The Student Room Group

I can't open a current account anymore.

Okay so to make a long story short, a 40 year old African man kept following me to my college and threatened me to perform bank fraud stuff. He made me bring a cheque to a Barclays branch and claim it into my account. Not only did it not work but Barclays put my account in review and block it. This happened for about 3 months and after they closed my account immediately. I thought it was okay until a Lloyds account that I recently tried to open got closed, and my savings account with Santander was also closed. I'm really really scared I'm only 17 I don't know what this all means do I have a bad credit score? Am I black listed from all UK banks? I need a current account soon seeing as I start my new job in early March I just really need advice/explanation.
I call bull ****
Reply 2
Original post by Zenarthra
I call bull ****


How do you mean?
1. You can ask the bank why your account was refused.
2. You can see your credit record.
http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html
3.You may be able to open a basic bank account.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/basic-bank-accounts

Its unclear whether you are straight trolling and it looks like theres plenty you havent old us, so check it out with the bank. If your accounts have been used for fraud or attempted fraud then I cna see you being excluded, but you will need to check wth the banks.

Go and see CAB. If your new employer finds out you have been involved with fraud, then they may think again about wanting to employ you.
Reply 4
Original post by 999tigger
1. You can ask the bank why your account was refused.
2. You can see your credit record.
http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html
3.You may be able to open a basic bank account.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/basic-bank-accounts

Its unclear whether you are straight trolling and it looks like theres plenty you havent old us, so check it out with the bank. If your accounts have been used for fraud or attempted fraud then I cna see you being excluded, but you will need to check wth the banks.

Go and see CAB. If your new employer finds out you have been involved with fraud, then they may think again about wanting to employ you.


I'm not trolling I just feel the parts I've left out come across a bit personal. The guy followed me home and said he knows my name and if I don't follow what he does he knew people in my college that would f*** me up, not risking it. But thanks for the reply it helped somewhat.
Reply 5
Original post by DyonLDN
I'm not trolling I just feel the parts I've left out come across a bit personal. The guy followed me home and said he knows my name and if I don't follow what he does he knew people in my college that would f*** me up, not risking it. But thanks for the reply it helped somewhat.



I hope you are going to report this to the police. He probably does this to numerous others so no reason he should especially suspect you.

Teporting it to the police should help you with the bank situation as well.

Funnily enough a lot of people have problems opening current accounts,which I didn't know until I read an article about it in the paper not long ago.

I mean even wealthy respectable people.
Original post by DyonLDN
I'm not trolling I just feel the parts I've left out come across a bit personal. The guy followed me home and said he knows my name and if I don't follow what he does he knew people in my college that would f*** me up, not risking it. But thanks for the reply it helped somewhat.


Ok youve just opened a whole world of pain for yourself.

1. As said above you must go to the police and explain what happened. You need to give a statement and present the situation you are the victim. You mus assist them in any investigation. If you do not they will believe you are part of the attempted fraud.

2. You then go back to Barclays.

All the information is here, but it involved talking to the people who shut your account down to find out why.
http://hub.unlock.org.uk/knowledgebase/criminal-convictions-history-fraud/

Your account is flagged up on the
CIFAS (Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System), which is likely to follow you areound for six years.


Your best option is to contact Barclays and find out as much as you cna about the decision made to close your account down. You need the written reasons.

This gude explains how it works. Sipporty from the police will help as it will show you are a victim and not a perpetrator, but it depends whether they believe you.

To find out what information they have on you then follow this link.
https://www.cifas.org.uk/sf_sars

You have to make a subject access request.

3. You cna make a challenge if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.How can I challenge a CIFAS warning?
This should write to the CIFAS member organisation who recorded the data as they are responsible for the accuracy of their data. When writing to them you should:

Ask for the matter to be registered formally as a complaint

Detail exactly what you are complaining about, giving a full explanation as to why you consider that the CIFAS warning is unwarranted

Enclose copies of all relevant documents to support your case


This request would then be processed and looked at in more detail. CIFAS members tend to have their own complaints procedure which should be explained to you when you contact them.

If you are unable to reach an agreement on your complaint, you should request confirmation in writing from the CIFAS member that the complaints procedure has been completed or exhausted. This is sometimes known as a “Final Response Letter”.

Only upon receipt of this letter you can make a request for CIFAS to investigate your complaint. CIFAS will contact the CIFAS member and review all the details of your complaint, however, they do not have the power to recommend financial awards, but they will confirm whether the CIFAS member adhered to the correct procedures.

https://www.cifas.org.uk/enquiries_and_complaints

Ask them to review their decision again, especially if the police believe you were a victim and you have reported it as a crime rather than them believeing you were a perpetrator. Thye cna decide to remove that information if they wish. That should mean you cna open an account elsehwre or they may repopen your prsent account. You do not say what sort of communication you had with Barclays.


If you cant get this information removed then it will stay on your record for 6 years.

If you fail then the link suggests a number of compabnies who offer managed bank accounts for a fee. They are at the bottom of the page.


This is a complicated matter and i'm not sure you realse just how complicated it is. You should get a competent adult to assist you. I would suggest contacting your local law centre or CAB and give them the link I gave you. That explains everything you have to do.

I do not see how you cna make any difference without the support of the police, whicch means reporting it as a crime and giving a statement. If you are not prepared to do that, then you could be without a bank account for 6 years.

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