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A Commonwealth Bank branch in Potts Point was reportedly closed due to a ‘bomb threat’ just days after a $3 cash withdrawal sparked public backlash.
Macleay Street in Potts Point and the area around the Commonwealth Bank branch were cordoned off by police on Friday morning.
“The CBA branch received a ‘serious’ bomb threat according to the branch manager,” a local resident reported.
A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘At around 11.45am today, police were called to a business in Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, following a report of a threat to a business.’
‘Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command have established a perimeter as a precaution and evacuated staff from nearby businesses.’
The spokesperson added: ‘Specialist officers from the Dog Unit searched the property; however, nothing of concern was found.”
“The operation has now been completed and the traffic diversions have been lifted.”
A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “We are aware of an incident at our Potts Point branch this morning. The police have been on the scene.’
A Commonwealth Bank branch in Potts Point was reportedly closed Friday due to a “bomb threat,” just days after a $3 cash withdrawal sparked public backlash. A police car can be seen at the scene
Macleay Street in Potts Point and the area around the Commonwealth Bank branch were cordoned off by police on Friday morning. A police car can be seen at the scene
‘Our first priority is the safety of our employees, customers and citizens.’
The spokesperson said the branch will remain closed until further notice.
The threat comes just days after the Commonwealth Bank halted its controversial move to switch all ‘Complete Access’ customers to ‘Smart Access’ accounts, including a $3 ‘assisted withdrawal fee’.
The charges apply to customers when they withdraw cash at bank branches, post offices or over the telephone, but do not apply to ATM withdrawals.
However, after almost 24 hours of barrage from all sides of politics, the bank’s head of retail services, Angus Sullivan, announced a temporary reversal of the levy for those likely to get a hit in the pocket.
For the estimated 100,000 customers who would have been worse off, the bank would not make the change for at least the next six months.
Mr. Sullivan admitted that the bank had butchered the announcement, adding that the majority of those moving accounts would have been in a better position.
“Just under 90 percent would have been better off if they had switched to the Smart Access account, which has a lower monthly payment, but … there are fees associated with withdrawing money,” he told Sydney Radio 2GB.
“We’re continuing to move those customers to the other side. For those customers who may have been in a worse position, we’re going to pause the migration and reach out to all those customers.”
Age, service and disability pensioners, customers under the age of 18 and people with disabilities who require them to use branches would already be exempted from the fee.
It is also waived if more than $2,000 is deposited into the account in a month.