FRAUD and FUMING!!! Anyone??

[petethemanc]

Ok, please bare with me while i explain what has happened and i would appreciate any advice. I was medically discharged from the army from my injuries in Afghanistan. I had my invaliding bonus put into a high interest savings account. Now purely by accident i happened to see my balance on that account ( should have been £12236, and it was down to £3250) i asked where my money had gone. They printed out a statement of what had gone out. Straight away i knew something wasn't right. Turns out somebody had been taking money from my savings account putting it into my current account to cover their tracks on taking money from the current account in the first place. Also i had not been receiving any mail from my bank at all, no bank statements nothing. The person i spoke to suggested closing the account down immediately and opening up another to try and stop the fraud. So....they took £1500 from my savings account to put into the old current account to clear the overdraft so it could be closed down. Anyway, the staff contacted debit fraud so that i could fill the forms in the branch and they would be faxed straight away. Two weeks later i still had not heard anything, so again i went into the branch, spoke to the assistant manager who tried for two hours to sort it, she herself was passed around every department when finally someone said they would contact me regarding the fraud. I also add that the current account that was meant to be closed down was in fact still active and had £1500 taken out of it. The assistant manager was apologetic and said she would close it down. Again i never received a phone call from debit fraud, or any other department and again went back into the branch, whoa and behold, the current account was still active and the care fraud marker which had been put on my account had been taken off by someone at barclays the same day it had been put on. To cut this short, i made another FIVE trips to the branch to see the manager and assistant manager and i am still back where i started. I am absolutely FUMING and don't know where to go next. They have shown incompetence of the highest order in my opinion. If anybody can help me i would greatly appreciate it as i am about ready to scream.

[HSBCrusher]

Hello Pete.

 

just to be sure, was the current accont "delinquent"?

What payments were going out of the current account that were fraudulent?

Any more info?

[slick132]

Hi Pete,

 

This clearly looks like the bank has failed to protect you against fraud.

 

You should make a high level complaint to ensure that all monies removed from your a/c without proper authority are refunded.

 

Speak to or visit your branch to get contact details for bank's Fraud Department. Write to them setting out the events concerning your missing funds (using paragraphs which makes it easier to read).

 

Tell them you want this properly and quickly investigated by a senior staff member as your own branch and others have failed to deal with this properly to date.

 

I would insist that they compensate you fully for:-

 

1) The funds stolen from your a/c.

 

2) The interest which the missing funds would have earned you.

 

3) Any out of pocket expenses incurred including your time, petrol, parking, phone calls, stamps, stationery, etc.

 

4) The stress and inconvenience caused so far, and up until the matter is properly concluded.

 

Given your circumstances, perhaps you should insist on a reply within 7 days to confirm who is dealing with this case, and how.

 

You could further insist that the matter be resolved within, say, 14 days or you will go to the Press.

 

Slick

[Bigmac versus]

I had a similar situation and informed the bank who took 8 weeks to investigate, 8 weeks later the money was reimbursed, no explanation forthcoming though.

[petethemanc]

Hello Pete.

 

just to be sure, was the current accont "delinquent"?

What payments were going out of the current account that were fraudulent?

Any more info?

 

Thanks everybody for answering. Well the account that was meant to be closed down had all my direct debits changed over to my new current account, so as far as i was aware everything was fine. I contacted debit card fraud again today and asked what was going on, i was told that they had not received any paperwork regarding the fraud, even though i did fill some in at the branch . Now i ahve been advised to go to the branch (again) and get them faxed while i am there, and a hard copy also sent through the post. The thing is i work mon-fri and when i finish saturday the fraud office i need is shut (the branch have tried ringing them whilst i was there the last three times)

[slick132]

Hi Pete,

 

In these circumstances, you should put you complaints in writing, either to your branch manager, or to Banks Fraud Investigation dep't.

 

Complain along the lines I suggested above sending letters by Rec'd Del'y.

 

Slick

[mooreda]

you could phone Head Office Customer Relations 0800282390

[petethemanc]

Thank you all, i will do that in the morning and post back the result.

[HSBCrusher]

As slick says, it is important to get stuff in writing Pete.

[SteveH2508]

Pete

Use your (ex) military connections. Get the Royal British Legion on your case. Being an ex squaddie (and wounded?) to boot, the press might be interested as well. Barclays certainly could do without more bad press at the moment.

 

Best of luck mate and thanks for what you have done.

[petethemanc]

Ok i have fired off a letter to H/O customer relations. And given them ten days to respond. I thank you all for your replies and will keep you informed of what happens.

