# Privacy laws and bank employees



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I went out for lunch with my friend today for her birthday and during lunch she was telling me how she and her husband are upset because the manager at her bank is friends with her brother in law and it seems she must have disclosed how much money they have.The problem is the brother in law asked them for a loan and now it is causing a problem the fact he seems to know they have it.Can they sue the bank because of this breech ?I know I would be pissed if it happened to me.


----------



## Video_Frank (Aug 2, 2013)

I was joking with a friend of mine, a manager at a big five bank, that he knew how much money I had in my accounts. He went quite serious and told me that accessing someone's account without permission was grounds for instant termination. If your friend contacted the bank and found out that their account was accessed without a valid reason the bank employee would most likely be fired on the spot. (I am not a lawyer.)


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

The government has very strict privacy laws about that sort of thing. However, I'm not sure what you can do if something happens to you. 

No lawyer here either, but I'm not sure if suing would be worthwhile because there aren't any real damages. If there was a specific business deal that fell through because of loose lips, then that might be easier to sue for.

Your friend could probably get the bank employee into trouble with her boss if they complain.


----------



## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

It likely is a breach of corporate policy at a minimum and should be dealt with.


----------



## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Verbally he said she said has almost a nil chance(where is the proof),i doubt a lawyer would even open up a file
But,i def am not a lawyer,just a voice from the peanut gallery,that prob should not even comment but i am.
Your friend must have large assets though,peculiar a bank manager would be spending his time looking through peoples bank accts.


----------



## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

I have two neighbours who are bankers and I have always thought for sure they are snooping into my accounts. I hope I'm wrong.


----------



## SkyFall (Jun 19, 2012)

I work for TD Canada Trust, and it's very strict, I am not allow to go into my own account or ANY of my family and friends. And I am not allow to talk about client's account! And FYI, they can track down which account I checked during the day because I have my LoginID... that's how they know if you tried to lurked into the CEO's account hahahah but no joke they can tracked down who viewed your account, you can always make a complaint (no need of lawyer). And also, at TD, client can always make their profile restriscted so only management can check into it or if you can only your MAIN branch can look into it.

disclamer: I don't talk about client infos it's all private and I will never share any client's info. I always respect privacy law. Everything I wrote is not on the behalf of TD Canada Trust. So if someone sees that don't sue me hahahahah


----------



## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Wait a second......if employee "a" at any of the big 5(any employee with login access)*wanted* to and didn't care if they were caught and or terminated could hypothetical search a data of all td clients?including ed Clark?and easily find bank info and they clear past pas words ect?
you can't be serious!is this true?I could see this at a credit union or strictly maybe branch only clients(which I can't fathom)but the entire clientele of a entire bank?


----------



## SpendLessEarnMore (Aug 7, 2013)

I was thinking something similar along the lines today whether I should post my monthly financial diary when I move overseas. Anyone that post their financial diaries on-line get hassled by friends and relatives?


----------



## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

donald said:


> Wait a second......if employee "a" at any of the big 5(any employee with login access)*wanted* to and didn't care if they were caught and or terminated could hypothetical search a data of all td clients?including ed Clark?and easily find bank info and they clear past pas words ect?
> you can't be serious!is this true?I could see this at a credit union or strictly maybe branch only clients(which I can't fathom)but the entire clientele of a entire bank?


Branch only clients? The staff can access and see almost any account, at least at TD, you can walk into any branch and get help, they need to access your accounts to do this. (I don't even know where my home branch is)

However for staff it is different, at TD for example, the staff have their accounts locked so NOBODY can see the account, so Ed Clarks account is blocked.
I know someone who works there and they went through some hurdles to unblock their (and spouses) account so they could call in and get access. 

They also fired a whole pile of students (and cancelled the program) when they started looking up friends accounts.
Banks take snooping seriously.

I'd complain to the bank ombudsman if you want an investigation. Be forewarned the bank manager could get in serious trouble (ie fired and not find another bank manager job). Your brother might be even more upset.


