HSBC Customer Who Lost $32,550 to Scammers Receives Small, ‘Goodwill’ Reimbursement From Bank After Two-Year Battle: Report

A customer of the largest European bank by total assets, who reportedly lost thousands of dollars to scammers, is getting reimbursed less than a fifth of the amount she lost.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Katrina Qian lost approximately $32,550 to a male scammer pretending to be a government official in the first half of 2023.

The scammer reportedly called Qian and informed her he urgently needed her bank account details to stop suspicious transactions. Qian, who had four bank accounts, disclosed her HSBC account details to the caller.

The Sydney Morning Herald cites her saying,

“He asked me which bank card you have. I told him HSBC, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Bank of China. He said, ‘HSBC first. Tell me your HSBC mobile app name, user ID and password.’ Then I told him.”

The report says the money was drained from Qian’s account and exchanged into sterling pounds before being sent to a recipient outside Australia without HSBC flagging the transaction.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, HSBC initially refused to reimburse Qian on the basis that she was responsible for the losses since she disclosed her login credentials to the scammer.

Earlier this year, Qian reiterated her plea for full reimbursement from HSBC, but the British multinational denied responsibility and offered approximately $6,170 as “goodwill” compensation.

The report cites Qian saying,

“They said you only have 14 days to receive this offer. Otherwise, we can’t give you anything.”

The report says Qian accepted the partial reimbursement.

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