Not upheld: account blocking, lack of communication, regulatory compliance complaint against Revolut Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr R complained that Revolut unfairly blocked his account without proper explanation, causing financial and emotional distress. Revolut initially blocked the account in July 2025 during a compliance review and removed the balance of £13,000. A court restraint order was subsequently issued, which Revolut complied with. Even after the court set aside the restraint order in September 2025 and police took no further action against Mr R, Revolut continued to block the account. The ombudsman found that Revolut acted in accordance with its legal and regulatory obligations and that while communication was inadequate, compensation was not warranted based on confidential information justifying the account review.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Revolut's initial account block was justified by legal and regulatory obligations to prevent financial crime and protect customers. The continuation of the block after the restraint order was reasonable because Revolut has independent regulatory obligations separate from court orders. While Revolut's communication with Mr R fell short of expectations, the ombudsman determined that compensation was not appropriate after considering confidential information about the account review that justified Revolut's actions.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website