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Bank swtich bribes after getting married

Hello!

I recently got married and I've taken my husband's name. Even though our wedding was relatively cheap, it left a bit of a hole in our budget. The wedding itself wouldn't have made our finances this bad if we didn't have to unexpectedly fix the roof and electricity all at once, leaving us with a bill of £3,000 on top of whatever we had to invest in the wedding. 

So, here's my question... 
Since I took my husband's name, am I eligible for bank-switch bribes? I'm not a fraudster and I don't want to get in trouble but if the rich (banks) are willing to give to the poor (like myself) I like to think of myself as an opportunist. 

I imagine this won't work if I change my name on my current account and then switch (or would it?). But, I've been reading about dummy accounts lately and I'm quite tempted to set one up (using my married name) and get money for switching to repair my budget without acting against the law. Getting in any sort of trouble and being marked as a fraudster is the last thing I want! 

I hope my question makes sense. 

Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

Comments

  • PRAISETHESUN
    PRAISETHESUN Posts: 4,502 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Of course you are eligible, why would you think you're not? Nothing illegal about it unless you simultaneously pretend to be two different people in both your old and new names.

    The main issue is that you need to be consistent with your name on all your bank account that you are switching. Switches will fail if the name on the old account is different to that on the new account. You might also have issues if you get asked to provide ID documents in either the old or new name, but you haven't got any. But other then that there's nothing wrong with what you're planning to do.
  • Are you saying that you’ve already availed of switching offers before and you’re hoping that you will be able to avail a second time, with your married name? I’d be surprised if that worked as both names will be linked to a single credit reference and suspect the banks systems would be sophisticated enough to realise you were the same person.
    Northern Ireland club member No 382 :j
  • WillPS
    WillPS Posts: 4,694 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Newshound! Name Dropper
    To make like easy for yourself, either stick with your maiden name until you have exhausted all your switching bonus opportunities, or get new photo ID (passport or driving license), change your name on all your existing accounts, leave it a couple of months for credit records to update, then start working through the bonuses.

    Mixture of names makes things difficult, and some banks seemingly can't support it at all (Chase).
  • PRAISETHESUN
    PRAISETHESUN Posts: 4,502 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Are you saying that you’ve already availed of switching offers before and you’re hoping that you will be able to avail a second time, with your married name? I’d be surprised if that worked as both names will be linked to a single credit reference and suspect the banks systems would be sophisticated enough to realise you were the same person.
    This is a good point that I'd missed earlier - if you've already gotten switch incentives in your maiden name, changing your name isn't going to suddenly mean you can get incentives again. At best the bank will be smart enough to know you've changed your name and decline to pay out again, and at worst it's fraud.
  • Of course you are eligible, why would you think you're not? Nothing illegal about it unless you simultaneously pretend to be two different people in both your old and new names.

    The main issue is that you need to be consistent with your name on all your bank account that you are switching. Switches will fail if the name on the old account is different to that on the new account. You might also have issues if you get asked to provide ID documents in either the old or new name, but you haven't got any. But other then that there's nothing wrong with what you're planning to do.
    I already got switch bonuses. Working on exchange document's now. That's why I thought, once I've got new documents, I set up a dummy account and try to get more bonuses. But from all comments it seems that it may be a bit shady. 
  • Are you saying that you’ve already availed of switching offers before and you’re hoping that you will be able to avail a second time, with your married name? I’d be surprised if that worked as both names will be linked to a single credit reference and suspect the banks systems would be sophisticated enough to realise you were the same person.
    Yes, I switched before. So my thinking was - get documents in the new name, keep existing bank accounts as they are (or is it a legal thing to update the name?), set up a dummy account in the new name, switch, switch, switch and once all options explored, then update the name in my old bank on my main account. 

    As I'm typing this, I'm feeling quite embarrassed that I'm trying to do such a swindle. But in the other hand - if banks want to pay, why shouldn't I try to max this opportunity? 
  • Phoenix72
    Phoenix72 Posts: 425 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper
    Are you saying that you’ve already availed of switching offers before and you’re hoping that you will be able to avail a second time, with your married name? I’d be surprised if that worked as both names will be linked to a single credit reference and suspect the banks systems would be sophisticated enough to realise you were the same person.
    Yes, I switched before. So my thinking was - get documents in the new name, keep existing bank accounts as they are (or is it a legal thing to update the name?), set up a dummy account in the new name, switch, switch, switch and once all options explored, then update the name in my old bank on my main account. 

    As I'm typing this, I'm feeling quite embarrassed that I'm trying to do such a swindle. But in the other hand - if banks want to pay, why shouldn't I try to max this opportunity? 
    What makes you think the banks 'want to pay' the same person twice. You know the terms and conditions ( that you haven't received it before) but you think you can ignore that.

    Not sure if constitutes fraud as such - depends what the declaration asks.
  • Phoenix72 said:

    Not sure if constitutes fraud as such - depends what the declaration asks.
    It's not fraud.

    When you switch bank accounts you are never asked "are you eligible for a bonus?" or "have you received a switching bonus before?", in other words you are never "claiming" a bonus. You will be assessed for eligibility once you have switched.

    If there were a specific question that asks "have you had a current account with us in the past?" and you lied then that would be fraud, but I've never seen such a question.

    So in the OP's case the bank(s) will have no problem switching the account but there will be no bonus payout because a simple name change will be picked up on the credit check and the previous payout noted.

    In any case, isn't there usually a question that asks about previous names?




  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 8,673 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Hello!

    I recently got married and I've taken my husband's name. Even though our wedding was relatively cheap, it left a bit of a hole in our budget. The wedding itself wouldn't have made our finances this bad if we didn't have to unexpectedly fix the roof and electricity all at once, leaving us with a bill of £3,000 on top of whatever we had to invest in the wedding. 