----------



## SkyFall (Jun 19, 2012)

donald said:


> Wait a second......if employee "a" at any of the big 5(any employee with login access)*wanted* to and didn't care if they were caught and or terminated could hypothetical search a data of all td clients?including ed Clark?and easily find bank info and they clear past pas words ect?
> you can't be serious!is this true?I could see this at a credit union or strictly maybe branch only clients(which I can't fathom)but the entire clientele of a entire bank?


no I was joking about Ed Clark, it's just blocked! No access, but yes at all big banks you have access to the client PROFILE, nothing else, we don't know your PIN number we don't even have access to that and same goes for Internet access password. You cannot do anything in a client's account without him/her being there and telling you to do so, or if you didn't have a specific request from them and even there its exceptionnel.


----------



## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

wondering why it has to be concluded that the bank manager did it?

people often gradually impart a great deal of information, including financial information, especially to family members whom they see frequently. It's possible that, over time, this lady imparted all the clues directly to the BIL.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> 1. manager at her bank is friends with her brother in law and *it seems *she must have disclosed how much money they have.
> 2. Can they sue the bank *because of this breech*


*1.* It 'seems' that your friend may be jumping to conclusions. I highly doubt a bank manager would do such a thing.

*2.* Don't make same conclusion just because she's your friend; you know better, especially as an employer yourself! There is a very good reason why 2nd hand testimony is inadmissible in a court of law.

So your friend is already thinking of suing? What have been her sustained damages that she thinks she can claim? 

Defamation of character is also considered a criminal act btw [not while done in private as your friend is currently doing].


----------



## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Forget it. This is at best a he said she said.

You could make a complaint to the Bank's Ombudsman or Privacy Officer. You could move your business to another bank.

That's it. Even if you could sue, what financial damages did you incur? 

The bank has more money than you and access to much better legal counsel. Time to move on.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

A complaint based on what proof?


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Let's face this realistically. In this time and age (NSA?), there is no such thing as "privacy" and the privacy protection policy that the banks or any institution (financial or otherwise) tout is there to protect their own axxex. Bank employees can so much as transfer aka "steal" from your account within without the customer knowing for sure if a fraud was indeed committed (let alone a reprimand) due to they "cannot tell" you, citing privacy rights of the employee. Yeah, they take their privacy-protection policy very seriously, for themselves, not the customers .... what a joke. :rolleyes2:


----------



## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

gosh there are cmf members who impart their net worth ... their income streams ... their hourly billing rates ... the value of their possessions ... willingly ... happily ... to the entire forum ... each:


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Realistically, there is NO direct knowledge of any wrong-doing, just distrust & suspicion. 

How many here would like to be reported to their employers based on just the above?

*@HP:* +1.


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Beaver101 said:


> Let's face this realistically. In this time and age (NSA?), there is no such thing as "privacy" and the privacy protection policy that the banks or any institution (financial or otherwise) tout is there to protect their own axxex. Bank employees can so much as transfer aka "steal" from your account within without the customer knowing for sure if a fraud was indeed committed (let alone a reprimand) due to they "cannot tell" you, citing privacy rights of the employee. Yeah, they take their privacy-protection policy very seriously, for themselves, not the customers .... what a joke. :rolleyes2:


This is so not true.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

And then there are CMF members who love to know more or pay attention to those who post their net-worth, etc. on this forum.

Of course, it's distrust and suspicion aroused in marina's case. If that employee was indeed reported and further investigation revealed no wrong-doing, no need to sweat. The onus of establishing proof would be the complainer.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Four Pillars said:


> This is so not true.


 ... of course, it is not so true if it hasn't happened to you (nothing personal with this statement).


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Glad I'm not a bank teller.

I would look at the accounts of the 1%..........and say............"holy carumba".


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Well was just curious how the masses feel , for me I have more pressing things to worry about than wonder if my manager is talking about me .I worked at a bank and I know when I worked there if people with loads of money came in you could see the *** kissers a mile away ,nobody had to check any computer to see who had the money lol


----------



## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

Sue can not easily sue and have any chance of winning. Instant dismissal (as has already been said) of the employee (if proven . . . and easily done) is a reality . . . SkyFall may have actually disclosed too much . . . and should instantly change identities !!!


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Well Kudos for my friend for handling this situation because she confronted the situation and got her answers.Although bank employee didn't say how much they had during a dinner she made a comment they were doing alright and I suppose that is where the loan idea came from.Friend is leaving it as it is but she told her she is no longer comfortable sticking with the bank in question because of the personal connection.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> Kudos for my friend...Although bank employee didn't say how much they had during a dinner she made a comment they were doing alright and *I suppose* that is where the loan idea came from.


