Two Australian comedy legends have been left stunned after claiming a bank refused to help them trace their stolen money because it would invade the customer’s privacy.
Victorian couple Rod Quantock and Mary Kenneally say their request for help was rejected by HSBC late last year.
Mr Quantock had received a call the day before from someone claiming to be from his financial institution, Bendigo Bank, Age reported.
The scammer told her that the couple’s account had been hacked and that she needed to transfer funds to another account that had been created to stop the scam.
Still recovering from the effects of anesthesia used during a recent heart procedure, Mr. Quantock wired $30,000.
Sensing something was not right, she contacted her local Bendigo Bank branch.
She was told that the person she had spoken to was a scammer and that her money had been sent to an HSBC account.
“I could hear Rod in the back room talking to someone on the phone… for a long time,” Kenneally said.
Comedy legends Rod Quantock (pictured) and his wife Mary Kenneally were victims of a scam involving HSBC
A Facebook page has been set up for victims of HSBC Australia scams where customers post their experiences and offer advice.
“Rod sounded very serious. A little alarming.”
Mr Quantock and Ms Keneally, who live on a retirement pension, said HSBC was able to restrict the account their money had been transferred to after being alerted by Bendigo Bank.
Of the $30,000, less than $3,000 was recovered.
The next day, Ms Kenneally contacted HSBC to locate her funds.
“They refused to do anything because they couldn’t invade their clients’ privacy,” he said.
Mr Quantock and Ms Kenneally said that following the media attention they were promised they would be fully compensated for their loss.
Ms Kenneally said she has simple questions that her bank has not answered.
“Why couldn’t our bank reverse the transaction? Or put a delay period on unusual payments?” he asked.
Ms Kenneally said they had not been offered any advice on what to do, adding that the banks “don’t seem to care at all”.
Mary Kenneally (pictured left) and Rod Quantock worked together on the 1980s sketch comedy series Australia You’re Standing In It
An HSBC spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that protecting customers “from criminals is critical”.
“While there is always more work to be done when tackling fraudsters, HSBC, together with the industry, has been doing everything possible to protect customers,” he said.
Mr Quantock and Ms Kenneally are a leading couple in Australian comedy, best known for their work in live theatre and television, and worked together on the 1980s sketch comedy series Australia You’re Standing In It.