London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Calls for push payment scam refunds for all

Calls for push payment scam refunds for all

All victims who are tricked into sending money to scammers should be refunded by their banks, a consumer group has said.

Which? said victims face a "lottery" when it comes to getting their money back.

At the moment, a voluntary code means some victims are compensated, but others are not.

The UK's payments watchdog wants to make compensation mandatory and the government announced a plan a year ago.

In "push payment" fraud, victims are tricked into transferring money to coercive fraudsters pretending to be from their bank, police, or someone else they trust.

Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which?, said the changes could not come soon enough.

"Our research shows that people can fall victim even when they are aware of the danger of scams and doing their best to protect themselves," she said.

Its report also said that victims described the realisation they had been scammed as highly distressing.

"The devastating emotional and financial consequences are often compounded as victims realise they face a lottery when it comes to getting their money back, with some banks trying to blame them for their ordeal," Ms Concha added.

Ministers have said they intend to make it a legal right for victims of authorised push payment fraud, known as APP fraud, to be refunded.

In its new report, Which? called on the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) to press ahead with its proposals to make sure that victims are reimbursed by their banks or building societies unless there were exceptional circumstances.

No matter their age, or how tech savvy they are, anyone can fall victim to a scam, Which? warned.

It found that scams often occur when victims are already stressed, with fraudsters building a relationship with them to avoid detection.

One victim said scammers kept her on the phone for 90 minutes as she struggled to get hold of her bank.

Which? says scammers will often use tactics to create a sense of urgency and "coach" victims past checks by their banks.


'Embarrassment and shame'


The 55-year-old woman who spoke to BBC News had borrowed some money from her father to help pay the bills.

She received a call one Saturday afternoon from someone claiming to be from her bank. The caller told her there was a case of fraud on her account and she needed to move her money from her existing account to a safe one.

She was sceptical but they listed previous transactions on her account, and kept her on the phone for 90 minutes. During the conversation, she said she tried on another phone to call her bank's fraud line to check it was genuine but could not get through.

The caller told her to get some money out of the cash machine to tide her over, then said they had made an appointment at her local branch for the Monday morning.

"When I arrived on the Monday, they said there was nobody of that name. I just felt embarrassment and shame. I was sobbing," she said.

She had lost £9,000.

Nine months and a ruling from the ombudsman later, she was eventually refunded the money. She never told her dad, who died in that time.

She asked banks to have "more empathy" with victims of crime.

In its latest consultation, the regulator said it wants to incentivise banks to share more data with each other so fraudsters can be stopped earlier on.

According to official figures, the amount lost to APP fraud was £249m in the first six months of the year.

Although that figure is down from pandemic records, it is still 30% more than the same time in 2020 and remains a big focus for the banking and finance industry.


Some payment providers have expressed concerns that new rules on reimbursement might mean customers are more careless.

UK Finance told the BBC that the industry is keen to stop fraud from happening in the first place.

"While hundreds of millions of pounds has been reimbursed to thousands of customers since the introduction of the APP code, reimbursement alone will not solve the problem of fraud," a spokesman said.

He added that payment providers have invested a lot of cash in technology to protect customers already.

The managing director of the PSR, Chris Hemsley, told MPs on Tuesday that it would bring in a number of requirements to make sure "there is some customer caution in the system".

Under its proposals, there would be a time limit on claims of about 13 months, with the minimum threshold for a claim sitting at £100 at most.

It is currently working with Pay.UK - the operator of the UK's money transfer system - and banks to make sure the protections can be brought in quickly once the legislation has gone through Parliament.

As for the victim the BBC spoke to, her message to others was that they should stay strong in the face of fraudsters she describes as "professionals".

"You should not feel shame and embarrassment," she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×