Kudos for what? It's pure hearsay.


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Well, boo for the bank employee for not keeping her mouth shut, but double-boo for the bro-in-law. What kind of scum starts hitting up relatives as soon as he learns that they have more money than him?

He's the bigger problem in my opinion.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

^ Do you really believe the bank employee said anything? I don't; it's all made up IMHO [the so called confession I mean].


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Toronto.gal said:


> ^ Do you really believe the bank employee said anything? I don't; it's all made up IMHO [the so called confession I mean].


Good point - I don't know if she said anything at all. 

If that's the case, then maybe it's all on the bro-in-law.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Speaking of public accusations, shall we believe everything the 3 famous senators are saying now also, after months of silence? How about all the stories the 2 amigos told us upon their return from their adventure in Cairo? 

A bit off-topic, or maybe not when talking about he said/she said; great article IMO.
http://opinion.financialpost.com/20...villain-into-victim-in-the-eyes-of-the-media/

Reminds me of the great song 'lies, lies, lies', by the Thompson Twins. :biggrin:


----------



## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

duh why would anyone conclude that the bank manager diddit?


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Bank manager told my friend duh...


----------



## liquidfinance (Jan 28, 2011)

humble_pie said:


> wondering why it has to be concluded that the bank manager did it?
> 
> people often gradually impart a great deal of information, including financial information, especially to family members whom they see frequently. It's possible that, over time, this lady imparted all the clues directly to the BIL.


Yes putting the pieces together then playing on the fact they know the bank manager making them believe the information was handed over.... Possibly....


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

friend confronted bank manager and she admitted to a conversation but said she did not disclose real figures.It may have ben as simple as her suggesting the family loan and saying they are doing well and not really thinking as a bank manager at that moment.Anyway I bet she will be more careful in future as real damage was done to the business relationship as my friend is moving everything to another bank as things mature.


----------



## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

...and that is why the bank has the rules in place, right? I wonder if the friend informed the higher-ups at the bank as well.


----------



## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

What is odd is:The brother law had no inkling?not even a educated guess?Most people can figure or @least correctly speculate that a sibling is doing well*do the hypothetical math*(unless i suppose it is estranged)I have a hard time believing the back manager(even if true)alerted bro in law for the ''first-time'',in his life, his sister or brother had some coin and he had a aha moment and from there devised a plan to approach for a loan.....just saying....This situation will go nowhere.
Why wouldn't your friend just locate to a new branch,i wonder if it was truly worth it to pull everything and start anew(seems a bit drastic and did this truly warrant this-logic).


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Well actually my friends are not high income earners and have cars worth maybe $3500 each ,live in a small house and on outside many probably think they don't have much money.They don't have a great deal except they have no debt and about $50,000 cash in the bank outside RSP.


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Marina
I would be flattered. People are looking to you for
1) loans
2) RE investment advice
3) gambling tips
4) internet investment ideas
because you are walking the talk on all these areas. It is inevitable that some people will try to get something for free.

Like others have said, this problem goes deeper than one bad bank employee.


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> *They don't have a great deal* except they have no debt and about $50,000 cash in the bank outside RSP.


With every added detail, your friend's story gets even more improbable IMHO. And how come you know about her finances in such detail? Who else might she have told? Not so difficult then for details to have gotten to BIL. I don't disclose such matters, not even to my best friend.

So someone with $50K in savings, was quickly considering/entertaining the idea of suing for an alleged violation of privacy [no financial damages whatsoever], but with zero proof. Then customer confronts bank manager and obtains an immediate admission of 1/2 guilt. 

Marina, you yourself said that you had bigger things to worry about than what others are saying/thinking about you [though a contradiction to your opening post].

*kcowan:* indeed multi-talented! Do women rock this forum or what?! :encouragement:


----------



## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

this story has gone over the top. What's to report to the higher-ups? where's the bad bank employee?

bank managers don't "admit" to transgressions that will cost them not only their jobs but also their careers, just become some girly-girly acquaintance breathlessly tries to confront them with a true confessions teenage soap opera.

bank managers are trained to deal with gun holdups, crazy customers, dangerous criminals hidden among their clientele. C'mon marina, this thread looks like jive each:


----------

