London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

No mask, no money: HSBC warns UK customers they could FORFEIT their accounts if they don’t obey pandemic rules

No mask, no money: HSBC warns UK customers they could FORFEIT their accounts if they don’t obey pandemic rules

UK customers who refuse to wear masks inside HSBC branches will be refused service and may have their accounts closed, the bank says. The threat was not well-received, particularly given HSBC’s criminal history.

HSBC customers who enter a branch bare-faced without a medical exemption could forfeit their money, a spokesperson told UK tabloid the Mirror on Tuesday. The corporation’s head of branch network for the UK argued bank workers “deserve respect and should not have to face violent or abusive behavior” and encouraged customers to stay home and use HSBC’s digital banking tools rather than going out to the bank.

Most of HSBC’s main competitors, including Santander, Lloyds, and NatWest, subsequently informed customers on Wednesday that they too will not be served if they walk into a bank branch without a mask. However, of the other banks questioned by the Mirror, only Barclays explicitly affirmed its right to close accounts if customers “act aggressively towards colleagues.”

Many on social media were disturbed that a bank would threaten to abscond with customers’ money over a mask.



Others said they’d seen it coming miles away – and been denounced as “conspiracy theorists” for noticing.



Several pointed out that HSBC – which was recently convicted of laundering billions of dollars in profits for international drug cartels – lacked any sort of moral high ground to give orders to customers.



However, some applauded the bank for keeping its employees safe.



Already enmeshed in its third lockdown, the UK issued further rules to residents on Tuesday. Shops, supermarkets, and most other indoor locations require customers to cover their face or be denied admission if they lack a medical exemption.

However, not every establishment is eager to do double duty as mask police. The Post Office, for example, has urged customers to obey the rules, but told the Mirror it would not be refusing admission to maskless customers. A trade group representing over 170 British retailers urged police to step in, arguing it was not shops’ responsibility to monitor customers’ adherence to the ever-shifting rules.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×