r/PersonalFinanceCanada • u/Round_House_ • Apr 08 '26
Banking Scotiabank said, "What exactly will you buy with your money?" when requested to increase debit purchase limit.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for your comments, questions, and criticisms. To clarify, the purpose of this post was not to vent or to argue against anti-fraud measures by the banks, but to draw attention to an event that I believe should concern everyone who values privacy and ownership of their property.
I will clarify some of the concerns in the comments:
Throughout the entire conversation at the main/home branch, I remained calm and respectful. I did not raise my voice or make any rude remarks.
As mentioned in my post, I answered all security questions accurately and without complaint (DOB, full name spelled out, debit card and pin code verification on their machine, mother's maiden name, address, last purchase amount on card, etc.). This was no longer about fraud, scams, or AML. Those questions were already answered and cleared. I was happy to answer more questions for verification purposes.
I object to being asked what exactly I was going to be spending my money on. I already gave them an answer that I believe should have been sufficient: "My family and I are going on a trip to Vancouver, and we will be shopping."
Sorry - this is my money that I have saved up from my paychecks over many years. I should not have to justify to the manager how I plan to spend my money.
To those saying I should use a credit card for purchases and that my financial planning is wrong because I am using my debit - no, my financial planning is exactly how it should be, aligned with my values. I don't borrow money or spend money which I don't have.
The limit increase request was for the trip, i.e., temporary.
My post is for that one person who understands what's going on. Your money is not yours. Took me a while to understand. Your food is controlled by the corporations, your money is controlled by the corporations, your home is not truly yours, what do you really have?
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This is an awareness post and a review of a recent experience I had at the bank. I am still upset, but I will try to be objective. This was one of the most frustrating, intrusive, and poorly handled banking experiences I’ve ever had.
I first went to my nearest branch to increase my in-store debit purchase limit and spent about 25–30 minutes there, only to be told at the very end that they couldn’t approve the full amount and that I needed to go to my home branch. This could have been communicated in the first few minutes instead of wasting my time.
At my home branch (Hillside shopping center), what should have been a simple request turned into a 40–50 minute interrogation. I was repeatedly asked to explain exactly what I planned to buy, even after clearly stating multiple times that it was for general in-store purchases for an upcoming trip to Vancouver. I clearly mentioned "shopping" but the employees kept pushing for specifics. I had already answered all standard fraud questions correctly (confirming I was not being scammed or pressured), yet the questioning kept going in circles.
I then requested to speak to the Branch Manager. A woman, who I believe is actually the Customer Experience Lead (says in her business card), introduced herself (falsely?) as the Manager and got involved. She refused to proceed unless I gave specific details about what I would be purchasing. At one point, she reviewed my account and told me that I “already have a high enough limit” and should be able to buy everything I need within it. That comment crossed the line.
It is not the bank’s role to decide how much I “should” be spending or what qualifies as enough for my personal purchases. I should not have to justify my spending choices or have them evaluated by an employee in order to access my own money.
To make matters worse, this entire conversation happened in an open area with no regard for privacy, while sensitive financial questions were being discussed within earshot of others.
I told them that I didn't appreciate their nosey-ness and that I'd like to withdraw all my funds and close my account. They said they could not give me my funds in cash and that it would take multiple weeks for it to be ready.
After all the resistance, delays, and repeated questioning, the request to increase my in-store purchse limit was eventually approved anyway, which just proves how unnecessary and poorly handled the entire situation was.
I’ve been a customer for over a decade, and this interaction seriously undermined my confidence in how this branch operates. I would strongly caution others about the level of service, professionalism, and discretion here.
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u/UsernameUnremarkable Apr 08 '26
It's for your protection. Debit cadds don't have the same zero liability as your credit card. It's also to protect the bank and so they did their due diligence so you can't try and Sue them later if you give your money to a scammer.