A bank in the UK declared one of their customers deceased and began the process of freezing their accounts. However, this revelation came as a shock to a lady who was still alive and well and was just trying to buy food at the supermarket.
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According to an interview with SWNS, Masithokoze Moyo, 45, was mistakenly declared dead by the Co-operative bank on February 6, 2025. It was "an administrative error on their end, and it's left me in a right mess." Moyo says.
Moyo explains that the declaration by the bank has had a knock-on effect. Other companies froze accounts with her in response. "Most of my creditors were informed by the Co-op that I have been deceased, including my main credit card.This meant that I do not have any source of income from the 6th of February to the 21st of February," she explained.
The Bank Declaration Has Affected Much More Than Just Finances
Other agencies took notice after the credit card companies froze Moyo's accounts. Even worse, the false declaration somehow even got to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which manages vehicle and driver records. The HMRC, which is similar to the IRS, was also notified in error.
The issue has escalated far beyond just inconvenience and has taken its toll on Moyo's health. She told SWNS, "I've been admitted to hospital three times with panic attacks."
"Other creditors, including the water company, the electric company, my car insurance. So, everything has been canceled." Moyo explained. "I'm starting from scratch due to an administrative error. I am not happy at all. I am going for compensation. If they decline my compensation, I'm going through to the Financial Ombudsman to sue them." she added.
According to The Metro, the error has reduced Moyo's credit score to zero. She found out when she was shopping in Sainsburies and realized her account was empty. Moyo reportedly closed her account with the bank on February 6 to move to a different provider, but 'deceased' was ticked by staff as the reason.
A spokesperson for the Co-Operative bank said, "We are working closely with her to compensate her for the repercussions of our error, and we are working hard to review the process that led to the error in order to prevent this from happening again."
