Having your bank account blocked is a situation that scares any customer, because it can prevent withdrawals, payments, transfers and even the processing of direct debits. When this happens, the most important thing is to quickly understand the source of the problem and confirm everything with the bank through official channels.
The (BdP) identifies four main reasons for blocking an account: failure to update personal data, death of one of the holders, suspicion of fraud and legal or judicial basis. The same entity also warns of the fact that many scams begin with false messages saying that the account has been blocked.
When the problem is missing data
One of the most frequent reasons has to do with updating customer information. The BdP explains that banks must periodically update their customer data and that, if requests are systematically ignored, the account may be temporarily blocked. Before that, the institution must indicate what information is missing.
In these cases, the solution is to contact the bank through official channels, confirm which elements are missing and update the data or deliver the requested documents. The same bank also recommends that customers always keep their information updated with the institution.
Death of a holder and suspicions of fraud can also lead to blocking
In the case of collective accounts, the death of one of the holders may justify an exceptional block to determine the balance existing at the date of death. Even so, this blockage should not last more than one business day from the moment the bank becomes formally aware of the death, and the co-holders must be informed.
Another common situation arises for security reasons. If the bank detects suspicious movements or several failed access attempts with incorrect passwords, it can block cards, applications and, if this is provided for in the contract, also the account itself. Here, the first step is to confirm with the bank the reason for the block and understand whether or not there were operations authorized by the customer.
There are cases in which blocking results from the law
Blocking can also happen on legal or judicial grounds. The BdP gives as an example the execution processes, in which banks receive seizure orders and are obliged to capture amounts in the account, preventing their movement up to the determined limit. In these situations, the customer can ask the bank for clarification, unless there is a legal impediment to providing this information.
In fact, the entity itself emphasizes that “captivity” or account blocking is an exceptional measure and should only occur by agreement with the holder or in legally foreseen situations, such as criminal proceedings, insolvency, seizures, arrests, measures to combat money laundering or situations linked to the death of a holder.
Most important alert: false messages
The regulator also leaves a very clear warning about scams. There are scams in which the victim receives an email, SMS or call saying that their account has been compromised or blocked and that they need to click on a link, log in or share a code sent by SMS. According to Banco do Portugal, this type of contact is a common form of phishing.
When faced with a message of this type, the recommendation is simple: do not click on links, do not download attachments, do not share personal data or access credentials and always contact the bank through official contacts, never through the numbers or connections sent in the message itself. Banco de Portugal also reminds us that a bank will never ask for authentication codes via email, SMS or telephone.
In essence, a blocked bank account can have a legitimate explanation, but it can also be the pretext used in a fraud. Therefore, confirming the situation directly with the bank, acting quickly and never handing over sensitive data to third parties remains the best way to protect your money.
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