A MAN who had £22,500 robbed from his savings account had the bank blaming HIM for it.
Jacopo de Simone fell victim to the crime after pickpockets used his banking apps to steal the staggering amount from his account.
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He claims his bank investigated but deemed him accountable for the losses, and he is still struggling to get the money back.
Jacopo was walking around London Bridge in May 2022 when his phone was pickpocketed.
He said that despite being upset about his phone being stolen, he didn’t think much of it as his device was locked and password protected.
But that only lasted until the morning after when he checked his online banking.
“I found both my current account and savings accounts had been drained of £22,500. I was completely shocked. I didn’t know how this was possible,” Jacopo said.
“I don’t access my phone using a pin code – I use facial recognition. My Barclays pin is different to my phone pin and they’d need to have both of them.”
He phoned Barclays and also reported it to the police.
He said the bank told him it would do an internal fraud investigation which later resulted in Jacopo being held liable for all the losses.
“They could not identify a point of compromise from the back end – to them it looked like the pin had been entered,” he said.
“The only thing they could suggest was that someone knew the code therefore it’s gross negligence on my part apparently.
“I was totally in shock, incredibly unsettled and you just think these things get resolved quite quickly.”
After eight months of compiling evidence and dealing with cops, an investigator from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) upheld Jacopo’s complaint against Barclays, which now has the option to request that the ombudsman investigate the issue.
A Barclays spokesperson said: “We have no higher priority than the protection of our customers’ funds and data. Our online banking services and the Barclays app are secure and safe to use.
“They undergo rigorous forms of testing, including independent testing, and have been continually recognised for their security and quality.
“This particular claim is currently with the Financial Ombudsman Service and we await the outcome.”
How can you spot a scam and how to report it
Experts warn it is too easy for fraudsters to access banking apps once they have stolen a phone.
Consumer group Which? says thieves may peek over a victim’s shoulder as they type the code to unlock their phone.
Then, after stealing the phone, they use the code to get into banking apps.
Which? also found some smart-phones’ “face ID” function could be opened using only a photo of the owner.
Face ID can also be used to get into some banking apps and to approve card payments, depending on how your phone is set up.
If you suspect a mobile banking scam, promptly contact your bank’s customer support to report the incident.
Provide details such as the nature of the scam, any relevant messages or calls, and avoid sharing sensitive information.
Additionally, consider reporting the incident to your local law authority.
You can also forward suspicious text messages to your network provider by sending them to 7726 (which spells “SPAM” on your phone keypad).
Additionally, report the incident to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Stay vigilant and consider changing your passwords for added security.
