What is Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud?
Authorised push payment fraud, also known as APP fraud, involves a fraudster tricking their victim into sending money to them by posing as a genuine payee.
Fraudsters may trick their victims to make a payment by doing the following:
- Using pressure or fear to make you act quickly
- Pretending to be the Police or from your bank / building society
- Asking you to support an investigation, such as 'your bank is being investigated for fraudulent activity'
- Asking you to move funds to a ‘safe account’
- Asking you to take money out of your account or buy valuable assets, such as gold or art
- Advising you to lie if you are asked the reason for a transaction
- Demanding upfront payment for services, such as bogus trade companies
- Offering investments which seem too good to be true or offer unrealistic interest rates
- Being approached or pressurised into investing in high-risk items, such as crypto currency
- Starting a new friendship or romantic relationship with you online, followed with a request for financial help
I think I have been the victim of a scam
If you believe you have fallen victim to an Authorised Push Payment fraud and have sent money from your account, contact us immediately. If you have sent money to your nominated bank account, you should also contact them immediately as they may be able to stop the transaction.
The fastest way to alert us so we can act is to call us on the below details or visit your local branch.
Savings & Investments: 0345 734 4345, lines are open Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm.
Business Savings Accounts: 0345 609 9292, lines are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
For other ways to contact us, including ways to contact us outside of these working hours, please see our Contact Us page.
When you contact us, please tell us that you believe you have been a victim of APP fraud, let us know which transaction(s) you are concerned about and share any additional information you have which may help us in our investigations.
If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, you should also report this to the Police.
Reimbursement of Authorised Push Payment fraud
Starting 7 October 2024, new regulations strengthen protection for customers who suffer financial losses due to Authorised Push Payment fraud.
If you make a payment on or after 7th October 2024 using the Faster Payment Scheme (FPS) or a Clearing House Automated Payment Scheme (CHAPS) payment, within the UK, you may be eligible for a refund in the event of an APP scam. The reimbursement requirement applies to individuals, microenterprises and charities.
We will update our General Savings Terms and Conditions to include changes related to this reimbursement requirement from 9th April 2025.
You must submit your reimbursement claim within 13 months of the final APP fraud payment made. Under the new rules we are allowed to incur an excess charge of up to £100, however, we have decided not to charge this, which means if you are eligible, there will be no deduction from your claim. The maximum reimbursement claim limit is £85,000.
If you are considered vulnerable and this affects your ability to protect yourself, the excess may not apply. Assessment of vulnerability will also consider the financial impact of applying the excess may have e.g. should you have low financial resilience. All claims will be assessed based on your individual circumstances.
Claims will not be reimbursed if they involve:
- Fraud by the individual making the claim i.e. the claimant
- Notable carelessness (gross negligence) by the claimant
- Payments made before 7th October or more than 13 months after the final payment
- Transactions outside the UK
- Payments via cheques or cash or electronic payments made outside of Faster Payments or CHAPS
- Payments to an account the claimant controls
- Payments which were not authorised by the claimant
- Civil disputes
- Payments through credit unions, municipal banks or national savings banks
- Exercise caution when making payments and pay attention to any interventions by us or a competent national authority such as the Police
- Report suspected scams to us immediately, we’re here to help
- Provide any information we request to aid our investigation
- Cooperate with the Police, either directly or through us, if necessary
To make a claim for reimbursement, please tell us immediately if you believe you have been the victim of an Authorised Push Payment fraud. For information on how to contact us see above section ‘I think I have been the victim of a scam’.
We will assess your claim and if valid, reimburse you within five working days. In some cases, this may take up to 35 working days, depending on the complexity of the claim.
Whilst investigating your claim, we may need to share information such as your name and account details with the Payment Service Provider who received the APP fraud payment.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your claim, you can complain through our existing complaints process, and this does not affect your right to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service.