If you were tricked into sending money by bank transfer, the Payment Systems Regulator's rules make reimbursement mandatory, with exceptions. Report the scam to your bank as soon as you realise it, and within 13 months. You can expect to be reimbursed within 5 business days of claiming, and the bank must reach an outcome within 35.
Key points
✓The rules cover UK bank transfers made over Faster Payments or CHAPS on or after 7 October 2024, and protect individuals, microenterprises and charities.
✓Contact your bank straight away, and within 13 months of the payment. Answer its requests promptly, after checking that they are genuine.
✓You can expect to be reimbursed within 5 business days of claiming. If the bank needs more information it can stop the clock, but it must reach an outcome within 35 business days.
✓The most you can claim is £85,000. A bank may apply an optional excess of up to £100, but not to a vulnerable consumer.
✓You will not be reimbursed if you were complicit in the fraud or grossly negligent. Gross negligence is a high bar, and the exception does not apply to vulnerable consumers.
✓If your bank refuses, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free. The Payment Systems Regulator cannot investigate individual cases.
✓The regulator is reviewing the rules. It plans to consult in December 2026 and to publish its decision in May 2027.
Will my bank refund me if I was scammed by bank transfer?
If it was authorised push payment (APP) fraud, where you are tricked into sending money to a fraudster by bank transfer, the Payment Systems Regulator's rules make reimbursement mandatory, unless an exception applies. The rules cover all types of APP fraud, including impersonation and romance scams.
✓Yes: Who is protected: individuals, microenterprises and charities
✓Yes: Which payments: UK bank transfers, moved from one UK bank account to another over the Faster Payments system or CHAPS, made on or after 7 October 2024
✓Yes: Which firms: high street banks, smaller payment firms, building societies and e-money firms. Credit unions, municipal banks and national savings banks are not included
✓Yes: Which scams: all types of APP fraud, for example impersonation or romance scams
The Payment Systems Regulator sets the rules but cannot investigate individual cases of fraud. Your bank, building society or other payment firm decides your claim.
What is not covered by the APP fraud rules?
The rules cover bank transfers where you were tricked into paying. Other situations have different protections:
What happened
What protects you
You were tricked into sending a UK bank transfer over Faster Payments or CHAPS
APP fraud reimbursement, explained on this page
Someone took money without your authority, for example by stealing your card to make payments
Unauthorised fraud has different protections: your payment service provider must refund an unauthorised payment, subject to regulations 74 and 75 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017
You paid a genuine supplier for goods or services that were not received or were defective, with no intent to defraud
This is a civil dispute, not APP fraud. Other consumer protections apply under the Consumer Rights Act, covered in our refunds guide
The voluntary Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) Code was retired when the new framework began on 7 October 2024.
How do I claim a refund for a bank transfer scam?
1
Contact your bank straight away
As soon as you realise you have been scammed, contact your bank to report it. The bank will take the details from you and consider your case for reimbursement. Report it as soon as possible, and within 13 months of making the payment.
2
Answer the bank's requests promptly
Respond to any request for information quickly, after checking that the request is genuine.
3
Report it to the police
Report the details to the police, or consent to your bank reporting to the police on your behalf. The table below shows where to report in each nation.
4
Wait for the decision
You can expect to be reimbursed within 5 business days of making your claim, and the bank must reach an outcome within 35 business days.
5
Complain if you disagree
If you are unhappy with your bank's response, you can take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.
Where do I report a scam to the police?
The reimbursement rules are the same across the UK, but the police reporting route depends on where you are:
Nation
Where to report
England and Wales
GOV.UK says to contact Report Fraud if you have lost money to an online scam or fraud. You can report online, either by signing up for an account or continuing as a guest, or call 0300 123 2040
Scotland
GOV.UK says to report the crime to Police Scotland if you have lost money to an online scam or fraud
Northern Ireland
GOV.UK's advice for reporting a crime is to call the police on 101 or contact them online
How long does a scam refund take?
You can expect to be reimbursed within 5 business days of making your claim. If the bank needs more time to gather information, for example to assess whether you were vulnerable to the scam, it can stop the clock. To prevent delays, the payment firm must still arrive at an outcome within 35 business days.
How much can you claim back for a bank transfer scam?
The most you can claim is £85,000, which the regulator says covers over 99% of claims. A firm may choose to reimburse more. A firm may also apply an optional excess of up to £100, or a lower figure, or none at all, and it cannot apply the excess to vulnerable consumers.
Where more than £85,000 is lost and not reimbursed, you can raise your case with the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is a free service, and it looks at each case on its own merits.
When can a bank refuse to reimburse you?
You will not get your money back if you are found to have been complicit in the fraud or grossly negligent. Gross negligence is a high bar, and this exception does not apply to vulnerable consumers.
What if your bank refuses your claim?
✓Yes: Your bank will investigate and tell you its decision. If you are unhappy with its response, you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service
✓Yes: The Ombudsman is free to use, and you can contact it directly to register your complaint
✓Yes: Make a formal complaint to the bank first. If the bank does not send a final response within 8 weeks, you can take the complaint to the Ombudsman
✓Yes: The Payment Systems Regulator also lists Victim Support, for extra support, and Citizens Advice, for legal advice, as places to get help
Are the APP fraud reimbursement rules changing?
They may. After an independent evaluation, the Payment Systems Regulator plans a formal consultation in December 2026, including on how claims that cannot be resolved within 35 business days are treated and on guidance about the consumer standard of caution, civil disputes and me-to-me transactions. It expects to publish its decision and revised legal directions in May 2027, with changes taking effect within six months of that decision.
The rules on this page apply now. We will update this guide when the regulator publishes its decision. For other problems with payments and purchases, see our consumer rights guides.
How can I protect myself from a bank transfer scam?
✓Yes: Pay attention to warnings from your bank, including the account name check Confirmation of Payee, which is designed to make sure you are sending the payment to the right person or business
✓Yes: Take a moment to pause and think before sending money or sharing personal details, and talk it over with someone you trust if you are unsure
✓Yes: If you are unsure whether a call, email or text is really from your bank, hang up or ignore it and phone the bank using the number on your card or bank statements
✓Yes: Contact your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed
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Frequently asked questions
Is a bank transfer scam refund the same as a chargeback?
No. APP fraud reimbursement is for bank transfers made over Faster Payments or CHAPS. Card, cash and cheque payments have their own protections, and for a card payment our chargeback and Section 75 guides explain the routes.
Can I get my money back if I paid a seller who never delivered?
Not under the APP fraud rules, unless the seller set out to defraud you. Paying a genuine supplier for goods or services that were not received or were defective is a civil dispute, and other consumer protections apply under the Consumer Rights Act.
Do the rules cover payments made before 7 October 2024?
The new protections apply to payments made on or after 7 October 2024, and the voluntary CRM Code that applied before then was retired when the new framework began. If your payment was earlier, report it to your bank, and if you are unhappy with its response you can take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Know Your Rights UK. "APP Fraud Reimbursement: How to Claim a Bank Transfer Scam Refund." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/consumer/app-fraud-reimbursement