- Disabled man’s Santander card blocked.
- Unauthorized withdrawals, police investigation.
- Accessibility issues for disabled customers.
A disabled former police officer has been unable to access his funds for over a month because Santander blocked his card due to unauthorized withdrawals.
Tony Hawkins, from Llandysul, Ceredigion, discovered that his account had been drained of more than £2,000.
His associate David Morgan, who contacted Santander on his behalf, criticized the bank for being “uncaring” in resolving the issue.
Santander stated that it was “evaluating the most suitable support options” for him.
Since then, the unauthorized withdrawals have increased to over £3,200, forcing Mr. Hawkins to borrow from acquaintances to purchase food.
The matter has been reported to Dyfed-Powys Police, who confirmed they are conducting an investigation.
Santander blocked Mr. Hawkins’ debit card in August, preventing him from paying for necessities while the bank conducted its investigation.
Due to spinal problems and a series of seizures, he is confined to a wheelchair and has limited speech and mobility.
In 2018, he received the British Empire Medal for his advocacy on behalf of disabled individuals.
In July, Mr. Morgan, a retired 72-year-old police inspector, became aware of the concerns through a friend.
“Tony mentioned that his bank account had been debited,” he said.
“He showed me his mobile phone, indicating that he had not authorized these transactions. I repeatedly asked him, ‘Are you absolutely certain?’ and he responded, ‘Yes.'”
Mr. Morgan contacted Santander on August 2, but the bank refused to discuss the matter with him because he was not the account holder.
Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting center for fraud and cybercrime, informed him that “no useful lines of inquiry” were available.
Mr. Hawkins cannot use online banking due to his disability. A few days later, his attendant told him his debit card no longer worked, leaving him without dollars.
Mr. Morgan explained that Mr. Hawkins was forced to borrow money from the local government and acquaintances to pay for necessities.
“She (the carer) was unable to withdraw money to purchase food for him,” Mr. Morgan explained.
“He had been relying on loans from acquaintances, so we contacted his social worker at Ceredigion council, and she arranged for Mr. Hawkins to receive a loan while we work to resolve this issue with Santander.
“The strange thing is that, despite stopping the use of his card, money is still being withdrawn from his account without his permission.”
Santander informed Mr. Hawkins that it would only discuss the matter with him in person. Mr. Morgan and his buddy went to the Carmarthen branch on 30 August for an appointment, but nothing was settled.
“Mr. Hawkins informed me he had no identification because his driver’s license was lost,” said Mr. Morgan.
“Santander instructed me to bring correspondence from the local authority and utility invoices. In addition, I discovered an article from the Tivyside Advertiser online that included a photo of Mr. Hawkins receiving the British Empire Medal.
“I had a local attorney sign and stamp it as a genuine representation. They (the branch) said it was insufficient and they were unable to handle the situation.”
Mr. Morgan stated that the case highlighted the challenges disabled individuals face when attempting to resolve banking issues.
He has applied for power of attorney over his friend’s financial affairs, but the application has not yet been processed.
Santander stated that it was unable to comment on Mr. Hawkins’s case due to a lack of permission.
Santander said, “We are assessing the best options for customer service.
It provides various options for customers who require personalized assistance, and we encourage customers to contact us in branch, over the phone, or through our digital channels to discuss these options.
