Not upheld: fraud handling and account management complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6331876 of 2026-06-01T00:00:00+00:00. fraud handling and account management complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6331876 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-01T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | HSBC UK Bank Plc |
| Product | current account |
| Claim type | fraud handling and account management |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No remedy ordered. The ombudsman indicated that once Mr W provides HSBC with a copy of his credit report and the requested identification documents, HSBC will review its internal records and amend Mr W's credit file if appropriate. |
Summary
Mr W complained that HSBC opened accounts in his name without consent and subsequently sold the fraudulent debt to a third party, resulting in court proceedings against him. Although the court dismissed the proceedings and the account was closed, Mr W remained unhappy with HSBC's handling. HSBC requested identification documents to verify the fraud claim and amend records if appropriate. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding HSBC's request for identification documents reasonable and necessary for fraud prevention purposes.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that HSBC's request for identification documents was reasonable and necessary because fraud prevention systems operate on an evidence-based process. HSBC needed to be certain before amending records or credit files that it was not amending data relating to someone else. The fact that court proceedings were dismissed did not render the identification request unreasonable. The ombudsman concluded that no errors were identified in HSBC's handling of the matter.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC UK Bank Plc, all decisions | 7,532 | 23% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website