Suspicion that DOG is a vicious ISIS jihadi makes bank freeze funds

So he put his pooch's name, Dash, as the reference and thought no more of it – until the dog walker asked for their pay.

It was then he found out that his bank had stopped the transfer fearing Dash meant Daesh, another name for ISIS.

Francis, who lives in San Francisco, USA, said: "The dog walker comes to me and says, 'I haven’t gotten your check.'

"I looked in my Chase account and there was a message there saying 'Please explain what Dash means.'"

As the memo mentioned OFAC, an office of the treasury of the American government, he called them for an explanation.

They explained that the payment had been flagged because the dog's name was too similar to Daesh.

"I thought to myself, 'Great, they’re stopping the world’s stupidest terrorist'," Francis told KTVU.

Now civil liberties groups have leapt on the case as evidence of government overreach and lack of transparency.

Campaigner Edward Hasbrouck said: "The government requires the banks to become in effect, outsourced spies for the government."

But Francis is unfazed, saying he supports any measures that stops terrorists getting cold hard cash.

"I think anything we can do to stop the terrorists and the funding of terrorists, let’s do it," he said.

"And if it means an inconvenience to me and my dog walker then that’s a price I’m totally willing to pay."

A spokesperson for Chase bank said it was required to review any payments to names flagged by the government.

They said the payment was released when they realised it wasn't to Islamic State.

(dailystar.co.uk)