It shut my account without warning and refused to tell me why
Three weeks ago, my bank, Barclays, seized all of my money from both my current and savings accounts. The latter contained the whole of my life savings of £320,000. I am a 69-year widower from Liverpool who has worked abroad for 40 years. I’m currently a project manager in Bangladesh and have been left penniless without warning or explanation. I have been forced to return to the UK to try to get my money back, and it’s unlikely there will be a job for me to go back to since my sudden departure did not go down well. Barclays has so far refused to tell me why the money was taken. I am now seeking your help, as they are too big to be scared of me.
GC, Bangladesh
It sounds as though you are yet another victim of de-risking. Each year I hear from desperate people left stranded after their funds were confiscated or their accounts closed by banks. Banks are subject to onerous fines if their customers are found to have used their accounts for criminal activity, which is why transactions to or from countries deemed to be especially risky can sometimes result in an account being frozen or closed without warning.