Commonwealth Bank Potts Point reportedly locked down over ‘bomb threat’ after $3 cash withdrawal charge caused public backlash

A Commonwealth Bank branch was reportedly locked down over a ‘bomb threat’ just days after a $3 cash withdrawal charge caused public backlash.

Macleay Street in the inner-eastern Sydney suburb of Potts Point and the area surrounding the Commonwealth Bank branch was cordoned off by police on Friday morning. 

‘CBA branch got a “serious” bomb threat  according to the branch manager,’ one local reported.

A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia, ‘about 11:45am today, police were called to a business in Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, following a report of a threat to a business.’

‘Officers attached to Kings Cross Police Area Command established a perimeter and evacuated staff from nearby businesses as a precaution.’

The spokesperson added: ‘Specialist officers attached to the Dog Unit conducted a search of the premises; however, nothing of concern was found.’

‘The operation has concluded now, and traffic diversions have been lifted.’

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia, ‘We are aware of an incident at our Potts Point branch this morning. Police have attended the scene.’

‘Our first priority is the safety of our employees, customers and members of public.’

The spokesperson said the branch will remain closed until further notice. 

The threat comes just days after Commonwealth Bank paused controversial move to shift all ‘Complete Access’ customers to ‘Smart Access’ accounts, which included a $3 ‘assisted withdrawal fee’.

The charge hits customers when they take cash out from bank branches, post offices or over the phone but does not include withdrawals from ATMs. 

However, after a near-24-hour bashing from all sides of politics, the bank’s head of retail services Angus Sullivan announced a temporary reversal of the charge for those likely to take a hip-pocket hit. 

For the estimated 100,000 customers who would have been worse off, the bank would not enforce the change for at least the next six months.

Mr Sullivan admitted the bank butchered the announcement, adding the majority of those moving accounts would have been in a better position.

‘Just under 90 per cent would have been better off moving to the Smart Access account, which has a lower monthly fee, but … it does have an assisted withdrawal fee,’ he told Sydney radio 2GB.

‘We’re going to continue to move those customers across … for those customers who might have been in a worse position, we’re pausing the migration and we’re going to contact all of those customers.’

Age, service and disability pensioners, customers aged under 18 and people with disabilities that require them to use branches would already have the fee waived.

It is also waived if more than $2000 is deposited into the account in a month.