Authorised and unauthorised are different
A stolen-card transaction is different from an authorised push payment where deception caused you to send the money yourself.
Protection, evidence and public rules
Payment fraud and banking protection
Payment fraud requires an immediate response: contact the relevant bank or payment provider and explain exactly how the money moved. Banking protection and recovery depend on whether you authorised the payment, what was being purchased and which providers were involved.
Page T-008Guidance pageReviewed 29 August 2026
Key Guidance
Report the payment as soon as possible and describe exactly how it happened. A bank transfer you were tricked into making, an unauthorised card payment and a dispute with a genuine seller are different problems with different protections.
Start with Key Guidance for the short answer. Then read the sections that match what happened and what you need to do.
Understand the issue
Why this matters to you
People often hear that a bank must refund fraud or that a payment is impossible to recover. Neither statement is reliable without identifying the payment type, date, parties and circumstances.
The payment rail changes the protection
Bank transfer, credit card, debit card, cash, cheque, e-money and crypto each create different recall, reimbursement, dispute and evidence routes.
A scam differs from a civil dispute
A fraudulent recipient who never intended to supply is different from a genuine trader dispute about defective or missing goods, even when both begin with a payment.
Speed affects the available response
Banks and providers may be able to stop, recall, trace or secure a payment route more effectively when they are contacted at once.
Consequences and movement
What may happen next
After the first report, the provider will classify the payment, gather evidence and decide which rules or voluntary protections apply. Your record of the deception and payment route matters.
The payment may be stopped or recalled
A provider may attempt to interrupt movement or contact the receiving firm, although recovery is not guaranteed.
A reimbursement claim may be assessed
Eligible UK APP fraud payments made through Faster Payments or CHAPS can fall within mandatory reimbursement protections introduced in October 2024.
A card dispute may follow another route
Chargeback or Section 75 can be relevant to some card purchases, while unauthorised card use is assessed under separate payment rules.
A complaint can be escalated
If you disagree with a firm’s final response, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to consider the individual circumstances.
Practical response
What you should do
Start with the payment, not the scam label. Record who sent it, who received it, the amount, time, payment method and the deception that caused it.
- Contact the provider immediatelyUse the bank or payment provider’s official app, number or website. Say that the payment may be connected with fraud and ask for urgent protective action.
- Identify every payment routeInclude bank transfers, card payments, cash withdrawals, crypto purchases, e-money accounts and any intermediary service used.
- Explain the authorisation accuratelyState whether you made the payment after deception, someone else made it, your account was accessed or a genuine purchase became disputed.
- Preserve the evidenceKeep statements, payee details, messages, calls, invoices, adverts, account records and the exact instructions that caused the payment.
- Follow the complaint processAsk for the decision and reasons in writing. Use the firm’s formal complaint route and then the Financial Ombudsman Service where applicable.
- Protect connected accountsChange affected sign-in details, remove unknown access, secure email and tell other providers if the same card, password, device or identity information was involved.
Look more closely
Understanding how the payment was produced strengthens the evidence
The transaction alone does not explain the deception that led to it. Recording the contact, claimed identity, instructions and controlled destination helps a bank, investigator or complaint handler understand what happened.
Contact, advertising, account access or a relationship creates entry.
Fear, authority, purchase, investment, affection or urgency creates motivation.
The recipient appears to be a bank, trader, relative, official or genuine opportunity.
Payment details, device access or a platform directs how money moves.
The payment method determines the immediate protection and recovery route.
Selected history
Historical cases and lasting lessons
Mandatory UK APP fraud reimbursement protections
New protections began for eligible APP fraud payments made through Faster Payments and CHAPS, covering individuals, microenterprises and charities subject to the scheme’s rules and exceptions.
Lasting lesson: The date and payment rail matter. A claim still needs the exact circumstances, and other payment methods follow different protections.
Card purchase disputes and Section 75
Credit-card liability under Section 75 and card-scheme chargeback can provide routes for some failed purchases. But they are not interchangeable and eligibility depends on the transaction.
Lasting lesson: Ask the provider to identify the applicable route instead of treating every card payment as carrying the same protection.
Transferable understanding
Patterns over time
Payment descriptions can conceal the scam
A transfer may be labelled as savings, goods, family support or a safe account even when deception controlled the decision.
Multiple providers can divide the evidence
Money may pass through a bank, exchange, e-money account or wallet. Each leg should be recorded and reported.
Recovery promises create a second payment risk
A person who knows about the loss may claim that tax, legal or tracing fees must be paid before funds can be returned.
A rejection is not the end of every route
A written decision can be challenged through the provider’s complaint process and, where eligible, the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Plain-language answers
Common questions
Will my bank always refund money I sent to a scammer?
No. Protection depends on the payment method, date, eligibility and circumstances. Report at once and ask the bank to assess the payment under the correct rules.
What are the current APP reimbursement limits?
For eligible payments, the PSR states that firms can apply an optional excess up to £100 and that the mandatory maximum is £85,000. Vulnerable consumers are protected from the excess. Firms may choose to reimburse more.
Is chargeback the same as Section 75?
No. Section 75 is a legal protection for qualifying credit-card purchases, while chargeback is a card-scheme process that may apply to credit or debit card transactions.
What if my bank says I authorised the payment?
Explain whether deception caused you to authorise it. APP fraud is specifically about being tricked into sending money and differs from an unauthorised transaction.
Start with the bank or payment provider
Report the loss through an official route at once. Ask what action has been taken, which protection is being considered and how to make a formal complaint. Preserve the decision and escalate appropriately if you remain dissatisfied.
Scamology Insights
Connect the payment to the process that produced it
These apps, tools, books and courses can help you understand the contact, pressure, identity claim and payment method behind a loss. This can improve both prevention and the records needed for a report. Product links are intentionally withheld in this production version.
Continue understanding
Explore related guidance
Evidence and currency