Has your bank refused to
refund scam payments?

A refusal does not automatically end every possible recovery route. The reasons given, payment history and complaint status matter. Keep the bank’s response and check any deadline stated in it.

Check whether we can help

You can start without gathering every document. If your enquiry goes forward, payment records and other evidence will help with the assessment.

The initial check is free. If your claim succeeds, Consumer Rights Solicitors charges 15-30% plus VAT of compensation awarded, equivalent to 18-36% including VAT at the current standard rate. The applicable fee and terms are explained before you instruct the firm. Our fees

Bank refusals

What to do after a refusal

1

Find out what the bank has decided

Check whether the bank is still investigating, has refused reimbursement, has refunded part of the loss or has issued a final complaint response. These are different situations. Keep the original letter or message, including its date and explanation.
2

Consider the next complaint route

If you disagree with how your bank or payment provider handled the matter, its complaint process and, where eligible, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be available. The Ombudsman route is free. It considers the financial business’s handling of the case; reporting the crime is a separate process. A final response normally gives six months to refer a complaint to the Ombudsman. Exceptions and other time limits can matter, so check the official guidance promptly and do not wait for our assessment if a deadline may be close.
3

Bring the payments and the bank’s reasons together

Useful evidence includes payment dates and amounts, what the bank questioned or warned about, your responses, messages from the scammer and the full complaint correspondence. Explain any existing solicitor, claims company or ongoing Ombudsman involvement so the next step can be handled correctly.

How you paid changes the route

  • UK bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024 (Faster Payments or CHAPS): the APP reimbursement rules may apply. See APP fraud reimbursement.
  • Credit card: for an item costing over £100 and up to £30,000, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may make the card provider jointly responsible.
  • Debit card: ask your card provider about a chargeback. This is a card-scheme process with time limits, so ask promptly.
  • Cash, gift cards or money transfer services: these are much harder to recover. Report them anyway and keep the evidence.
  • Payments before 7 October 2024: the mandatory reimbursement rules do not apply, but you can still complain to the bank and, where eligible, to the Ombudsman.

How to challenge a refusal

  • Ask for the bank’s final response in writing, with the reasons for its decision.
  • If the bank says you were grossly negligent, ask it to explain why. Under the reimbursement rules, the regulator describes gross negligence as a high bar, and it does not apply to vulnerable consumers.
  • Reply with the facts: what you were told, any warnings you saw, why you believed the request was genuine and any personal circumstances that affected you at the time.
  • If you disagree with the final response, or the bank does not reply in time, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, normally within six months of the final response. Banks have less time than the usual eight weeks to answer fraud and payment complaints.

What the bank and the Ombudsman look at

The Ombudsman considers whether the bank treated you fairly under the rules that applied when you paid. That can include whether the payments fell under the reimbursement rules, what warnings or questions the bank gave, whether the payments looked unusual for your account and how the bank handled your claim. Reporting the crime is a separate process.

Simple process

Start with a clear next step

1

Answer the initial questions

Tell us what happened and how you paid so we can check whether further assessment may be appropriate.

2

Understand the outcome

Your enquiry may go to assessment, need specialist review, or receive guidance on another next step. Screening does not guarantee acceptance.

3

Prepare for the conversation

Where offered, you can add more information and payment records to help prepare for your assessment. This is optional and can be completed later.

Legal representation begins only if Consumer Rights Solicitors accepts the case and you agree to its terms.

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Fees

Understand the costs before deciding

Fees

The initial check is free. If your claim succeeds, Consumer Rights Solicitors charges 15-30% plus VAT of compensation awarded, equivalent to 18-36% including VAT at the current standard rate. The applicable fee and terms are explained before you instruct the firm. UndoFraud does not charge you for using its enquiry service and receives a referral fee from Consumer Rights Solicitors.

You have a choice

You can make a complaint to your bank or payment provider yourself. Where eligible, you can also ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to consider it for free. Using our managed service is optional.
Our feesWhat no win no fee meansPursuing a complaint yourself

Questions and answers

Follow the bank’s process and keep records. The form treats a pending investigation differently from a refusal; any time-limit concern should be considered promptly.

Related guidance
Official sources

Understand the next step for your situation

Start with the initial questions so we can understand what happened and whether further assessment may be appropriate.

Check whether we can help