Post by pchallinor on Dec 11, 2011 14:19:47 GMT
How would you feel if you discovered your high street bank had forged your signature on a document? It sounds fanciful, or even in the realms of conspiracy theory, but this is the situation Phil Morley has found himself in – and it's not just him claiming he's been the victim of foul play. NatWest has admitted, in writing, that its own handwriting specialist "has confirmed they believe Mr Morley's signature was forged".
Guardian Money has seen a copy of a letter from the state-owned bank, in which it says that "no one [at the branch] has admitted to forging the signature," but "internal action" has been taken against a member of staff involved with the case. The bank has apologised "for any upset". But is an apology enough?
Morley, who lives in Kent, believes it happened to make it look like he had agreed to the bank's terms and conditions when, in fact, he hadn't.
The 44-year-old had taken out a NatWest personal loan, but then a mysterious second loan agreement, carrying his fake signature, turned up. Some Money readers may recall that NatWest's parent group, Royal Bank of Scotland, has "form" when it comes to phantom loans and recreating paperwork.
Three years ago, we reported on the case of RBS customer Paul Walton, who turned detective after he was sent a copy of his loan agreement that he knew wasn't the genuine article. During his investigations, he obtained an internal RBS memo, which boasted that the bank had introduced procedures allowing staff to "recreate" agreements that it had lost (this might sound iffy, but is not against the law).
At the time, we wrote: "Surely one of Britain's biggest banks isn't forging documents? Of course not – but it is controversially 'recreating' them." Now a case has emerged where it seems forgery has taken place.
Continued
Guardian Money has seen a copy of a letter from the state-owned bank, in which it says that "no one [at the branch] has admitted to forging the signature," but "internal action" has been taken against a member of staff involved with the case. The bank has apologised "for any upset". But is an apology enough?
Morley, who lives in Kent, believes it happened to make it look like he had agreed to the bank's terms and conditions when, in fact, he hadn't.
The 44-year-old had taken out a NatWest personal loan, but then a mysterious second loan agreement, carrying his fake signature, turned up. Some Money readers may recall that NatWest's parent group, Royal Bank of Scotland, has "form" when it comes to phantom loans and recreating paperwork.
Three years ago, we reported on the case of RBS customer Paul Walton, who turned detective after he was sent a copy of his loan agreement that he knew wasn't the genuine article. During his investigations, he obtained an internal RBS memo, which boasted that the bank had introduced procedures allowing staff to "recreate" agreements that it had lost (this might sound iffy, but is not against the law).
At the time, we wrote: "Surely one of Britain's biggest banks isn't forging documents? Of course not – but it is controversially 'recreating' them." Now a case has emerged where it seems forgery has taken place.
Continued