Yahoo Finance 'Is this call from Halifax a scam?'
My husband and I are 79 and 74 respectively and have a joint account with Halifax.
Over the past three months my husband has been extremely ill with a condition that causes him severe mobility issues.
My husband’s Visa debit card has never left his possession but recently I took a call, out of the blue, from a bank employee (with a heavy accent) saying a significant amount had been drawn out of my husband’s account. My husband was to go to his local branch and prove his identity.
I had never experienced this situation before and told her I was very suspicious. She advised me to ring the telephone number on the back of the credit card and say the “floor department” had contacted me. I asked if she could write to me and she said she was working in a call centre.
On ringing the number the person answering said they had never heard of the “floor department”. After making several enquiries, one of which was to the fraud department, no one seemed to have heard of the floor department either.
BW, Essex
Your husband is the owner of one of the cards linked to the joint account, which the issue here revolves around.
It is odd that no one twigged about the substitution of the word “fraud” for “floor” which may be down to someone mishearing the word along the way.
You thought there might be a scam and left it. There was no way your husband could go to the bank as he was far too ill. Anyway, you are named on the account, so you queried why you couldn’t go instead.
Then you found out that, without either of your knowledge, £832 had been debited from the card by a well-known upmarket store. It has since transpired that, having compromised the card through some outside means acquiring some details about your husband, the fraudster had also managed to set up three new accounts in your husband’s name and divert some of your joint funds into them.
When they tried to withdraw money from these accounts, the transactions failed the bank’s security checks and were blocked. This prompted the requests for your husband’s identification. You immediately phoned the bank, which reiterated that your husband must present his identity documents in person. Again you explained why he could not.
You were put through to another department but subsequently your husband’s credit card was discontinued and not replaced by the bank.
You were then told the bank would see if someone could come to your home to verify your husband’s details instead. It then transpired that the bank doesn’t do this any more. The bank now said you would have to obtain power of attorney before it would try to get back the money spent fraudulently in the store.
By the time you wrote to me you were totally exhausted by the whole business. Halifax told me that the cardholder must confirm that payments are fraudulent before a refund can be applied to your account. Halifax has now waived this rule for you on account of your husband’s ill health.
The stolen £832 has been refunded and the fraudulent accounts have been disbanded. A number of internal markers have been put in place to increase the protection for you. Halifax has since apologised for the confusion caused.
Halifax has given you £100 for goodwill and £15 for all your calls. As you have found this all so upsetting I understand that the bank has put you in touch with Victim Support. See victimsupport.org.uk or call 0808 168 9111.
