Back in September, I received the first of four requests for proof of identity from HSBC, a bank I’ve had an account with for 40 years. It seemed a little unnecessary, so I did not immediately put together the set of documents needed to prove to the bank that I was who it thought I was—certified copies of passports, utility bills from the last three months, and all the other information that I was now required to submit under HSBC Safeguard.
Then, because I had consistently ignored requests, my debit card daily withdrawal limit was reduced to £50 a day.
It’s a shame the same kinds of sanctions were not placed on accounts held by the Guptas, the family at the centre of a major corruption investigation in South Africa because of their ties to and influence over the former president, Jacob Zuma. The scandal has come to be known as...