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Sent money to a scammer? Your reimbursement rights and what to do now

If a scammer persuaded you to make a bank transfer, act quickly. Learn which UK payments may qualify for reimbursement, what evidence to keep and how to challenge a refusal.

Published 4 August 2026 Reviewed 4 August 2026 6 minute read

Reviewed by the CyberSafeHome editorial team. Important guidance links to official or authoritative sources where available.

If a scammer persuaded you to send money, contact your bank or payment provider immediately. Ask it to treat the report as a scam claim and try to recover the payment. Acting quickly can improve the chance of stopping or tracing the money.

Do these things first

  1. Call your bank or payment provider using the number in its official app, on the back of your card or on its official website.
  2. Say clearly: “I was tricked into making this payment. I need to report a scam and make a reimbursement claim.”
  3. Ask it to contact the receiving provider and try to recover the money.
  4. Secure any account, email address or device the scammer may have accessed.
  5. Keep the messages, telephone numbers, payment details and a timeline of what happened.

Do not contact a supposed recovery company that approaches you unexpectedly. Criminals often target victims again by promising to recover lost money for an advance fee.

What is an authorised push payment scam?

An authorised push payment scam, often shortened to APP scam, happens when a criminal deceives you into instructing your bank or payment provider to transfer money. Examples include someone pretending to be your bank, a fake investment, a romance scam, a false invoice or a criminal impersonating a relative.

The payment was technically authorised by you, but it was made because of the scammer’s deception. That is different from an unauthorised payment made after somebody steals your card or account details.

When the mandatory reimbursement rules may apply

UK reimbursement rules introduced on 7 October 2024 cover many APP scam payments. You may be eligible when:

  • the payment was made on or after 7 October 2024;
  • you sent it from one UK account to another UK account;
  • it travelled through Faster Payments or CHAPS;
  • you are an individual, qualifying microenterprise or qualifying charity; and
  • you report it to your payment provider as soon as possible and no later than 13 months after the final scam payment.

The rules cover many types of APP scam, including impersonation and romance scams. They do not cover every financial loss or every payment method.

How much could be reimbursed?

The mandatory maximum is currently £85,000 per eligible claim. A provider may choose to reimburse more, but it is not required to do so under these rules.

A provider may apply an excess of up to £100. It may choose a smaller excess or none at all. The excess cannot be applied where the consumer is vulnerable in a way that is relevant to the scam.

Most eligible claims should be decided and reimbursed within five business days. A provider can pause that period while it gathers information, but should normally reach an outcome within 35 business days.

This is not a guarantee

Your provider must assess the individual claim. Use the words “I want to make an APP scam reimbursement claim”, but do not assume that every bank transfer or every loss will qualify.

What may fall outside these rules?

The mandatory APP scheme does not apply in exactly the same way to:

  • payments made before 7 October 2024;
  • cash, cheque, credit-card or debit-card payments;
  • transfers to an account outside the UK;
  • a genuine disagreement with a legitimate seller or service provider;
  • some transfers first made to another account in your own name before money or cryptocurrency was sent onwards; or
  • claims involving fraud by the person making the claim.

Different protections may still apply. Card payments, unauthorised transactions and disputes about goods or services have their own rules and complaint routes. Even if the mandatory APP rules do not cover your payment, the Financial Ombudsman Service may still examine whether the provider should have identified the risk or done more to recover the money.

Can the provider say you were careless?

A provider cannot reject an eligible claim merely because, with hindsight, you think you should have spotted the scam. To use the consumer-standard exception, it generally needs to show that you failed to meet a required standard through gross negligence. The Financial Ombudsman Service describes this as much more than simply not being careful.

The exception does not apply where a consumer was vulnerable in a way that affected their ability to protect themselves from the scam. Tell the provider about relevant health, personal or communication circumstances and any support you need. You do not need to be embarrassed or apologise for asking for help.

Evidence worth keeping

Do not delete communications just because they are upsetting. Keep:

  • screenshots of messages, emails, adverts, profiles and websites;
  • telephone numbers, usernames and web addresses;
  • the date, time, amount, destination and reference for each payment;
  • what the scammer claimed and why the payment appeared genuine;
  • any warnings shown by your provider and what happened when you responded;
  • notes of calls with the bank, including dates, names and reference numbers;
  • contracts, invoices or receipts connected with the payment; and
  • a short timeline written while the events are still fresh.

Store copies safely. Do not publish personal bank information, identity documents or private messages on social media.

Report the crime

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report the incident to Report Fraud. If you live in Scotland or the crime happened there, contact Police Scotland on 101. If a crime is in progress or somebody is in immediate danger, call 999.

Give the crime reference number to your bank if it asks for it. Reporting to the police does not replace reporting the payment directly to your bank or payment provider.

If your claim is rejected

  1. Ask for the decision and reasons in writing.
  2. Make a formal complaint to the bank or payment provider. State why you believe the payment was an APP scam and provide the timeline and evidence.
  3. Explain any relevant vulnerability and any adjustments you need.
  4. If you remain unhappy—or the provider does not respond within the applicable complaint deadline—ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to consider the complaint.

The Ombudsman service is free. For fraud, scam and payment-service complaints, a business normally has 15 business days to respond, or to explain why it needs longer, with a final response normally due within 35 business days. You usually have six months from the date of the provider’s final response to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman.

If you are helping someone else

Stay calm and avoid blame. Help the person contact their provider promptly, but let them speak and make decisions where they can. Ask before reading private messages, accessing an account or sharing their information.

The provider and the Financial Ombudsman Service can discuss accessibility, communication support and ways for an authorised representative to help. Do not ask the person to reveal a password, PIN or security code to you.

One sentence to remember

Contact the payment provider immediately, call it a scam claim, ask for recovery and reimbursement, and keep a written record of everything.

Authoritative guidance

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Payment protections depend on the facts, payment method and rules in force when the payment was made. Last reviewed: 4 August 2026.