Starling Bank’s Interim CEO, John Mountain is accused of heading the digital bank who is abusing UK banking regulations approved by Parliament that has seen annual customer accounts reviews result in without notice restrictions on their personal and business accounts for an unknown period of time without regard to the damage caused to individuals and businesses.
Financial Fraudster News investigations has spoken to Andrea Maxwell [not her real name] owner of a North London based litigation consulting and research company, who according to Companies House filings has shown revenue of over £320k in its first year of trading.
Ms Maxwell has revealed that her business in its first two years of trading being the subject of an annual account review in 2021/22 that caused a protracted review which restricted Ms Maxwell’s access to her personal and business accounts whilst impeding the business’s ability to trade.
In 2023, Starling Bank carried out a second review, without notice restricted Ms Maxwell’s access to her business and personal accounts for a prolong period without any indication of the time allocated to complete the review.
Despite letters to the digital bank, the review has continued into January 2024, and has caused significant damage to the business resulting in the breach of two contracts at a cost of over £44k.
Financial Fraudster News spoke to Ms Maxwell who stated, “…I have built my business from the ground up, I am simply shocked that with the difficulties businesses face generally in the current market, our own banks [Starling Bank] has restricted access to our funds, without notice, and based on banking regulations, that Starling Bank are simply abusing…since November 2023, my personal and business accounts have been restricted, no timescales on the so called review have been given…with my business paralysed, I have lost two business contracts at a cost of over £44k, how can this be in 2024… the CEO should be sacked, the conduct by Starling Bank amounts to a brutal and arbitrary exercise of power…it’s now mid-January 2024, I still have no access to my own money, I have issued a legal letter to Starling Bank and have written to my MP Catherine West to intervene and to help in stopping this unbelievable and frustrating abuse..”
Financial Fraudster News have identified an ever-growing number of disgruntled Starling Bank customers unhappy, who have created social media platforms to share experience endured similar to that of Ms Maxwell while Starling Bank restricts accounts under review.
Financial Fraudster News have approached Starling Bank for comment.
