Welcome to the abbeyfraud.com website.

I am a business owner using abbey business banking for the last 4 years. I have set up this website due to my frustration with abbey’s security team and customer care.

As a business customer I am not able to go into a branch and discuss my account. The business division is all handled from Glasgow and purely done over the phone. As far as the service and functionality of the account for a small business it is perfect.

However, there seems to be some serious flaws with their security and how the security team handles these.

Here is my problem.

In August last year I had a standing order leave my account. One I had not set up, or authorised but apparently was sent into the bank. This turned out to be for house rent for the value of 480 GBP.

Following 3 conversations with the bank speaking to the business team, and being passed from one person to another I was told the standing order mandate was found and they would send me a copy. In the mean time they will recall the transaction, and sure enough 4 weeks later this amount was credited back to my account.

A copy of the standing order has still not been received almost a year later and several times of asking.

This caused me to keep a close eye through Internet Banking I noticed another standing order for 3,000 GBP per week! Was set up, but I managed to cancel this prior to it leaving my account.

In September a monthly direct debit of 152.88 GBP was set up and on the second payment I spotted this and recovered the funds (which took 6 weeks). This was set up for car insurance with Direct Debit. Great – I thought if I spoke to Norwich Union they would give me the policy details or at least the vehicle – right? Nope! Due to data protection this was not possible. It would need to be the police who contact them to get such information. Following my conversation with Surrey Police – they were not able to help as it would need to be the bank who contacts them – as I was not going to be at a financial loss and it was the banks money. Trying to speak to the fraud team at Abbey on multiple occasions I was pretty much told they wouldn’t do anything as I was able to recall the money.

In January and February a small direct debit of 2.49GBP for mobile phone insurance was set up.

I cancelled another direct debit prior to it leaving my account for 1,000 GBP per month and another Direct debit left my account for a subscription to the National Trust for 34.50 GBP

Now I have funded this persons Rent, Car Insurance, Mobile Insurance and Membership to the National Trust. Surely with all this information it would be easy for the police to capture who this person was? Nope. Again the banks unwillingness to be proactive and attitude that the money will be recovered means people are able to get away with fraud.

It doesn’t stop there. A direct debit was stopped a day before it left my account for 136 GBP per month to Heart Internet.

Now they have a telephone recording and account set up details of the person who set this up but are unable to give it to me directly due to data protection. Again Surrey Police are unwilling to help. Again the bank are not interested. The final straw for me however was 22 July 2009.

I received a letter from Abbey in the post advising my account has now been blocked I am not able to gain access to the funds in my account and to contact them.

I checked my online banking and noticed a counterfeit cheque for the value of 27,016 GBP left my account, spotted by the bank and returned.

 Okay – so the bank were able to spot it and prevented it leaving my account – however – I now do not have access to my account. I can not walk into a branch to discuss.

The suggestion by abbey was to close my account, set up a new account and move the money over. A process taking 4 weeks. Great and well advised if however my account has been accessed using my business credit/debit card or via my internet banking details. Nope! All this person needs is my account number and sort code. Something published on all of our invoices and billing area.

The hassle of changing the account details would not prevent this from happening again as it would be just as easy to get the new details. A simple solution in my opinion would be to keep this account a paying in account only. Not allow any outgoing payments, direct debits, standing orders or anything. The only way of moving money would be by fax authorisation to our current account – which details would not need to be published. Shouldn’t be difficult to have something like this would it? I know other banks do this. A leading bank like Abbey – part of santander you would think would be a walk in the park?

It has now been 10 days – following a conversation for 30 minutes with a very helpful  and friendly lady in the Glasgow office she connected me to someone in the fraud team who we shall name H for now. Being polite and courteous on the phone  I explained my dilemma and solution, but every timei went to start a sentence I was cut short, wasn’t being listened too and was told they have to close my account and set up a new one, and need to speak to the switcher team (an internal department who would not speak to customers directly).

Being faced with someone so rude, I asked to speak to her line manager – who I was advised was in a meeting and would call me back that same day. Did they? Nope!

I called back the next afternoon – very apologetic – having to explain my dilemma again spending another 30 minutes this time I was told they would speak to the fraud team and connect them to me personally. Because it was now 5pm it would be the next day if not the same day.

Next day, Friday – Nothing. So on Monday afternoon I call again spoke to another friendly girl in Glasgow who was going to speak to the switcher team personally and find out what is happening, the status and the way forward and she would call me back to let me know the outcome. Well that was 2 days ago and still nothing.

Mean while I have no access to my account. I can not walk into a branch and talk to anyone. My money is frozen. A solution I was given would not prevent this problem happening again – and at present I don’t know when this would be. I explained the urgency of this matter and I will be out of the country for my wedding in 3 weeks time – so it is important I have access to the funds.

The police are not able to help. Abbey are not able to help. What do I do? I have spent a combined 5 hours + on the phone with abbey but no avail! – Hence, this website. I want to know if anyone else has had or is having similar problems to me. If so please contact me so we can build up a case of some kind.

It would be great if I could get some media attention. This might spur Abbey to pull their finger out.

I really do not want to close my account with them and bank with someone else. But surely it is not impossible to change my existing account into a money in only account for client payments, and have a separate account for normal every day transactions.

If all people need is an account number and sort code – then it is very easy for them to set up fraudulent standing orders and direct debits. There must be a way to stop this.

I would love to hear from you…

Please share this website with all your friends, and colleagues. Especially anyone you know who banks with abbey business banking.