Not upheld: account restrictions and fraud prevention; alleged discrimination in verification process complaint against Metro Bank PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S complained that Metro Bank blocked a payment to a family member and restricted his account, and that the bank failed to account for his disabilities and personal situation when requiring him to complete verification. Metro Bank had blocked the payment due to suspected fraud and requested in-person branch verification, but later offered a remote alternative. The ombudsman found that Metro Bank's fraud prevention systems operated appropriately, that the account restrictions were justified, and that the alternative verification method offered represented a fair balance between security obligations and the customer's circumstances, therefore not upholding the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Metro Bank's fraud prevention systems were operating as intended to protect customers, and that blocking the payment and restricting the account were appropriate safeguards. While acknowledging Mr S' circumstances and vulnerability, the ombudsman determined that Metro Bank was entitled to maintain security requirements and that the alternative remote verification method offered represented a fair balance between security obligations and reasonable adjustments. The ombudsman noted that while reasonable adjustments must be made, this does not mean the bank must waive security requirements or carry out processes in the customer's preferred way.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website