HSBC reunites customers with 'lost' £10.4m

THOUSANDS of HSBC customers have claimed a total of £10.4 million after the bank launched a campaign to locate holders of lost and forgotten accounts.

Around 7,400 customers have been reunited with an average 1,400 left untouched in dormant accounts for more than 15 years. But the bank, which began actively reuniting customers with dormant accounts in late 2008, said a further 27.5m was still to be claimed.

Brendan Cook, executive manager of HSBC Retail Products, said: "We are delighted that we have been able to reunite so many of our customers with their money. Whether the account has a balance of 5 or 5,000, it is important that we continue to try to trace these customers."

Unclaimed money is likely to be transferred to the government's dormant accounts scheme, the launch date of which has not yet been confirmed. Under the scheme, the money will remain the property of the customer and can be reclaimed at any stage.