What could happen to my boyfriend?

Question

Im an international student in the UK. I do apologize if my English isn't clear enough.

One of my boyfriend's(British citizen) close friends has stolen 9000 pounds from my boyfriend then disappeared three years ago and continously stealing money from his bank account. We never noticed it since it was always a small amount. We didnt realize it until last year when the bank called to tell us that the account was overbalance. The bank has promised to refund the stolen money but it never happened. Even though agreed that we should not be paying the overbalance interests still they are threatening us to make payments by sending letters nonstop. So we finally gave up and stopped contacting the bank about two months ago.

Today we received another letter saying that they will bring us to the court if fail to pay again but since we will be moving to my country in 20 days so we really want to just leave it. Will my boyfriend be restricted to leave the UK if we ignore the bank?

To answer the queries below, the guy borrowed 9000 3 years ago and we lent it to him since we've known him for years. We came back from holidays and found him disappeared but since we didnt have a written acknowledgement for the 9000 so the police couldnt do anything. Also, the guy has sneakly set up a direct debit from our account since 3 years ago. We dont know how he managed to do it but it was set up. So he has been transferring money monthly for the past 2 years and we didnt notice that since it was always around 20 pounds each time.
We didnt find out until the bank called last June. However the bank refused to tell us where the guy is due to protect the privacy of their client. So we cant go to the police since we dont have any evidence to prove that he stole the money. We kept phoning the bank to sort out the problem for over 8 months and the bank just did nothing at all and we were very busy so we decide to give up. Just worry that what could happen if we left it behind

Answer 1

To Actually answer the question that you asked .......

In my opinion I do not see any reason or way that you could be stopped leaving the country unless you have broken a law , and the law was of such seriousness that your photos and details where red carded at airports..
Also defaulting on a loan is not a criminal offence as such , 9unless you intended to do so before taking out the loan, or you do so with intent to defraud, etc) so therefore it is more of a personal and financial matter...
My point being that yes you will be able to leave, and in 7 years time al lrecord of the loan will be wiped from the banks records, and he would be able to re apply for a bank account etc with the same lender... however, during those 7 years it would be difficult to obtain credit in the UK , and POSSIBLY abroad ? depending on which bank is sharing info with which banks , remember a lot of banks are international, that being said rules in your country may still permit you an account there...
So of even more worry if what you say is true, is that soomone seemilngly has stolen your boyfriends identity, and this could constitute a larger problem in the future..

Answer 2

I would suggest that your boyfriend writes to the bank and tell them that he has not made the withdrawals in question and that the bank has not acted in his best interest by not taking sufficient steps to prevent the fraud by your boyfriend's so called friend.
He should request a full repayment of all the amounts that were withdrawn fraudulently.
If he knows the person that is making the withdrawals, he should inform the bank as well as the police as his 'friend' is committing a criminal act.
He should keep copies of all letters he sends as well as crime numbers he receives from the police.
Although you say you are leaving the UK, both of you or him alone, may wish to return in the future and he may run into problems with the banks then.
I suggest that the problem needs clearing up before you leave, if possible.
If the bank insists that he repay the amounts, then the most action they can take is through the County Courts which will not mean a criminal record but will devastate his credit rating.

Answer 3

I'm sure England has a banking commission. Tell the manager that you are going to the banking commission to get their help in resolving this matter. Since the bank has already agree to drop the fines and refund the money, it sounds more like a misunderstanding. However, do not ignore the bank as there are international banking laws and you don't want this following your around

Answer 4

I am not giving what I perceive you need which is the advice of an attorney. The bank has legal department that will weight cost of the loss and based on policy decide whether to pursue the mater. If they decide to pursue the issue, they probably already have a company that handles collections in the USA and you will need to hire a lawyer in the USA to get the collection agency off your back. You should never leave issues unresolved. To answer your question most countries will not detain you if your have not been charged with a crime or not endangering public safety.

Answer 5

go to the police. Usually the bank won't do anything until they have a crime report number. Refuse to talk to anyone but a manager at the bank. Ask the citizens advise bureau for help. Get it sorted before it goes to court!!

Answer 6

Where ever you go in this world , the British police is very known . Especially in finances !!! So try to resolve the problem here . Report to bank what is happening because they have special department to take care of fraud and banking crimes .

Answer 7

Short answer, report the crime to the police, tell the bank that this has been stolen out of your account and get it sorted before you leave.

But my bigger concern is:
How the hell did he steal £9k out of your account?

Did you not check your statements, do you not keep track of your finances and expenses, surely the fact that strange withdrawels were appearing on your statement should have raised concern.

Though I have some pity that you were victims to this crime, you are partly to blame for not monitoring your finances wqith more due diligence.

Answer 8

Yes because if the card has been stolen then the bank would cover the costs if reported stolen. If you did not report the cards or access to your account stolen then your boyfriend is liable for the money!!!

Answer 9

He stole 9000 pounds, that's almost 5 tons, now that's allot of weight to steal.

Answer 10

It is tricky, I would go to the bank and speak face to face with the bank and also go to the citizens advice centre who can give you help and advice.

Good luck with your new life.