Two Australian comedy legends were left stunned after claiming a bank refused to help trace their stolen money because it would breach their customers’ privacy.
Victorian couple Rod Quantock and Mary Kenneally claimed their plea for help was rejected by HSBC late last year.
Mr Quantock had received a phone call the day before from someone claiming to be from his financial institution Bendigo Bank, The age reported.
The scammer told him that the couple’s account had been hacked and that he needed to transfer money to another account that had been created to stop the scam.
Mr Quantock, who was still recovering from anesthesia following recent heart surgery, transferred $30,000.
He felt something was wrong and contacted his local Bendigo Bank branch.
He was told that the person he had spoken to was a scammer and that his money had been transferred to an HSBC account.
“I could hear Rod in the back room talking to someone on the phone… for quite some time,” Mrs. Kenneally said.
Comedy legends Rod Quantock (pictured) and his wife Mary Kenneally were victims of a HSBC scam
A Facebook page has been created for victims of HSBC Australia fraud, where customers can share their experiences and offer advice
‘Rod sounded very serious. A little alarming.’
Mr Quantock and Ms Keneally, who both live on state pensions, said HSBC was able to freeze the account their money was transferred into after they were alerted by Bendigo Bank.
Of the $30,000, less than $3,000 could be recovered.
The next day, Mrs Kenneally contacted HSBC to trace their money.
“They refused to do anything because they couldn’t violate the privacy of their customers,” she said.
Mr Quantock and Ms Kenneally claimed that, following the media attention, they had been promised full compensation for their losses.
Ms Kenneally said they have simple questions that have not yet been answered by their bank.
“Why couldn’t our bank reverse the transaction? Or put a delay on unusual payments?” she said.
Ms Kenneally said they were given no 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 it was “critical to protect customers from criminals”.
“While there is still much work to be done in the fight against fraudsters, HSBC is working with the industry to do everything we can to protect customers,” she said.
Mr Quantock and Ms Kenneally are a leading couple in Australian comedy. They are best known for their work in live theatre and television. They worked together on the 1980s sketch comedy series Australia You’re Standing In It.