no closer to understanding what is happening, why or when this will be resolved.

born_again

halibut2209 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

One you linked too..
NatWest Business account access restricted
This thread
NatWest Persona account access restricted

So look like to totally different users. But team could confirm that from IP address.

eskbanker

tonyga421 said:

halibut2209 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

Hi thanks for this article - I hadn't seen this

Really?

tonyga421 said:

I tried use my card at a shop it declined didn’t think much of it, tried sign into my online banking and was getting an error. I thought maybe my card was paused due to a recent purchase I made online, so I called the Fraud department and the response I got was to email First.Party.Fraud@rbs.co.uk. I also got a text to do the same when I was on the phone.

So, I emailed them but they take a day or 2 to reply. I got impatient so I called the normal business line

Bdem96 said:

I tried use my card at a shop it declined didn’t think much of it, tried sign into my online banking and was getting an error. I thought maybe my card was paused due to a recent purchase I made online, so I called the Fraud department and the response I got was to email First.Party.Fraud@rbs.co.uk so I emailed them but they take a day or 2 to reply. I got impatient so I called the normal business line

Daliah

born_again said:

halibut2209 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

One you linked too..
NatWest Business account access restricted
This thread
NatWest Persona account access restricted

So look like to totally different users. But team could confirm that from IP address.

The IP address could have changed, and anyway, it wouldn’t be shared on this Forum.

What we can all see is that the post texts are, to a large extent, identical. 

tonyga421

Daliah said:

born_again said:

halibut2209 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6372913/natwest-first-party-fraud-restrictions

Identical post here from July with a different username, so not sure how it's only been 7 days

One you linked too..
NatWest Business account access restricted
This thread
NatWest Persona account access restricted

So look like to totally different users. But team could confirm that from IP address.

The IP address could have changed, and anyway, it wouldn’t be shared on this Forum.

What we can all see is that the post texts are, to a large extent, identical. 

I agree. I still require advice and support though.