Does a bank assistant really need to know my employment status when requesting a postal bank statement ?

[Lardlizard]

So been in the bank this morning to request a postal statement as I want it for ID

Anyway she asked me if I’m still a homemaker?
I said well I’m doing voluntary work for a charity now but just keep it on there as homemaker incase of any changes

Then when she selected he time period to print off, so could obviously see my bank details, said oh you’ve got a lot of money for a home maker

Which was a bit cheeky and nosey

But really I can’t see why she asked what my employment status is just to post me a statement

Of course I could understand her asking that if I was apply for a mortgage or something

"If someone who isn't employed has a lot of money going in and out they could be a money mule. "

OP had high balance, she hasn't mentioned large deposits & withdrawals.

"If someone is withdrawing a substantial amount of money the staff member will be required to check in as discrete a manner as possible."

OP was asking to switch to paper statements.
"OOH you've got a lot of money for a home-maker is not a check, or a question, nor is it discrete.

I don't understand why people are replying about things not relevant to OP.

Also lol @ YES counter staff in banks ARE as skilled detectives as columbo :D

This thread is great quality.

I get people want to defend their industry but saying "OOH you've got a lot of money for a home maker" is not a question or check of any kind, and a request to change to paper statements is not an action that raises money laundering flags.

Blimey.

Also still lolling @ the posts to Xenia this is quality stuff.

Xenia you are small fry my friend, and furthermore, probably not very financially astute.

You heard it on this thread first folks :D

The staff member actually used the term “ homemaker?”
Was this in 1950’s America?

It's these sorts of lazy assumptions about women / women who are at home with kids that are so irritating.

Which bank was it OP I'm interested.

Home maker is one of the options for employment. Used to be housewife but that was changed

Any contact with a bank no matter how trivial requires a member of staff to access an account or several accounts. Columbo or not, anything unusual is spotted

The staff member may have deliberately said it as a statement to see what reaction she got. Someone with nothing to hide might have said that's it's a joint account, partners wages go in there or it's an inheritance etc.

Any unusual behaviour by the customer will be picked up on & account / customer flagged for further checks

Anybody else dying to see xenia's jaw dropping bank statement.

@Madmarchpear 😂😂😂

I certainly don't dispute that - I am London's worst property investor for a start! Laughing as I type. I bet no one else on here has sold three London properties and a small island abroad at a loss, lots of shares sold at a loss and then also paid a husband nearly £1m on a divorce being left with £1.3m debt... the Xenia method of giving it all away, time and time again. Never mind the heaps I have paid to the tax man (eg 45% of 75% of my pension at age 55, plus paying all these university costs - £150k for the twins alone never mind the older children. I need a heroes medal from Corbyn for tax maximisation for the state paid for the good of the poor. We could add not steal state school palces from the mouths of the poor for 5 chldren x 13 years at say £5k a year per child too - that £325k saved for the staet by not using state school places too. May be I need a bronze statue presented to me not just the big state socialism medal.

This is why I hate speaking to my bank.

If I go in, they spend ages looking at my screen details and then try to sell me stuff. Id I call, they want to check ALL my details are still up to date (they do these checks online as well). No idea why as Ive been here now for 15 years and with them for 20 years. I have my business banking with them too.

Last time I rang the helpline they wanted to know how much I earned, when i told her she said “oh! you’re doing well for yourself aren’t you!” “Well done!”

I mean, what do you say to that? How rude. It’s not as if I owe them any money, I have no loans or overdrafts. Bloody cheek. Just so over-familiar.

Anyway, back to OP, it may be money laundering but more likely noseyness.

Oh come off it NY20005

"The staff member may have deliberately said it as a statement to see what reaction she got. Someone with nothing to hide might have said that's it's a joint account, partners wages go in there or it's an inheritance etc. "

So they are operating at columbo level :D

The experiences I have had when withdrawing wodges of cash - what is it for - fair enough.

