Quick Answer (Read This First)
Contact your bank's fraud team immediately using its app, the number on your card or another independently verified route. Say you were deceived into making a bank transfer, ask it to attempt recovery and register a reimbursement claim. Stop further payments and keep the evidence.
Do not wait until you have assembled a perfect report. Give the bank the transaction details first, then supply the messages and other records it requests through a secure channel.
Stop the Next Payment
End contact with the person directing the transfers. Do not send a final payment to release funds, cover a supposed tax bill or move the remaining balance into a safe account they nominate.
If you shared security details or allowed remote access to a device, tell the bank. Explain which accounts and devices may be affected so it can help secure them. Use a trusted device and contact route if the original one may be compromised.
Write down when you first contacted the bank and the reference it gives you. If the payment has not yet left, say that clearly and ask whether it can be stopped; if it has left, ask what recovery action is being taken.
If the bank has also restricted access while investigating, our frozen-account guide explains how to clarify the block, supply evidence and raise urgent living costs.
Tell the Bank What Actually Happened
An authorised push payment, or APP, scam involves being tricked into sending money. That differs from a payment you never authorised, and from a genuine seller dispute without evidence of fraud.
You do not need to choose the legal label perfectly before seeking help. Explain who contacted you, what they claimed, what you believed you were paying for and why you now think it was a scam.
The Financial Ombudsman Service says it can consider complaints about how banks and payment providers handled fraud, even when the customer is unsure exactly how the loss happened.
For example, a forged email changing a solicitor's account details should be described differently from a dispute with a genuine builder about unfinished work. Preserve the facts rather than assuming every failed purchase has the same refund route.
Which UK Reimbursement Rules May Apply
Under the Payment Systems Regulator's consumer guidance, mandatory APP protections apply to eligible payments made from 7 October 2024 through Faster Payments or CHAPS between UK accounts. They cover individuals and certain small organisations, subject to the rules.
| Rule for an eligible claim | What to know |
|---|---|
| Reimbursement limit | £85,000 per claim under the mandatory arrangements |
| Reporting deadline | Report promptly and within 13 months of the payment |
| Normal reimbursement timescale | Five business days |
| Further investigation | A decision within 35 business days where permitted information gathering pauses the process |
| Possible excess | Up to £100; firms may choose less or none |
The £100 excess and gross-negligence exception do not apply to customers who meet the rules' relevant vulnerability test. Explain any circumstances affecting your ability to protect yourself, and ask the bank to consider them.
International transfers, card payments and cash fall outside this particular arrangement. Report them anyway: a payment being outside these rules does not settle every question about recovery or the bank's responsibilities.
Keep an Evidence File You Can Explain
Save the payment receipt, recipient details, transaction reference, amount and date. Preserve the original messages, emails, advert or invoice as well as screenshots showing the sequence.
A short chronology makes the file easier to understand. Record what you were told before each payment, any warnings you saw and what the fraudster said in response.
As an invented example, a £2,000 transfer followed by a £3,500 transfer should be listed as two payments with separate dates and references, even if both belong to the same scam. Ask the bank to confirm what its claim reference covers.
Keep original records where possible. Do not edit a screenshot to remove an awkward part of the conversation; the full context may explain how the deception worked.
If another household member received some of the messages, ask them to retain those records. Keep their involvement clear rather than mixing several people's accounts into one unexplained bundle.
Report the Crime Through the Appropriate Route
Report Fraud is the reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its current guidance directs people living in Scotland to report through 101.
The police report and bank claim serve different purposes. Keep both references and supply the police information or consent to reporting when the bank requests it. Do not assume one organisation has automatically completed the other's process.
If personal information was also used to apply for credit, follow our guide to credit taken out in your name. Recovering a transfer and correcting a fraudulent credit account may require separate work.
If the Bank Refuses or the Claim Stalls
Ask for the reason in writing and the rule or evidence used. Check whether the dispute concerns payment eligibility, whether it was fraud, a deadline, or the bank's assessment of your conduct.
Respond to that actual reason. If it says the matter is a civil dispute, explain the evidence of deception. If it relies on a warning, retain the warning and the surrounding messages rather than simply saying you disagree.
Use the bank's formal complaint process if the issue remains unresolved. Payment-service complaints usually have shorter response times than the standard eight-week financial complaint period; ask which deadline applies and follow the instructions in the final response.
The Ombudsman's complaint guide explains how to escalate and the usual six-month deadline after a final response. Its service is free. Keep the loss calculation, bank correspondence and evidence together for that stage.
Watch for a Second Scam
Be cautious about anyone who contacts you unexpectedly claiming they can recover the money for an upfront fee. A person knowing details of the original scam is not proof they are a legitimate investigator.
The FCA explains recovery-room scams. Verify a firm independently and do not give further access to accounts because someone promises reimbursement.
If the loss affects essential bills, tell the bank and seek support with the immediate cash-flow problem. A pending claim is not money you can safely include in this week's household budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources and Further Reading
Sources checked on 20 September 2026. Eligibility depends on the payment and circumstances.
