– Completely hair-raising, says Finn Håvard Aas after DNB closed his mother’s account Turid Aas Lundby (79).
Less than 20 minutes ago
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Has the same bank account since the 1970s and joined the trip from Ås Sparebank to DNB. That’s where the savings are, that’s where social security comes in.
The woman with Parkinson’s lives in the dementia ward of the Hurdal nursing home. Her son Finn Håvard Aas (54) takes care of her personal finances.
When the big bank asked customers to provide identification this spring, citing money laundering legislation, the son contacted them on behalf of the mother.
– I explained to her that she does not have a passport and that the driving license was given to her ten years ago. We have a medical certificate indicating that she is unable to go to the bank, Aas says.
The family is not alone in being disappointed and desperate: the lines of customers who had to provide identification have been long outside the bank branches. The long waiting times for passports and national identity cards did not make things easier.
Finn Håvard Aas says DNB’s client advisor explained that since her mother turns 80 this year, she doesn’t have to attend. All the bank needed was a certificate of participation.
The family handed over the mother’s death certificate. But when the nursing home bill was due to be paid in July, they found that both of her accounts had been frozen.
The account has been closed
– When I called and asked why, DNB’s client advisor replied that they hadn’t received a medical note that he couldn’t meet in person at the bank.
Aas says the new consultant said only those who have already turned 80 are exempt from appearing, not everyone who turns 80 during the year.
Finn Håvard Aas offered to get a medical certificate, but the DNB man said, according to Aas, he should have called the nursing home to get the statement directly from them.
Then August came – and the bill and savings were gone.
– I didn’t know what happened if someone had scammed her. I became very uncertain, because I thought everything was fine in relation to the bank, says Aas.
A new call to DNB revealed that they had closed their mother’s accounts because the bank had not received a medical report by the deadline.
– The nursing home does not disclose confidential health information to third parties. And the deadline of August 4 has not been communicated to us, says the AAS.
– He did everything they asked for
He offered to take a note from the doctor that day and drive to the bank. But restoring his mother’s accounts is proving next to impossible, he says.
Your savings are deposited in a so-called auxiliary account.
– The bank has proposed to disqualify you. We don’t think that’s fair, just because he doesn’t have a passport or driver’s license and DNB works like them, says Aas.
Aas has contacted DNB numerous times. She waited up to an hour in line on the phone. Each time he is transferred to new consultants in the identification department.
– We are always the ones who take the initiative. We did everything they asked of us. We held out for four months to satisfy DNB. But we don’t even have our own case manager we can contact directly, says Aas.
– It is not possible
Aas says August’s retirement home bill will expire shortly.
– We don’t know what to do. And we don’t know what happens to the savings that DNB has seized.
– What do you think of the DNB breaking the relationship with your mother’s client?
– It is completely hair-raising that they can do such a serious intervention against an elderly person.
– But don’t you understand that the bank has to follow the law?
– They must look to the purpose of the law. The target group of the Money Laundering Act is not a nearly 80-year-old retired nurse who only receives social security on her behalf.
DNB: – It has stretched us far
DNB cannot comment on individual customer cases. On a general basis says DNB communication consultant Vidar Korsberg Dalsbø:
– We have gone to great lengths to help older customers over the age of 80 who have had trouble re-legitimizing themselves.
Dalsbø says the bank takes its time to call customers 1-to-1 to assist with re-legitimation, so that the customer relationship is not disrupted.
He adds that it is important for DNB to assist seniors and others with difficulties, who have a long-term relationship with customers and who still need banking services.
– We fully understand that in some cases it can be difficult to obtain valid identification, a medical certificate or the like, but at the same time it must comply with the regulations that are strict in this field, regardless of age, says Dalsbø in DNB.
The largest Norwegian bank will not tell VG how many have not met the identification requirements, if their accounts have been blocked or closed.
– The vast majority of clients who have been liquidated are so-called passive clients who have minimal deposits and an account they haven’t used for a long time. This is more of a “cleaning job” with inactive customer relationships, says Dalsbø.
Necessary to help the elderly
The Ombudsman for the Elderly receives numerous inquiries from elders and relatives about problems with banking services. Many don’t master digital solutions.
The ombudsman took the initiative towards Finans Norge. The result is one new industry standard that banks are required to follow from 1 November this year:
- All banks must have an offer that allows them to obtain account information, pay bills and transfer money without the aid of digital solutions.
- All banks need to advise clients who are transitioning from digital to analog services or who do not master digital solutions.
- Banks need to provide information that is easily accessible, organized and relevant to this group of customers and their relatives.
- Banks need to offer guidance in their digital solutions.
- It should be easy to create a power of attorney for another person if you need help and support to perform banking services.
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