OP was switching to paper statements. Hardly red flag behaviour.
The idea that she could only have money though joint account (someone else's money), partners salary going in (someone elses money) or inheritance (again, money from someone else) is just awful. Don't they give you training in unconscious bias or anything like that while they're at it?

Also no-one has addressed the point about counter person essentially announcing that OP has money. If you are withdrawing cash at counter you know people will see it. You can ask to get it in a room if you ask, if you don't want people to see. OP could have had people she knew in queue or someone dodgy. It was out of line.

I don't get why it's being defended.

Xenia! when did all this happen? You were doing very nicely a few years back (2012 maybe).

How on earth did the Tax situation arise?

Id I call, they want to check ALL my details are still up to date (they do these checks online as well). No idea why as Ive been here now for 15 years and with them for 20 years.

You can blame the government for that; data protection rules require data is accurate and up-to-date. Banks are under particular scrutiny, so bank staff are instructed to check your data.

Anyway, the questions put to the OP on her occupation are clearly and unequivocally related to AML requirements. Financial institutions are required to understand their customers’ source of wealth, and report on any inconsistencies.

Why did you sell your island Xenia, you don't have to say obv.

I've been on here for a long time and you once gave me some fantastic career advice that I am very grateful for (and worked!).

I loved the fact you had an island!

John - OOH you've got a lot of money for a homemaker isn't a question.

PP has explained that subtle columbo style training has been undergone and counter person is looking for micro reactions.

That explains why it was 100% appropriate to make that statement at the counter, when OP was simply looking to move to paper statements.

OP was switching to paper statements. Hardly red flag behaviour. The idea that she could only have money though joint account (someone else's money), partners salary going in (someone elses money) or inheritance (again, money from someone else) is just awful.

The request for a paper statement is a red herring; the AML issue is the customer’s occupation and the scale of funds held by the customer. This isn’t the financial institution being nosy; this is a legal requirement imposed by governments worldwide. You don’t have to believe what posters are telling you, but it doesn’t make it any less true.

@MenuPlant

It doesn't matter how trivial the request is to the bank, if a staff member notices something unusual, they'll ask the customer or report it - it's their job !

It's ridiculous that people who "worked in a bank" think commenting on how much money a home maker has is an appropriate way to deal with ML suspicion.

I work in a bank right now in a risk role. Asking to update employment details is fine and can be explained that it's just something that is best practice to have up to date. Commenting on the amount of money someone has in their account isn't and would get you a talking to where I work, not least because frontline colleagues aren't trained and if the op was a money launderer she would be tipped off. Tipping off is a crime btw.

Filling out a ML suspicion form and passing to Anti Money Laundering would be the correct response.

@MenuPlant banks pay a fortune for training on this for staff, particularly branch who are trained in body language & to watch out for customers who may be vulnerable & being a victim of social engineering.

Fraud & money laundering is huge & any staff member who's dealing with accounts all day every day can spot something unusual a mile off

Yes ny you'll get training on vulnerability and human trafficking and money laundering which you need to complete to be regulatory compliant. Tellers will be told to ask brief questions about where large deposits or withdrawals are coming to/from.

They won't be trying to catch out money launderers like an investigator, making snide comments about their perception of the customers wealth.

It's ridiculous that people who "worked in a bank" think commenting on how much money a home maker has is an appropriate way to deal with ML suspicion.

I don’t think anyone is saying that; posters are saying that asking about the OP’s occupation relates to AML requirements. Commenting on the amount of money held by the OP is probably just an inept attempt to make conversation (but we don’t know exactly what was said, anyway).

I'd be very concerned about the training they'd received if so. I'd honestly be more inclined to think it was a snide comment based on the teller's perception of SAHM.

In all honesty op I'd take issue with it and complain. The teller won't lose her job or anything and it'll make sure she has sufficient training to do her job.

@twattymctwatterson not if op has anything to hide as that would mean account will be looked at again by another staff member

@ny20005 do you actually believe that it's the job of frontline colleagues to carry out their own money laundering investigation?

Bearing in mind there was no targeted question, just a snide remark about how much money the op has. Do you understand the principle of tipping off?