Reader’s attempts to foil fraudsters hit weird banking roadblock

A reader called Siobhán sent us a mail as she was keen to share her experience of “proactively trying to prevent fraud – and hitting a Bank of Ireland-shaped wall”.She describes “one of the most frustrating interactions I’ve ever had with Bank of Ireland’s fraud team, which happened at a time when I was simply trying to protect my account from potential fraud”.“Before calling, I genuinely believed this would be straightforward,” she says. “After all, Bank of Ireland’s fraud‑prevention messaging is everywhere – from the dramatic Liam Neeson‑style ads to Baz reassuring us that ‘working together’ means we won’t let fraudsters win. So, I assumed the bank would be able to help me take a simple, proactive step. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”So, what happened?READ MORE“Late on Thursday, August 13th, I received an email from Betfred thanking me for opening an account. I hadn’t opened anything of the sort. I immediately contacted Betfred’s fraud team and to their credit, they acted quickly,” she says. They deleted the fraudulent account and they blocked her email so it couldn’t be used again.Siobhán was also advised to contact her bank to block any transactions that might come through from Betfred.“I checked my account and saw with relief that there had been no transactions and given the late hour, got the telephone number for BoI Fraud thinking that it would be a simple telephone call, as preventing fraud was something that any bank should be able to do,” she says. “First thing Friday morning, I again checked the account and still all good, and I then phoned the Bank of Ireland fraud line. I explained the situation clearly. They checked my account and confirmed there were no transactions or pending transactions. So far, so good.”[ Booking.com users struggle in the face of phantom bookings and rogue cancellationsOpens in new window ]However, she says that the next bit “floored” her.“I was told that because no fraudulent transaction had yet occurred, the bank could not place any block on my account. In other words, I would need to become a victim of fraud first before the bank could take action.“I asked the agent directly: ‘So I have to wait until money is taken from my account before you can help me prevent fraud?’ The answer was yes. I was also told that if a fraudulent deduction did occur, I could then request a block.”Siobhán was told that “whether I would get my money back would be ‘up to the fraud team’ and the only way to prevent any fraudulent transaction was to cancel all online transactions permanently”.She says the “last suggestion is just not workable”. “My daughter’s college and student accommodation only accept payment through online links. Like most people, I simply cannot function without online payments. So I’m left with what felt like a bizarre reality: The only way to proactively protect myself from fraud may be to leave a bank I’ve been with for over 20 years.”She says Bank of Ireland’s public messaging “suggests strong, proactive fraud protection. But my experience shows that when a customer tries to prevent fraud before it happens, the bank’s system simply doesn’t allow it. It’s hard not to feel that the bank could – and should – do far better.”Bank of Ireland’s response“We understand the frustration and concern experienced by Siobhán and we sincerely apologise for that,” a Bank of Ireland spokeswoman said. “This is not the standard of service customers should receive when contacting us with fraud concerns.”She said that it “actively encourage customers who believe they may be at risk of fraud to contact us as soon as possible. This allows us to provide appropriate guidance and, where necessary, implement preventative measures to protect their accounts, even where no fraudulent activity has yet taken place. Depending on the circumstances, this includes placing a block on accounts or cards, cancelling and reissuing cards, removing or resetting digital banking access and other steps to safeguard customers while potential fraud concerns are investigated.” She concluded by saying its team “handles over 600,000 calls 24/7 on our fraud line throughout the year and we aim to provide the correct advice and appropriate support for every customer. We have reviewed this case and are using the feedback to improve, including through coaching and training where appropriate, to help ensure customers receive clear, consistent and proactive support. We have also contacted Siobhán to apologise directly for her experience.”