Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bank worker has just lectured me on my spending

236 replies

kissfromaroses · 17/09/2026 17:15

I have been saving for a big shopping day for a while now. I’ve realised I hate going out to the shops so have instead done it online.

I transferred the savings into my spending account this morning and through the day have ordered bits and bobs. I tried to order something this afternoon and the card got blocked.

No worries, I call them to clarify.

The worker went far beyond fraud protection, in my eyes. She told me I was irresponsibly spending, I need to be careful as it looks like money laundering, and I’m now a red flag to lenders!

I didn’t ask for any of this. I’ve saved for six months to spend about £1,200. AIBU to consider a complaint?!

OP posts:
CivilservicesuccessStories · 17/09/2026 17:18

How ridiculous I don’t understand their point of view at all. Blocking yes for unusual activity to potentially protect you if theft has occurred, but we should be able to do what we want with our money without accusations like this.

I suppose if it was a repeated pattern of behaviours then maybe a quiet investigation would take place behind the scenes as the telling off would surely alert any potential criminals?

SirenScream · 17/09/2026 17:19

'does your boss know you speak to customers like that?'

TFImBackIn · 17/09/2026 17:20

I'd make a complaint about that. What's it got to do with her what you spend your money on? The call should have been recorded so I'd ask someone to listen to it.

Original poster
kissfromaroses · 17/09/2026 17:21

CivilservicesuccessStories · 17/09/2026 17:18

How ridiculous I don’t understand their point of view at all. Blocking yes for unusual activity to potentially protect you if theft has occurred, but we should be able to do what we want with our money without accusations like this.

I suppose if it was a repeated pattern of behaviours then maybe a quiet investigation would take place behind the scenes as the telling off would surely alert any potential criminals?

I completely understand that it comes across a bit off - a larger payment into my account than usual and more transactions than usual. Fine.

What I don’t like is being scolded like a child

OP posts:
MummyOre · 17/09/2026 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LavenderDisco · 17/09/2026 17:25

Well it sounds like an unusual spending pattern for your account. Banks have responsibilities to notice and investigate unusual spending which could be fraud, money laundering, financial coercion etc. Having investigated by speaking to you they should have been able to either set their record straight or if they had any concerns about your explanation, either pursue it now or keep an eye on your account for further odd activity. The person told you how to avoid being flagged in the future. The "irresponsible spending" comment is the only thing in your OP that oversteps into plain rudeness. That's a personal opinion and a judgement. If you're going to complain, I'd focus just on that bit

notthatoldchestnut · 17/09/2026 17:25

How rude! I regularly spend that sort of money when I’m shopping as I also hate the shops and I know that everything is needed in different sizes.

she needs to pipe down

Original poster
kissfromaroses · 17/09/2026 17:26

LavenderDisco · 17/09/2026 17:25

Well it sounds like an unusual spending pattern for your account. Banks have responsibilities to notice and investigate unusual spending which could be fraud, money laundering, financial coercion etc. Having investigated by speaking to you they should have been able to either set their record straight or if they had any concerns about your explanation, either pursue it now or keep an eye on your account for further odd activity. The person told you how to avoid being flagged in the future. The "irresponsible spending" comment is the only thing in your OP that oversteps into plain rudeness. That's a personal opinion and a judgement. If you're going to complain, I'd focus just on that bit

And as I’ve said I completely agree that they have anti fraud duties. I’m not bothered by that. It’s the lecture that annoyed me

OP posts:
FannybygaslightinGovan · 17/09/2026 17:28

Definitely complain. The agent perhaps didn't mean to come across as scolding but it needs to be fed back to her and her line manager that she cannot speak to customers like that.

I worked in a bank call centre many moons ago and heard one agent on the phone to a customer saying, 'no sir that product is for our valued customers only' 🫣😂

Londongent · 17/09/2026 17:29

Which bank?

dogproblems1 · 17/09/2026 17:30

Put in a complaint about this person.

saveforthat · 17/09/2026 17:31

I know someone who worked for Lloyds and if they saw e.g. evidence of gambling they had to ask if the customer needed support so I can well believe this.

GoodGirlFaith · 17/09/2026 17:34

No, I think some context is missing here, or a misunderstanding, or the call handler worded things wrongly.

'I need to be careful as it looks like money laundering, and I’m now a red flag to lenders!'

I don't think they were criticising what you are spending money on - they work in fraud, so they know how it may look and they know how it may look to lenders.

TheWytch · 17/09/2026 17:34

Had you actually been money laundering, this would count as "tipping off" and she would be in no end of trouble herself.

Busymorn · 17/09/2026 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Middletoleft · 17/09/2026 17:36

Since the call will have been recorded, the CSA will be able to explain herself when the complaint is dealt with, so if it's as you say she'll be reprimanded internally.

HollyhocksandPeons · 17/09/2026 17:37

Alternative reality - cleaners, bank clerks lecture us. Anarchy, hierarchy is broken. The world has gone mad.

OrchardOwl · 17/09/2026 17:37

It would annoy me, but I wouldn’t complain. It would be a very minor annoyance that I’d forget about a few minutes later, not worth wasting my time complaining, and not worth wasting the call handler and their manager’s time by having to deal with the complaint.

YourGoldLurker · 17/09/2026 17:38

My card has been blocked for far less than that. It will have been blocked because they've thought someone had stolen it

Vaxtable · 17/09/2026 17:39

banks more and more have to be stringent about money laundering, they can be very heavily fined
However they can’t do individual checks on each persons account so will have set parameters and likely your spending has triggered them, hence the block on the card

start to spend 9n a regular basis and you won’t have an issue

jay55 · 17/09/2026 17:39

It’s against money laundering regulations to tip off a customer that they are suspected of money laundering

Elieza · 17/09/2026 17:40

i can only imagine she said that spending like that can look like irresponsible spending to a lender who could red flag you?

which is almost the same as what you thought theyd said but isn’t.

how much debt have you got in your other accounts?

why do they care what you look like to lenders?
are you going for a mortgage soon or something?

ZombieZebra · 17/09/2026 17:41

£1200 isn’t even that much really. The only time our card has ever been blocked was when I was using it in France, which was annoying as I’d registered it for use on the NatWest site prior to our trip. Took ages to sort that out.

PuppyMonkey · 17/09/2026 17:43

I’ve seen a few posts on social media recently where Santander were refusing to let people withdraw money from their account without having proof (eg a bill) of what the person intended to spend the money on. Confused