Consumer complaint received 2016-03-10
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: NY
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
HSBC froze funds and closed checking and credit card accounts without giving reason and without allowing the opportunity for any defense. 
We suspect the only reason is that the account holder is a XXXX national. 
The account holder is a retired XXXX window who lives in XXXX. The checking account has been open for more than 10 years and the activity on the account has not changed since. The source of the funds have also remained unchanged, the account is funded with regular check deposits from passive rental income. The real property which is the source of the income is located within the US and has been owned by the account holder for 40 years, and it was purchased when the account holder was a permanent US resident, with income generated from employment in the US. 
The problems started when suspicious calls were made by someone who purported to be from HSBC to the account holder 's residence in XXXX, so we inquired by sending an online banking " bank mail '' message and HSBC responded that there were no records of HSBC having made calls, so we assumed they were fraudulent calls. Later we received a letter sent to the US mailing address, stating that we needed to call a number to provide missing information before a certain date. No mention of what information was being requested was provided. We made the call in a timely manner but were told by HSBC that we had to provide the unspecified information in person, at a specific HSBC branch, ( which was not near our US address nor was it the branch where the account was opened ). The deadline was not extended regardless that we explained that the account holder resided abroad. The funds were frozen and online banking access blocked. The account holder was able to fly to the US and go the indicated HSBC branch a couple days after the deadline. She brought with us passports, bank statements and proof of the source of the income. We were told by a XXXX XXXX, a Bank manager at the HSBC Branch on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NY, that " they '' may not accept the information and documents we were showing her. But she would not tell us who " they '' were or precisely what information was required. All we knew is that because the account was from a XXXX national, " they '' needed the source of funds information. We were, however, able to draw an HSBC cashiers check with most of the funds, and decided to take out business elsewhere. We were also told that we could continue using an HSBC credit card which they said had nothing to do with the checking account. Today, notwithstanding, we received a letter informing us that the credit account was being closed because we allegedly failed to provide the information they requested, and online banking is blocked so we can not even pay the balance on the account and will likely incur interests for late payment. 
We vehemently deny having failed to provide information. We, in fact, provided information regardless of never having been clearly told what information was required or why it was being requested. The only thing we were told was that banking has changed now a days. I understand that HSBC has been involved in international money laundering. But we are not criminals, all funds are traceable to a legitimate source. Unfortunately, it appears that simply for being XXXX, lawful funds were withheld, credit ratings may be harmed, and the accounts were closed. All, for no good reason. The fear of loosing the funds she depends on have caused significant troubles and distress to the innocent account holder, who happens to be my mother and I am a US Citizen. I am also an NY XXXX and am able to understand how regulations work, so I can confidently say that HSBC appears to be acting unfairly and, perhaps, unlawfully. And my research shows that my mother is not the only one being treated this way. I trust CFPB will help end this discriminatory treatment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation