A daughter claimed she was blocked from accessing her elderly father’s bank account despite having legal authority to manage his finances.

Her frustration with the process has sparked outrage online, with many questioning the Big Four bank’s policies.

Andrea Fox said she had spent more than four years managing her father’s finances, including paying bills and rates, after he suffered a severe stroke.


She told social media that NAB had cut her access to his account, leaving her unable to pay essential expenses.

'They locked me out of net banking and they put a hold on my dad's account which means that I cannot access his net banking at all,' she said.

'I cannot access his funds, which means I can't pay his bills for him.'


Ms Fox explained that her access had been flagged by NAB’s fraud department, prompting hours of frustrating phone calls.

'I spent an hour and a half on the phone with the bank. They basically treated me like a criminal, like I was trying to scam my father's money,' she said.

After the phone call, she was told she would need to attend a branch in-person to resolve the matter.

However, even after verifying her identity and presenting her enduring power of attorney documents, the bank appeared reluctant to restore access.

'They said they couldn't do anything about the bank block because the fraud department had put a hold on the account and stopped me from accessing that money,' Ms Fox said.

'They said it could be up to 30 days before they reinstate my access to dad's account.’

'But guess what? I just got his pharmacy bill for his medication from the nursing home. I just got his rates notice.’

'What did they say? "You can go into the bank branch and have that bill paid for you because we won't be reinstating your bank access".'


She described the emotional toll of trying to manage a simple financial task.

'To say that I'm frustrated is beyond it. I went into that bank, trying to get something really simple sorted out, and walked out with tears in my eyes, a bright red face, feeling like I was a criminal.'

In an update on Friday, Ms Fox revealed that NAB’s fraud department had temporarily blocked her access while it reprocessed the enduring power of attorney documents.

'Their reasoning was to make sure I wasn't defrauding my father of his money, even though I was going into the bank account to pay one of his bills,' she said.

'I had to go into the NAB today, stand in the line for all that time, explain the situation again and I had to go through a process to get out cash to then walk down to the post office to pay my dad's rates.’

'That's just rubbish.'

Ms Fox concluded her post by demanding clarity from NAB’s fraud department.

'I cannot call up and inquire as to the progress of this. The bank cannot call up and inquire. All I can do is send an email, which they may respond to within 30 days, and that is not okay,' she said.

'It drives me crazy. It really does.’

'The banking overreach, the protecting people's money, which is literally holding people's money hostage.’

'I'm not okay with it. If my dad could actually speak for himself, he would not be okay with it either.'



Several social media users suggested she contact the banking ombudsman if access was not restored soon.

Commenters were divided over the long block versus the bank’s attempt to protect the father’s money.

'Put a complaint in at the bank, then put a complaint in at the ombudsman,' one wrote.

'They make it hard for us to look after our aging parents,' another added.
Others provided context for why the bank may have acted as it did.

'Unfortunately this is a legislation issue, banks are required to periodically refresh everyone's ID,' one wrote.

'I think the bank is doing the right thing to protect your father's account,' another said.

'It's every bank following elder abuse legislation,' one comment read.

'I'd rather them be over-cautious than do nothing. At least you will get access back with no money taken. Imagine how many people are defrauded,' another wrote.

NAB has been contacted for comment.


If you’re worried about who can access your money when you’re unwell, it helps to see how these situations can play out in real life.

Some families have faced tension and confusion when adult children assumed they had automatic rights to a parent’s finances, even without formal arrangements in place.

Learning from these experiences can highlight the importance of clear legal protections and communication before problems arise.

Read more: ‘It’s my inheritance!’: What happens when adult kids feel entitled to your money


Have you ever faced a situation where bureaucracy made managing a loved one’s finances feel impossible?