Unidentified Bank credits

Maybe it’s that generous billionaire in Nigeria softening you up?
Seriously you should log your communications with the bank because as I understand it if a bank transfer goes to the wrong account and is knowingly retained by the recipient, you can be held liable.
If it is a bank transfer, of course, the bank should be able to trace it and I can’t understand why they claim they cannot.

Keep an eye on your account - sometimes fraudsters will put in small amounts to see if the account is accessible/working and may then start using it if nothing is done about it.

We did have an issue with a bank some years ago where they were paying our mortgage into someone else's account - we wouldn't have noticed as we didn't use the account for anything else but my husband happened to be checking it one day and queried it. The account owner obviously hadn't done anything to query it!

Yes MB unless it was cash being paid in of course the bank can trace it. What are they talking about? I’d email customer services and repeat if it happens again.

Happened to me last year and I reported it in writing to Santander- they couldn’t give me any info either but at least it’s been registered should anything untoward happen in future.

The bank can definitely trace it Auntieflo. It sounds as though it was sent by BACS so HSBC will definitely have the originators bank sort code and account number. If it was paid into your account as cash then it is probably impossible to trace, it could be that someone has got your account number but the wrong bank code. I would be inclined to ask HSBC if it was paid in cash or by BACS. If it was BACS then the bank should have the originators name but if it was cash it would depend how it was paid in. HSBC have cash paying in machines but unfortunately they do not record any details of the person paying the cash in. If it was paid in over the counter there is the option of asking for a copy of the bank credit. Hope you can get it resolved.

Many years ago, way before online banking and in the days before debit cards, my six-monthly bank statement arrived and I was astonished to see that I had several thousand pounds credited to my account, in monthly payments.
I went to the bank who assured me it wasn't a mistake, it had come from a bank in S Rhodesia.
'We don't make mistakes, madam' said the bank clerk.
I did persist and it turned out that a woman with nearly the same name as me had been transferring money to her English bank account before she returned from overseas. It went into mine instead.
It would have been enough to buy a small house in those days.

They said there was nothing they could do.
Yes they can although i think HSBC still allow cash deposits by third parties.

Even if they just log it and keep an eye on your account they must do that.

At least two banks have banned cash deposits by third parties, I think Nationwide as well as Santander.

If HSBC says it cannot trace it, the depositor must be filling out a paying in slip and handing over cash. I thought the cashier was supposed to check the account name against the account number before proceeding.

At the very least, surely the bank knows where the deposit was made, even the actual cashier, and remind them to make this important check.

It’s probably down to privacy laws why they can’t tell you. As others have said keep a log. I suppose you could instruct the bank not to accept payments into your account from that source.

Your letter must be accepted, keep a copy and simply post it through to them. Do not spend any of the money until you know where it’s arriving from.

When I pay by bacs the bank insist on having the account holder’s name as well as account and branch numbers. This is to prevent paying into the wrong account. If it was Bacs there should be a name.

Insist that a note is put on your file that you contested the payments and keep copies of any emails you send them and make a note, including time and substance of discussion of any phone calls, visits to bank etc.

Are you sure it's not a refund or discount from something you have forgotten? I had the opposite problem as £800 was paid to pay off my credit card. I had no recollection of such a large amount but going back in my diary I realised that because of covid a couple of my bills were never paid and they had added up.

Winter fuel allowance? Premium bond win?

Just another thought Auntieflo, you will know yourself if it was paid in by cash or BACS depending what the description says on your bank statement. If it was paid in cash the description should say paid in at then the sort code of the branch where it was paid in, beginning with 40 which is sort code for HSBC. If it was BACS it should have more information.Hope it gets sorted soon.

Thank you all for your thoughts and input.
I have just caught up, having had a 2 day unexpected hospital stay.
I have filed away the letter, that was not accepted in branch, and sent a secure message, via my bank account on line. I will look and see whether they have responded.
Unfortunately, it is not the Winter Fuel Allowance, or a Premium Bond win. ?
The only information on my account, with the credits, was a string of letters and numbers.
So I will wait and see whether a third credit appears on the 5th December.
(Meanwhile I haven't rushed out and spent all of the money)

There is an audit trail for all transactions of course your bank can trace it, more like can't be bothered.
I would send a letter to the bank asking for a trace and wait for their response and keep it on file.

Thank you jeannie99.
The letter that the staff refused to accept on my second visit to the bank, I have now posted through their letter box, last Saturday.
I also sent a secure message, via the bank on- line. The reply was, it could take up to 48 hours to answer.
That was well over a week ago!
If it was £0000000s of pounds, no doubt someone would be able to trace it, but as it is for a small sum, as you say, they probably can't be bothered.
I am keeping diary entries as to the progress, or lack of.

Just an update.
Yesterday I received another unidentified bank credit.
So, I called the 'Help Line' for HSBC. I was on the phone for over 30 minutes, quite good eh? and the upshot is, guess what?

They can do nothing about it!
If the money was being taken out , then they would raise a dispute.

Oh well, I tried, so maybe I should just go and buy some nice biscuits.

Interesting this letter should come up today, banks are ready to sign an agreement that basically will exonerate them from any fraud may take place on your account.
This will mean if you are scammed it is very unlikely the bank will refund your money.
Lots of people are saying that the banks are not investigating fraud properly, surely it has to go into another account so why are they not investigating these other accounts they maybe abroad but what is to stop them taking action overseas?
TSB is the only UK bank that guarantees to refund customers if they have been victims of scammers.

As the bank is not being helpful I think I would open a new savings account with them and transfer any of the payments into it so that you can keep it separate. In the future, if you have to repay it you will have it to hand and can show that you have not spent any of it.
It is probably part of a scam so keep a sharp eye on your account. I was advised many years ago to only keep enough money in my current account to cover expected expenses, everything else should be held in a different account and transferred over as needed and I have done that ever since.

Seriously, if it was me I would close the account, my day to day account is separate from my deposit account with manual transfers. Opening an account is easy you can do it online during Covid, as long as you have passport and driving licence etc.

Surely the bank can identify where these credits come from?

The answers they are giving you are totally unsatisfactory. If a BACS credit they will know, if a cheque deposit there is proof and, if a cash credit, there is a record.

You need to speak to someone higher up the chain of command!

HSBCs shameful track record with money laundering was the reason I left them.
Change your bank account. It's very simple now.