[petethemanc]

Right here is an update, after phoning head office customer relations i explained what had happened. Obviously she couldn't do anything right away as she needed to go through everything that had happened and there that many notes on screen. That was monday the 3rd. I rang again today quoted th reference number given, the guy was helpful, he said that the acoount that was meant to be closed (old account with fraud) was unbelievably still open with a balance needing to be cleared (as i said previously i had already cleared the balance) and that the care fraud marker was not even on my new account but on my old account. So there is currently nothing to stop any monies leaving my new account without my say so. The staff could not do to much as he said there was somebody already logged on to my claim and looking at it. But was told that he would look in to it and contact me.

[slick132]

Hi Pete,

 

In a situation like this, you may find calling them more frustrating than productive. Make and keep good notes of the tel cons.

 

I'd stick to comm'ns by letter only. Give them a deadline, then give 'em hell.

 

As I mentioned in post #3 above have you thought of lining up the press if the bank don't adequately respond to yours requests or deadlines.

 

Slick

Edited September 3, 2008 by slick132
typos

[petethemanc]

Have now received the statements by rec delivery. Will be sending them back highlighted by rec delivery with a 14 day deadline to reimburse the monies from my account, will keep you posted.

[jansus]

Hi just wondering how you are getting on with your case?

 

Jan:)

[petethemanc]

After a bit more arsing around from Barclays i went into the branch and asked them to send it internally with a witness, am still waiting (been 2 days) and as soon as i hear i will post here. Thank you for asking

[Lula]

sounds a nightmare, dont forget to keep everything in writing and notes of times and dates and names of any telephone conversations that you have.

[slick132]

Hi Pete,

 

So when exactly did you send back your statements showing (I assume) the amounts which are disputed.

 

Did you keep copies for yourself and a record of when they were sent back and who witnessed this.

 

Do you yet have an address or contact for Fraud Dep't who should be investigating this.

[jansus]

Hi

 

On a smaller scale today my sons girlfriend has had 200 pounds withdrawn from her account in the Ukraine! obviously the card had been cloned. But she has only used Lloyds cash points recently. Unfortunately she has also just lost her job and needs the money - lets see how long her case takes.

 

I think I read that the bank have the responsibility of reporting fraud to the police? Lets bet they dont - I reckon there is a lot more of this going on than we know about.

 

Best of luck with your case again. If I was you I would be really losing my patience:mad:

 

 

Jan:)

[patrickq1]

Fraud Dep't should be investigating this and not your local bank you should ring the barclays fraud dept asap ,it sounds more like internal fraud,

[merky]

I am going through the same hassle as petethemanc.

I don't know whether Barclays try hard to be incompetent or just have a knack for it.

I think when I mentioned 'compensation' everything slowed to a snail's pace and communications became more difficult.

They appear to have only ONE process for dealing with fraud (and poor petethemanc even had problems getting going on that route).

I would like them to have a 'fast-track' for those where the fraud is seriously affecting their lives (as in petethemanc . . . and me)

What guidelines can slick132 advise on compensation for stress and inconvenience?

[slick132]

Hi Merky and thanks for your input.

 

Before anyone can offer advice on your case, we need a brief history of the circumstances.

 

Please start your own thread, in the Barclays forum. Press the button at the bottom of the page, enter your title and post away.

 

You then keep your claim in one place and avoid hi-jacking another's thread.

 

Slick

[slick132]

Hi Pete,

 

Any more news on this - unless there's any reason not to, you should really consider calling in the Press to see if that might help the Bank focus better.

[petethemanc]

Ok further to physically going in to the branch and getting a witness to observe the forms being faxed. I rang the fraud dept again. I was told that it can take 48 hours for the forms to be scanned and reach the right dept. So....48 hours later i rang again, i was told i would be called back by the person dealing with it. When i received the call i was informed that the faxed paperwork had NOT been received by them. I told him that this was completely unacceptable (also asked whether Barclay's CEO had to wait this long after he had £10000 fraudulently taken from his account, and was told he could not comment on that) so again they want to send out the paperwork. Now...the problem is not me getting the paperwork, but incompetent Barclay's staff getting it to the correct dept. I'm absolutely FUMING here as they are seriously taking the p1ss.

[slick132]

I see in post #14 that you were going to send the forms off with a 14 day warning on 13th Dec'r. I assume that didn't happen and you took the forms into the branch on 5th Jan. Is this right.

 

Do you have a correspondence address for the Fraud Investigation Dep't.

 

When you rec'd the state's and went through them, could you see the money leaving your savings a/c and then leaving your current a/c. Are you certain the bank hasn't transferred the monies to any other a/c or used it to cover an o/d or similar.

 

How was the missing money shown as leaving your a/c, ie a transfer to another a/c and branch, a cheque payment, card payment, cash withdrawal, etc.

 

If you sent the state's back on 5th Jan, they've only had 5 working days to d/w this so far. It would be good, however, to know that the Fraud Dep't have rec'd the paperwork and there's no excuse for them NOT having it now.

 

Come back with some answers so we can advise on your next move.