Not upheld: application fraud - non-disclosure of aliases complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S complained that HSBC unfairly loaded a negative fraud marker against him when declining his current account application. HSBC alleged Mr S failed to disclose previous identities/aliases in his application. An FOS Investigator initially found the marker was unfair, but HSBC provided further evidence of driving licences and photographs in other names, leading the ombudsman to reconsider. The ombudsman found the photographic and documentary evidence showed Mr S had used multiple identities and rejected his explanation involving an identical twin brother. The ombudsman concluded HSBC acted fairly in loading the marker as Mr S appeared to have deliberately concealed previous identities to avoid negative credit information, and the complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that HSBC had clear, relevant and rigorous evidence that Mr S failed to disclose previous identities when applying for the account. The ombudsman was satisfied that the photographs and driving licences showed the same person across multiple identities, not an identical twin as Mr S claimed. The ombudsman was also concerned by inconsistencies in Mr S's explanations regarding his passport, credit history, and time abroad. The combination of non-disclosure of aliases, evidence of multiple identities, adverse credit data on one alias, and Mr S's use of an alias in correspondence with FOS supported HSBC's conclusion that Mr S acted with intent to avoid negative credit information.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website