That time in Medellin when I got locked out of my own bank account

I was working out of Selina in Medellin last month, had a solid routine going. Then one morning I go to transfer some funds and my bank flags it as fraud because I logged in from a VPN. They froze my account for 72 hours and I couldn't pay for my hostel or food. All my savings were stuck, I had to borrow cash from a guy I barely knew just to eat. The worst part is their support line wouldn't even talk to me without a US phone number which I didn't have. Now I always keep two separate accounts with two different banks and a prepaid Visa card stashed in my bag. Has anyone else had a bank freeze them up while bouncing between countries?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_phoenix4d ago

Bank: "We're locking your account for your own safety!" Yeah, right, my safety from buying my own coffee and bed. Been there man, got stranded in Chiang Mai for three days when Wells Fargo decided my hostel wifi was a hacker den. Now I keep a wad of cash in three different currencies tucked in my shoe, cause apparently having money is suspicious behavior when you're not sitting in your living room. The support line thing is brutal too, I finally got through by calling them on Skype using my mom's landline back in Ohio.

karen4104d ago

Hold up. I mean, don't get me wrong that sucks and all but is it really that serious? You're acting like you got stranded on a desert island. Borrowing cash from a guy you barely knew sounds dramatic but you obviously survived and ate. Banks freeze accounts for fraud protection all the time, it's not some personal attack on your freedom. Maybe just call your bank before you travel and tell them you're going to Colombia? I've been bouncing around for years and never had a problem because I actually set up travel notices and have two factor authentication set to my email not a US number. The whole shoe cash thing and multiple currencies just seems like paranoia for something that's mostly avoidable with basic planning.