Starling Bank headed by interim CEO John Mountain routinely misleads businesses and personal banking customers, restricting accounts and a misappropriating customer’s deposits says Ms Maxwell [not her real name] a North London business owner who has tried to close her account with Starling Bank, and says she has been blocked from closing personal and business accounts holding over £600k in deposits causing deleterious effects on her business and mental health.
Financial Fraudster News investigations has seen Court papers filed against Starling Bank, (whose ultimate beneficiary is Bahamas based Harald Mcpike-Zima), in a County Court claim, alleging the bank is abusing Section 3 of Starling Bank’s general terms to the detriment to its customers, and often overlooked by applicant(s) whilst completing an online applicant to join the bank.
Starling Bank is alleged to be systemically abusing its position and deliberately misleading customers.
Ms Maxwell said “…first the bank [Starling] without notice simply restricted access to all my bank accounts without reasonable cause…when you call the bank you are confronted with automatons in the customer service teams who simply tell you to wait…when you contact the legal department through written representations (via email), the fraud begins. For two months the bank falsely stated in written and verbal representations that due to banking regulatory conditions not of their own making, the restriction would remain indefinitely…I simply made a tactical decision to extract the truth by bringing High Court proceeding in a pre-action application for disclosure and that the truth was provided by their solicitors [TLT Solicitors] represented by Clare Stothard who disclosed in written representation in the High Court proceedings that the bank relied on Section 3 of the bank’s own general terms as cover for restrictions, which gave rise to concerns that they were using customer deposits for other purposes…you simply cannot believe or do business, or trust your deposits with a bank or organisation that hides behind automatons and a series of layered departments to hide and obfuscate when outright lying…I want my deposits out of that bank before there’s a run on it! the dishonesty has no place in the British banking community, or any community and no growing business can afford or should trust such a bank; if you do choose to bank with Starling Bank, keep very small deposits…I have now reported the misappropriation of my deposit held in a Euro account and fraudulent representations that has seen me issue a declaration to the bank withdrawing my consent to their general term and requesting my bank accounts be closed forthwith…my deposits are beyond my reach having been repeatedly told a lie that banking regulatory constraints caused the restriction ‘surprisingly’ on all my accounts…when in fact the witness statement relied on at the High Court clearly stated it was restricted under the bank’s general terms, this is fraud.. I am now meeting with the Met Police to complete my witness statement…”
Financial Fraudster News investigations banking and finance contributor, Dale Gordon, a former Lloyds Bank Customer Services Manager, said “…this press is not what a fledging bank wants or needs…I have read the case file provided by Financial Fraudster News and representations that highlights the conduct of the bank as being reprehensible to its so-called customs. There is evidence that the bank has made fraudulent representations, and has actually misused client deposits in some cases, a big No! No! I believe legal and criminal actions are afoot by some customers…what I have read about customers actually being prevented from closing their own accounts may give rise to Starling Bank liquidity problems… all UK banks have a duty under SWITCH [the mechanism that allows seamless change of banks for customers] and must let customers change banking brands or the conduct will reflect on the top-down effects of management of that particular bank as a whole….Starling and its new CEO needs to get a grip, the only things that matter are the facts and the numbers…”
Starling Bank has not responded to requests from Financial Fraudster News.
