An Australian man has gone wild on his bank after a teller asked him curious questions as he tried to withdraw a large sum of money.
Melbourne man Jonathan de Jonk uploaded the expletive-laden rant to social media on Wednesday, claiming his bank bombarded him with questions when he tried to withdraw money to buy a car.
“I really can’t believe how difficult it is to pay out money at the moment,” said Mr De Jonk.
‘I was just at the local bank and I was buying a car, so I thought I should withdraw some money.
“F*** mate, the questions. She says, “I need to see proof of what you’re buying, like an invoice,” and I’m like, “It’s off-market, how can I do that?”
‘Since when was it such a problem for me to raise my own money?
“Why do I have to give you, someone I don’t fucking know, a reason for that?”
In Australia, banks are required to report cash transactions of more than $10,000 or more to AUSTRAC, a federal government tracking agency.
Jonathan de Jonk, a Melbourne man, uploaded the expletive-laden rant to TikTok on Wednesday
This mandatory reporting is intended to protect the integrity of the nation’s banking system by uncovering money laundering and other criminal activities, such as terrorist financing.
However, most banks have gone even further and taken it upon themselves to ask customers why they are withdrawing money above $2,000.
NAB said earlier this year that questions from staff about cash withdrawals are aimed at protecting customers from scams.
“We’re doing it to protect you,” said NAB’s Retail Customer Executive Larna Manson.
‘By asking you a few simple questions, we can help you keep your money safe. So if it’s a gift for your girlfriend or a treat for yourself, that’s fine.
“But if someone is pressuring you to transfer money as part of a scam, we’re here to help.”
Mr De Jonk’s tirade comes after the Commonwealth Bank halted its controversial move to switch all ‘Complete Access’ customers to ‘Smart Access’ accounts, which included 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.
Mr De Jonk’s tirade comes after the Commonwealth Bank announced a $3 cash withdrawal fee for customers, before reversing the decision following a backlash
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.