These days the banks treat everyone as some kind of money launderer just to open an account. You will need proof of address. Gone are the days when they treated customers as human beings. Now it's just drones with their box-ticking exercises.
Yes indeed. When we returned home last year we went into our bank, which we had kept an account with for 30 years, at the same branch, to upgrade the account to a different type, some weeks after we had changed our address with them to our new UK address. It was unbelievably difficult as they required utility or council bills addressed to us at our current address as proof of who we are. Turns out the letting agent had put the lease in both our names but transferred council tax and utilities into my name only.
The bank wouldn't even accept a recent bank statement from them to us in both our names, and the fact that we already had existing accounts with them was irrelevant. Fortunately I saw that the water company had us both on the account so I was able to bring in a letter from them to the 2 of us so we could upgrade our checking account. They showed us the approved list of authorities issued by the government, and even the signed house lease in both our names was not acceptable as proof of address.
Yet every month we listen to or read news stories about folks being robbed by thieves who convince them to transfer large sums of money to their bank account which they immediately empty and then disappear leaving no trace of themselves.
