Will started a thread on theForum when he wanted information about opening a bank account with a fraud conviction.
Following his conviction, Will had set up an online shop which had become quite successful and although he had run his company through his personal bank account, he wanted to open a business account. He’d applied for an account with his own bank but had been refused with no reason given.
Several forum members responded to the thread, some giving general information whilst others gave details of specific banks that they’d had experience of.
Will found the information useful and taking into consideration some of the posts he’d read, believed that in addition to his criminal record, there may also be information about him on the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Scheme (CIFAS) which was impacting on his ability to open an account.
Will decided to do a SAR with CIFAS so that he’d have a better understanding of why his application for a business account had been refused.
Will stated:
“The information and advice I was given by forum members was really helpful. I hadn’t thought about contacting CIFAS and a couple of the online banks mentioned seemed more friendly towards people with a criminal record”.
Lessons
TheForum is the ideal way for individuals to ask for information/advice and to share experiences with their peers. Will’s post is a great example of where that is happening.
Links
- You can visit (and join) the online forum
Notes about this case study
This case study relates to our online forum.
Names and details have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.