    So, here's my question... 
    Since I took my husband's name, am I eligible for bank-switch bribes? I'm not a fraudster and I don't want to get in trouble but if the rich (banks) are willing to give to the poor (like myself) I like to think of myself as an opportunist. 

    I imagine this won't work if I change my name on my current account and then switch (or would it?). But, I've been reading about dummy accounts lately and I'm quite tempted to set one up (using my married name) and get money for switching to repair my budget without acting against the law. Getting in any sort of trouble and being marked as a fraudster is the last thing I want! 

    I hope my question makes sense. 

    Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated!
    I'd advise not doing it.

    Although the specifics of each application would need to be looked into to work out whether you were at risk of committing (criminal) fraud*, banks don't need to prove fraud to a criminal standard to decide they don't want you as a customer.

    AFAIK all the switching T&C's I've seen talk about eligibility in terms of the person - e.g. if 'you' have received a switch bonus - not the name (for the time being) of the customer.

    You are the same person you were before you got married and changed your name, therefore if you want to comply with the T&C's and avoid doing anything which the bank may consider dodgy you need to consider whether the T&C's (both in the letter and the spirit) intended that a person could avail themselves of the offer again simply by changing their name.

    I think if someone changed their name and just happened to request a switch and unintentially gained from a switch offer the risk would be at the lower end of the scale.  But opening a sacrificial account in the new name and then systematically switching through different accounts would make it difficult to argue that this wasn't an intentional attempt to benefit from payments you weren't necessarily entitled to.

    (*If in doubt it is worth reading the CPS guidance on the Fraud Act 2006 and considering how your actions might be viewed against that)

  • WillPS
    WillPS Posts: 4,694 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Newshound! Name Dropper
    edited 25 June 2024 at 10:00AM
    Section62 said:
    Hello!

    I recently got married and I've taken my husband's name. Even though our wedding was relatively cheap, it left a bit of a hole in our budget. The wedding itself wouldn't have made our finances this bad if we didn't have to unexpectedly fix the roof and electricity all at once, leaving us with a bill of £3,000 on top of whatever we had to invest in the wedding. 

    So, here's my question... 
    Since I took my husband's name, am I eligible for bank-switch bribes? I'm not a fraudster and I don't want to get in trouble but if the rich (banks) are willing to give to the poor (like myself) I like to think of myself as an opportunist. 

    I imagine this won't work if I change my name on my current account and then switch (or would it?). But, I've been reading about dummy accounts lately and I'm quite tempted to set one up (using my married name) and get money for switching to repair my budget without acting against the law. Getting in any sort of trouble and being marked as a fraudster is the last thing I want! 

    I hope my question makes sense. 

    Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

    AFAIK all the switching T&C's I've seen talk about eligibility in terms of the person - e.g. if 'you' have received a switch bonus - not the name (for the time being) of the customer.

    You are the same person you were before you got married and changed your name, therefore if you want to comply with the T&C's and avoid doing anything which the bank may consider dodgy you need to consider whether the T&C's (both in the letter and the spirit) intended that a person could avail themselves of the offer again simply by changing their name.

    I think if someone changed their name and just happened to request a switch and unintentially gained from a switch offer the risk would be at the lower end of the scale.  But opening a sacrificial account in the new name and then systematically switching through different accounts would make it difficult to argue that this wasn't an intentional attempt to benefit from payments you weren't necessarily entitled to.

    (*If in doubt it is worth reading the CPS guidance on the Fraud Act 2006 and considering how your actions might be viewed against that)


    This would make sense if either:
    1. The only reason there is to CASS is to avail of a switching bonus
    2. The customer had to declare that they were eligible
    Point 1 is never true - there are plenty of reasons why a non-eligible customer might want to switch even if they completely understand they are not eligible for any switching bonus, or even might be oblivious that a switch bonus is occurring.

    Point 2 is true in every case I've seen, except The Co-operative Bank who unusually insist the customer must declare that they've met the terms. If you did this and you hadn't met the terms, you would be committing fraud.

    Section62 said:
    Hello!

    I recently got married and I've taken my husband's name. Even though our wedding was relatively cheap, it left a bit of a hole in our budget. The wedding itself wouldn't have made our finances this bad if we didn't have to unexpectedly fix the roof and electricity all at once, leaving us with a bill of £3,000 on top of whatever we had to invest in the wedding. 

    So, here's my question... 
    Since I took my husband's name, am I eligible for bank-switch bribes? I'm not a fraudster and I don't want to get in trouble but if the rich (banks) are willing to give to the poor (like myself) I like to think of myself as an opportunist. 

    I imagine this won't work if I change my name on my current account and then switch (or would it?). But, I've been reading about dummy accounts lately and I'm quite tempted to set one up (using my married name) and get money for switching to repair my budget without acting against the law. Getting in any sort of trouble and being marked as a fraudster is the last thing I want! 

    I hope my question makes sense. 

    Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated!
    I'd advise not doing it.

    Although the specifics of each application would need to be looked into to work out whether you were at risk of committing (criminal) fraud*, banks don't need to prove fraud to a criminal standard to decide they don't want you as a customer.
    This is true, a bank can decide they don't want you for any number of reasons, but I've not seen any evidence that this is happening with regards to customers receiving multiple bonuses against the intention of offer terms.

    I've seen plenty of evidence that rapidly opening (and closing) accounts causes banks to get annoyed, but I've seen no retribution toward those who 'try it on'.

    Perhaps banks even quite like it as it boosts their CASS numbers and they don't actually have to pay them for it. Pure speculation on my part that last one. 

    (Edited later to remove very mild swear word!)
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